Saturday, January 31, 2009
Notes on Session 6 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 6 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 5 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 5 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 4 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 4 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Tools for Teaching Second Language Learners
"Spanish-speaking kids needed a class in school where they could be themselves adn exel and validate their culture." (Carol Lynn McConnell, 4-3)
Additive and Subtractive learning environments:
Bilingual education is considered an additive environment. It is suggested through sixth grade. (4-4)
4.1 Supports and Constraints
Knowledge of a language:
1. all the words of a language
2. what order to put those words in
3. how to manipulate words to show things like yesterday or tomorrow (past or future tense)
4. how to pronounce words
5. how to use them in the right context (if you’re saying something culturally inappropriate)
6. how to create and use idioms
7. when someone else is speaking correctly – the grammar of the language
8. how to produce new sentences
9. recognizing the things that make language interesting such as humor and ambiguity
When you know a language, you know a great deal about
• the structure
• implications of what you’re saying and hearing
• how to use that language in appropriate context (Melvin Luthy, 4-11)
To help someone else learn English, you need to have ways of talking to students about their language development. (Annela Teemant, 4-11)
Teachers need to understand
• pronunciation features
• grammar features
• semantic features
• meaning features
• the levels of language
(Donna Christian, 4-12)
We used to teach language by dividing it up into
the sounds of language: phonology
the grammar rules: syntax
the vocabulary: lexicon
When teachers focus on meaning, language learners are encouraged to use language to
express individual meaning
apply it to real-life situations
use it for authentic purposes
Linguistics -- Definitions
Communicative Competence describes what it means to know and communicate in a language.
Four components of communicative competence are
• Grammatical competence: knowing the rules of grammar and the vocabulary of the language
• Sociological competence: the social rules of language – how to be appropriate in many settings – with peers, with teachers, and with strangers
• Discourse competence: how to participate in conversations – how to compliment, make requests, and say thank you – and when you write, you are coherent, able to put sentences together into a meaningful whole
• Strategic competence: how to use a range of strategies to communicate – using a strategy to compensate when you don’t know how say a word.
(Annela Teemant, 4-15)
Tools for Teaching Second Language Learners
"Spanish-speaking kids needed a class in school where they could be themselves adn exel and validate their culture." (Carol Lynn McConnell, 4-3)
Additive and Subtractive learning environments:
Bilingual education is considered an additive environment. It is suggested through sixth grade. (4-4)
4.1 Supports and Constraints
Knowledge of a language:
1. all the words of a language
2. what order to put those words in
3. how to manipulate words to show things like yesterday or tomorrow (past or future tense)
4. how to pronounce words
5. how to use them in the right context (if you’re saying something culturally inappropriate)
6. how to create and use idioms
7. when someone else is speaking correctly – the grammar of the language
8. how to produce new sentences
9. recognizing the things that make language interesting such as humor and ambiguity
When you know a language, you know a great deal about
• the structure
• implications of what you’re saying and hearing
• how to use that language in appropriate context (Melvin Luthy, 4-11)
To help someone else learn English, you need to have ways of talking to students about their language development. (Annela Teemant, 4-11)
Teachers need to understand
• pronunciation features
• grammar features
• semantic features
• meaning features
• the levels of language
(Donna Christian, 4-12)
We used to teach language by dividing it up into
the sounds of language: phonology
the grammar rules: syntax
the vocabulary: lexicon
When teachers focus on meaning, language learners are encouraged to use language to
express individual meaning
apply it to real-life situations
use it for authentic purposes
Linguistics -- Definitions
Communicative Competence describes what it means to know and communicate in a language.
Four components of communicative competence are
• Grammatical competence: knowing the rules of grammar and the vocabulary of the language
• Sociological competence: the social rules of language – how to be appropriate in many settings – with peers, with teachers, and with strangers
• Discourse competence: how to participate in conversations – how to compliment, make requests, and say thank you – and when you write, you are coherent, able to put sentences together into a meaningful whole
• Strategic competence: how to use a range of strategies to communicate – using a strategy to compensate when you don’t know how say a word.
(Annela Teemant, 4-15)
Notes on Session 3 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 3 of Understanding Language Acquisition
My Teaching as a Work in Progress
Inclusive Pedagogy as a Tool (See January 30th Posting on Inclusive Pedagogy)
"There is a difference between being given questions to investigate. . . and being given statements. . .." (Teemant, 3-3)
My thought: I need to do that more with my students -- give them questions to investigate rather than statements of "fact."
"Questions can be applied to all classrooms, while general facts may not apply well to even one." (Teemant, 3-3)
"Teaching is listening and learning is talking." (3-9)
"Teachers need to be students of what development looks like in the particular context where they're teaching. . . " (Paul Ammon, 3-11)
My Teaching as a Work in Progress
Inclusive Pedagogy as a Tool (See January 30th Posting on Inclusive Pedagogy)
"There is a difference between being given questions to investigate. . . and being given statements. . .." (Teemant, 3-3)
My thought: I need to do that more with my students -- give them questions to investigate rather than statements of "fact."
"Questions can be applied to all classrooms, while general facts may not apply well to even one." (Teemant, 3-3)
"Teaching is listening and learning is talking." (3-9)
"Teachers need to be students of what development looks like in the particular context where they're teaching. . . " (Paul Ammon, 3-11)
Notes on Session 2 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 2 of Understanding Language Acquisition: Does My Curriculum Reveal My Theory of Learning?
Are my relationships with students
controlling, condescending, denigrating = coercive
or
positive and supportive = collaborative ?
"Schools must educate people who can fill technical and highly literate jobs. More importantly such citizens are needed to produce a humane, loving, and civil society." (Linda Darling-Hammond, 2-7)
Sociocultural Theory: means that learning is constrained by culture and emerges from social interactions. It integrates social, cultural, and intellectual elements of schooling. Other educational theories are simply not powerful enough to guide today's classrooms. (Pinegar and Teemant, 2-8) . . . it's about teachers and students doing things together. (James P. Lantolf, 2-9) . . . attends to al the elements of classrooms: students, teachers, learning, activites, behavior, thinking, and context. (2-10) . . . Vygotsky's theory.
1. Learning requires social interaction.
2. Classroom activity occurs on three planes.
a. the individual or psychological
b. the social or interactional
c. the community or institutional
3. Language itself plays a central role in learning.
Language is used to assign meaning during social interaction. It has to do with the way emotion is labeled, the meaning of events, and the things communicated during activities.
Language is learned best when it is contextualized.
4. Learning occurs in the Zone of Proximal Development [ZPD].
The zone is fluid.
Planning for linguistic diversity --
helping students to crack the academic code (Teemant, 2-16)
Discourse: any sample of language use that occurs when people communicate orally or in writing.
Thinking takes place through language and discourses. (Paraphrase of Corson, 2-17)
Discourses shape the brain, shape the mind. (Paraphrase of Corson, 2-17)
As teachers, we need to understand how language works. (Paraphrase of Adger, 2-17)
Many students need these things:
4Vocabulary levels to be modified
4Readability of materials controlled
4Written output demands modified
4Language demands considered
4Classroom discourse level modified
4Teacher talk to be comprehensible
4to be full participants in class
Three Components for Successful Classroom Language Learning:
1. A learner who is motivated to learn English and sees a need for English
2. A teacher, or other native speakers of English, who help learners get access to the language they need.
3. A social setting that provides opportunities for interaction and language use between native and non-native speakers of English.
Three Key Concepts for Teachers from Second Language Acquisition Research:
Focus of Communication: This concept attends to the authentic needs humans have to connect and communicate with one another.
1. Input: The importance of making content comprehensible to learners
Student work: 'To break language up and figure out meaning. 'To learn academic content
Teacher work: m To make content more comprehensible
2. Interaction: The role of interaction in second language acquisition
Student work: ' To use language with others ' To learn academic content
Teacher work: m To create opportunities for interaction
Focus of Pattern: This concept shows that second language acquisition is a long-term process.
1. Stages of Development: Language learning is a gradual process marked by patterns of development.
Student work: ' To make marked progress in language learning
Teacher work: m To recognize level of development m To see errors as signs of learning
2. Errors and Feedback: Errors aer a sign of learning in that errors provide evidence that students are trying to master ever more complex aspects of language.
Student work and Teacher work: ' m To attend to the linguistic features of language: word choice, word endings, sentence structures, and the social nuances of language.
Focus of Variability: This concept considers what factors make one language learner more or less successful than another.
1. Types of Proficiencies: This allows us to study both the social and academic language students need to master.
2. Types of Performances: How fluently and accurately a student produces language depends on what the student is being asked to do in the classroom.
Student work: ' To manage the social factors and individual factors that influence motivation to learn and conceptions of identity.
Teacher work: m To pay attention to the individual differences among learners.
Are my relationships with students
controlling, condescending, denigrating = coercive
or
positive and supportive = collaborative ?
"Schools must educate people who can fill technical and highly literate jobs. More importantly such citizens are needed to produce a humane, loving, and civil society." (Linda Darling-Hammond, 2-7)
Sociocultural Theory: means that learning is constrained by culture and emerges from social interactions. It integrates social, cultural, and intellectual elements of schooling. Other educational theories are simply not powerful enough to guide today's classrooms. (Pinegar and Teemant, 2-8) . . . it's about teachers and students doing things together. (James P. Lantolf, 2-9) . . . attends to al the elements of classrooms: students, teachers, learning, activites, behavior, thinking, and context. (2-10) . . . Vygotsky's theory.
1. Learning requires social interaction.
2. Classroom activity occurs on three planes.
a. the individual or psychological
b. the social or interactional
c. the community or institutional
3. Language itself plays a central role in learning.
Language is used to assign meaning during social interaction. It has to do with the way emotion is labeled, the meaning of events, and the things communicated during activities.
Language is learned best when it is contextualized.
4. Learning occurs in the Zone of Proximal Development [ZPD].
The zone is fluid.
Planning for linguistic diversity --
helping students to crack the academic code (Teemant, 2-16)
Discourse: any sample of language use that occurs when people communicate orally or in writing.
Thinking takes place through language and discourses. (Paraphrase of Corson, 2-17)
Discourses shape the brain, shape the mind. (Paraphrase of Corson, 2-17)
As teachers, we need to understand how language works. (Paraphrase of Adger, 2-17)
Many students need these things:
4Vocabulary levels to be modified
4Readability of materials controlled
4Written output demands modified
4Language demands considered
4Classroom discourse level modified
4Teacher talk to be comprehensible
4to be full participants in class
Three Components for Successful Classroom Language Learning:
1. A learner who is motivated to learn English and sees a need for English
2. A teacher, or other native speakers of English, who help learners get access to the language they need.
3. A social setting that provides opportunities for interaction and language use between native and non-native speakers of English.
Three Key Concepts for Teachers from Second Language Acquisition Research:
Focus of Communication: This concept attends to the authentic needs humans have to connect and communicate with one another.
1. Input: The importance of making content comprehensible to learners
Student work: 'To break language up and figure out meaning. 'To learn academic content
Teacher work: m To make content more comprehensible
2. Interaction: The role of interaction in second language acquisition
Student work: ' To use language with others ' To learn academic content
Teacher work: m To create opportunities for interaction
Focus of Pattern: This concept shows that second language acquisition is a long-term process.
1. Stages of Development: Language learning is a gradual process marked by patterns of development.
Student work: ' To make marked progress in language learning
Teacher work: m To recognize level of development m To see errors as signs of learning
2. Errors and Feedback: Errors aer a sign of learning in that errors provide evidence that students are trying to master ever more complex aspects of language.
Student work and Teacher work: ' m To attend to the linguistic features of language: word choice, word endings, sentence structures, and the social nuances of language.
Focus of Variability: This concept considers what factors make one language learner more or less successful than another.
1. Types of Proficiencies: This allows us to study both the social and academic language students need to master.
2. Types of Performances: How fluently and accurately a student produces language depends on what the student is being asked to do in the classroom.
Student work: ' To manage the social factors and individual factors that influence motivation to learn and conceptions of identity.
Teacher work: m To pay attention to the individual differences among learners.
Notes on Session 1 of Understanding Language Acquisition
Notes on Session 1 of Understanding Language Acquisition: What is My Speech Community?
Peggy Estrada: "Classrooms should function with both individual responsibility and interdependency (mutual responsibility)." (1-7)
Policy makers should take note of the following:
Jean Clandinin: "What a teacher knows and can do determines the quality of the child's educational experience."
Richard Tucker: "Within 30 years or so 50% of all children in American public schools. . . are going to be minority students."
"Teachers have to be prepared to understand who these students are, what are their needs, how do we help them to develop to their full potential?" (1-8)
More interesting quotes:
Annela Teemant: "We have cultural capital and linguistic capital but we may need to develop critical language awareness." [A comma is needed after "capital."] [Are we aware of how we ourselves learned language and how we use language? Can we step back and look at the varieties and uses of language? At how language interacts with culture and self?]
See below for explanation of critical language awareness.
". . . your language. . . is intricately tied to who you are and who you want to be. Your language expresses identity." (1-9)
Our language, or someone else's can make us feel
superior
inferior
dominated
discriminated against
Standard and Non-Standard Varieties of Language
"Standard language is associated with being an educated, mature user of language.
"Non-Standard. . ., if people's home language, can be their language of social identity." (1-10)
Descriptive and Prescriptive Views of How Language Ought to be Used
Descriptive school: focuses on how language is actually used.
Prescriptive school: provides rules, based on grammarians' views of how language ought to be used. (1-10)
Critical language awareness: focuses on the relationship between power and language, since language conveys superiority or inferiority, indicates discrimination and perpetuates inequality. (1-10)
Critical language awareness: involves questioning the status and power judgments of language use. (Corson, 1-13)
"Having critical language awareness means understanding that our language use is dynamic, changing, and flexible." -- (Teemant, 1-10)
Speech Community: a group of people who share usage norms for at least one language or language variety.
Linguistic Capital: language use skills of value in certain sites. "When we move to a new site, our language use is valued differently."
Linguistic Capital is valued differently based on age, gender, social and educational status, formality of situation, regionalism, historic time. (1-11)
Usage: linguistic etiquette -- study of forces in language that determine correctness, quality, rightness, appropriateness, and goodness. The forces that determine this are outside of language. (Don Norton, 1-11) [He tells about NBC English.]
Dialect: a variety of a language. "Dialect features . . . are regular and rule governed." (Donna Christian, 1-12)
"Language change is central to understanding it." -- (David Corson, 1-13)
"Teachers are responsible for classroom language policy. We should ask:
Are our policies informed, enlightened, inclusive, and fair?" (Teemant, 1-13)
Do we allow for multiple voices in the classroom?
Do all kids get access to knowledge that allows them to see themselves as knowledge producers not just knowledge consumers? (Robert Bullough, 1-19)
How often are children asked to speak with authority? (Carolyn Temple Adger, 1-20)
Reflection: I've understood since my undergraduate days at BYU (many years ago) that we have different ways of speaking (varieties of language) depending on the circumstances we are in at the time. I acknowledge that with my junior high students. However, it seems to me that that are losing what used to be an automatic response -- to switch from degree of "standardness" to another according to the situation at hand. I encourage them to become comfortable with more than one "language" -- for instance, "talk with the principal language" vs. "talk with my best friends" language. The second language learner is learning not only a new language, but, as time goes on, various kinds of the new language.
The question about whether my practices match my beliefs has been asked before (including in our school accreditation process), but I need to be reminded of it again and again -- to look closely at how I am functioning in the classroom. For instance, in a reading class I teach, two Hispanic girls were wasting their individual reading time -- talking together instead of working. I believe in providing students with what they need to achieve, and in begin aware of and responsive to learning styles and what works best for various cultures. But I was just frustrated until I realized that for those girls -- even more than for many of my other students, working together with peers (especially peers who share a first language) can facilitate learning. So during their time to practice individual reading, I put them together reading short, high-interst plays. Now they're actually reading -- and doing the brief writing assignments about the reading.
Peggy Estrada: "Classrooms should function with both individual responsibility and interdependency (mutual responsibility)." (1-7)
Policy makers should take note of the following:
Jean Clandinin: "What a teacher knows and can do determines the quality of the child's educational experience."
Richard Tucker: "Within 30 years or so 50% of all children in American public schools. . . are going to be minority students."
"Teachers have to be prepared to understand who these students are, what are their needs, how do we help them to develop to their full potential?" (1-8)
More interesting quotes:
Annela Teemant: "We have cultural capital and linguistic capital but we may need to develop critical language awareness." [A comma is needed after "capital."] [Are we aware of how we ourselves learned language and how we use language? Can we step back and look at the varieties and uses of language? At how language interacts with culture and self?]
See below for explanation of critical language awareness.
". . . your language. . . is intricately tied to who you are and who you want to be. Your language expresses identity." (1-9)
Our language, or someone else's can make us feel
superior
inferior
dominated
discriminated against
Standard and Non-Standard Varieties of Language
"Standard language is associated with being an educated, mature user of language.
"Non-Standard. . ., if people's home language, can be their language of social identity." (1-10)
Descriptive and Prescriptive Views of How Language Ought to be Used
Descriptive school: focuses on how language is actually used.
Prescriptive school: provides rules, based on grammarians' views of how language ought to be used. (1-10)
Critical language awareness: focuses on the relationship between power and language, since language conveys superiority or inferiority, indicates discrimination and perpetuates inequality. (1-10)
Critical language awareness: involves questioning the status and power judgments of language use. (Corson, 1-13)
"Having critical language awareness means understanding that our language use is dynamic, changing, and flexible." -- (Teemant, 1-10)
Speech Community: a group of people who share usage norms for at least one language or language variety.
Linguistic Capital: language use skills of value in certain sites. "When we move to a new site, our language use is valued differently."
Linguistic Capital is valued differently based on age, gender, social and educational status, formality of situation, regionalism, historic time. (1-11)
Usage: linguistic etiquette -- study of forces in language that determine correctness, quality, rightness, appropriateness, and goodness. The forces that determine this are outside of language. (Don Norton, 1-11) [He tells about NBC English.]
Dialect: a variety of a language. "Dialect features . . . are regular and rule governed." (Donna Christian, 1-12)
"Language change is central to understanding it." -- (David Corson, 1-13)
"Teachers are responsible for classroom language policy. We should ask:
Are our policies informed, enlightened, inclusive, and fair?" (Teemant, 1-13)
Do we allow for multiple voices in the classroom?
Do all kids get access to knowledge that allows them to see themselves as knowledge producers not just knowledge consumers? (Robert Bullough, 1-19)
How often are children asked to speak with authority? (Carolyn Temple Adger, 1-20)
Reflection: I've understood since my undergraduate days at BYU (many years ago) that we have different ways of speaking (varieties of language) depending on the circumstances we are in at the time. I acknowledge that with my junior high students. However, it seems to me that that are losing what used to be an automatic response -- to switch from degree of "standardness" to another according to the situation at hand. I encourage them to become comfortable with more than one "language" -- for instance, "talk with the principal language" vs. "talk with my best friends" language. The second language learner is learning not only a new language, but, as time goes on, various kinds of the new language.
The question about whether my practices match my beliefs has been asked before (including in our school accreditation process), but I need to be reminded of it again and again -- to look closely at how I am functioning in the classroom. For instance, in a reading class I teach, two Hispanic girls were wasting their individual reading time -- talking together instead of working. I believe in providing students with what they need to achieve, and in begin aware of and responsive to learning styles and what works best for various cultures. But I was just frustrated until I realized that for those girls -- even more than for many of my other students, working together with peers (especially peers who share a first language) can facilitate learning. So during their time to practice individual reading, I put them together reading short, high-interst plays. Now they're actually reading -- and doing the brief writing assignments about the reading.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Critical Learning Domains
Critical Learning Domains (3-14)
Unique Characteristics for ESL Student: -- The review sheet is divided into three types of strengths belonging to ESL students, and each strength is paired with "Benefits from Teachers Who Know."
l Cogitive Strengths
Benefits from Teachers Who Know:
l Social/Affective Strengths
Benefits from Teachers Who Know:
l Linguistic Strengths
Benefits from Teachers Who Know:
Unique Characteristics for ESL Student: -- The review sheet is divided into three types of strengths belonging to ESL students, and each strength is paired with "Benefits from Teachers Who Know."
l Cogitive Strengths
Benefits from Teachers Who Know:
l Social/Affective Strengths
Benefits from Teachers Who Know:
l Linguistic Strengths
Benefits from Teachers Who Know:
Standards for Effective Pedagogy
Standards for Effective Pedagogy
Joint Productive Activity: Teacher and students producing together
Language and Literacy Development: Developing language and literacy across the curriculum
Contextualization: Making meaning: Connecting school to students' lives
Challenging Activities: Teaching complex thinking
Instructional Conversation: Teaching through conversation
Joint Productive Activity: Teacher and students producing together
Language and Literacy Development: Developing language and literacy across the curriculum
Contextualization: Making meaning: Connecting school to students' lives
Challenging Activities: Teaching complex thinking
Instructional Conversation: Teaching through conversation
Second Language Acquisition Concepts
Second Language Acquisition Concepts
Communication
Input: Through interaction with others, content that is slightly beyond the learners' current abilities is made more comprehensible.
Interaction: Learners communicate and interact for authentic purposes to meet personal goals.
Pattern
Stages of Development: Learners need multiple opportunities to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking to demonstrate knowledge.
Errors/Feedback: Learners need opportunities to receive and give appropriate feedback in ways that deepen understanding of language and content and reflect the complexity of the learning process.
Variability
Types of Proficiences: Through carefully constructed tasks, materials, and contexts, individual learners can develop a range of strategies for understanding language and content.
Types of Performances: Learners need opportunities to use language and content for various purposes, in various cultural settings, and with various individuals.
Communication
Input: Through interaction with others, content that is slightly beyond the learners' current abilities is made more comprehensible.
Interaction: Learners communicate and interact for authentic purposes to meet personal goals.
Pattern
Stages of Development: Learners need multiple opportunities to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking to demonstrate knowledge.
Errors/Feedback: Learners need opportunities to receive and give appropriate feedback in ways that deepen understanding of language and content and reflect the complexity of the learning process.
Variability
Types of Proficiences: Through carefully constructed tasks, materials, and contexts, individual learners can develop a range of strategies for understanding language and content.
Types of Performances: Learners need opportunities to use language and content for various purposes, in various cultural settings, and with various individuals.
Planning Strategies in Inclusive Pedagogy
Planning Strategies in Inclusive Pedagogy
Under Multiple Perspectives ---
Critical Learning Domain: Cognitive
Planning Strategy: Multiple Sources: Use multiple sources of information at a variety of levels and from a variety of perspectives.
Critical Learning Domain: Social/Affective
Planning Strategy: Multiple Voices: Allow for multiple voices by valuing, respecting, and using multiple voices -- both those of the students and those of others -- in your teaching.
Critical Learning Domain: Linguistic
Planning Strategy: Multiple Modalities: Use multiple modalities (all of the senses) to support the linguistic development of students.
Under High Expectations --
Critical Learning Domain: Cognitive
Planning Strategy: Build Connections: Link Knowledge, belief, and understanding by activating prior knowledge and by linking multiple stores of information (visual and verbal), formal and informal knowledge, and the emotional and affective.
Critical Learning Domain: Social/Affective
Planning Strategy: Provide Real World Experience: Create tasks that have a direct connection to life outside the classroom.
Critical Learning Domain: Linguistic
Planning Strategy: Develop and Knowledge Base: Help students build vocabulary by teaching new words and meanings.
Under Multiple Perspectives ---
Critical Learning Domain: Cognitive
Planning Strategy: Multiple Sources: Use multiple sources of information at a variety of levels and from a variety of perspectives.
Critical Learning Domain: Social/Affective
Planning Strategy: Multiple Voices: Allow for multiple voices by valuing, respecting, and using multiple voices -- both those of the students and those of others -- in your teaching.
Critical Learning Domain: Linguistic
Planning Strategy: Multiple Modalities: Use multiple modalities (all of the senses) to support the linguistic development of students.
Under High Expectations --
Critical Learning Domain: Cognitive
Planning Strategy: Build Connections: Link Knowledge, belief, and understanding by activating prior knowledge and by linking multiple stores of information (visual and verbal), formal and informal knowledge, and the emotional and affective.
Critical Learning Domain: Social/Affective
Planning Strategy: Provide Real World Experience: Create tasks that have a direct connection to life outside the classroom.
Critical Learning Domain: Linguistic
Planning Strategy: Develop and Knowledge Base: Help students build vocabulary by teaching new words and meanings.
Inclusive Pedagogy
Inclusive Pedagogy
The questions of Inclusive Pedagogy mediate between theory and practice. They can become a tool of analysis -- a tool that interrogates both theory and practice. (Teemant, 3-4)
Five Characteristics of Inclusive Pedagogy:
Collaboration -- gives us the big picture, the main concepts, and the content we need to scrutinize.
Guiding Principles -- asks us to explore theoretical and moral issues in education.
Essential Policy -- asks if our practices are grounded on moral policies, and if not, is advocacy needed.
Critical Learning Domains -- prompt us to look holistically at a student's development.
Classroom Strategies -- require us to re-evaluate our classroom, asking what existing practices work, what new actions are called for.
The questions of Inclusive Pedagogy mediate between theory and practice. They can become a tool of analysis -- a tool that interrogates both theory and practice. (Teemant, 3-4)
Five Characteristics of Inclusive Pedagogy:
Collaboration -- gives us the big picture, the main concepts, and the content we need to scrutinize.
Guiding Principles -- asks us to explore theoretical and moral issues in education.
Essential Policy -- asks if our practices are grounded on moral policies, and if not, is advocacy needed.
Critical Learning Domains -- prompt us to look holistically at a student's development.
Classroom Strategies -- require us to re-evaluate our classroom, asking what existing practices work, what new actions are called for.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Individualized Language Development Plan 8.1
Individualized Language Development Plan 8.1
Teacher: Claudia Dorsey Student's Name: K.C. Level of Language Development: Advanced
Performance Levels
Comfort Levels
Patterns
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Goal 1: To use English to communicate in social settings.
Standard 1. Uses English to participate in social interaction. 1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher, Most: Friend
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: English Most: Out of school
Standard 2. Interacts in, through, and with spoken and written English for personal expression and enjoyment. 1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher, Most: Friend
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: English Most: Out of school
Standard 3. Uses learning strategies to extend communicative competence. 1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher, Most: Native English Speaking Peer
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: Math Most: Out of class
Goal 2: To use English to achieve academically in all content areas.
Standard 1. Uses English to interact in the classroom. 1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Non-Native Speaking Peer (He recognizes that many of his Hispanic friends are not motivated to learn and to do the work,) Most: Native English Speaking Peer
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: English Most: Math
Standard 2. Uses English to obtain, process, construct, and provide subject matter information in spoken and written form. 1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher Most: Native English Speaking Peer
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: English Most: Math
Standard 3. Uses appropriate learning strategies to construct and apply academic knowledge.
1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher Most: Native English Speaking Peer
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: English class (Language Arts) Most: Math
Goal 3: To use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways.
Standard 1. Uses the appropriate language variety, register, and genre according to audience, purpose, and setting.
1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher Most: Friend
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: English class Most: Out of School
Standard 2. Uses nonverbal communication appropriate to audience, purpose, and setting.
1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher Most: Friend
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Friend
Contexts: Least: English class Most: Out of School
Standard 3. Uses appropriate learning strategies to extend sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence.
1 2 3 4 5
People: Least: Teacher Most: Friend
Tasks: Least: Whole Class Most: Small Group
Contexts: Least: English Most: Out of School
Report:
a. How Can I Increase My Second Language Learner's Knowledge of Language?
K.C.'s greatest weakness is in his writing, and other weaknesses (such as word confusions that aren't noticeable in speech) show up when he does write. I can explicitly teach him about various facets of grammar (sentence structure and sentence boundaries), spelling (including confusing words/homophones, prefixes and suffixes, and inflectional endings -- word study), punctuation, and capitalization.
I can continue to point out cognates (English/Spanish) and listen appreciatively as he points out cognates and other similarities to me!
K.C. is very aware of words, of language, and is reflective about his use of language, so my main job is to find out what he's thinking about, what he's concerned about and interested in him, and help him to resolve his own concerns. Of course, I can also point out what I see as language needs he may not understand that he has, and also help him fulfill those.
b. How Can I Expand My Second Language Learner's Use of Language?
Because he is most comfortable learning in small groups, I can provide many opportunities for small group interaction in the classroom -- with mixed groups of non-native and native speakers of English -- some assigned by me, and some self-selected.
Kenneth loves to share his learning when he feels confident that he is sharing something interesting and of value to the other students. I can provide him with opportunities to share expertise he already has, and to gain expertise in a portion of a topic, then share it with other students.
I can require him in classes to write frequent, brief responses, and occasional longer pieces.
I can encourage, provide materials for, and praise wide reading. I can provide him with materials at his own reading level to increase fluency, background knowledge, content area knowledge, and enjoyment.
Individualized Language Development Plan 7.1
Analysis of Student Work
The first image shown here is K.C.'s notes and summary of an article about child labor from the Internet. He read the article ("Chocolate-Coated Slavery," and was to prepare a five-sentence summary of what he learned from the article. The handwriting is a problem. He misspelled "chocolate" and "cocoa," though he had the words in front of him in the article. Most of the "sentences" are missing capitalization and punctuation.
(The mistakes he made are common among seventh graders, especially in an early draft.)
The second image is a poster that K.C. designed as part of a reading class campaign to teach people about the problem of child labor. This is just the design and not the finished product. He correctly used an apostrophe, and all of the words are spelled correctly, unless the second letter in "camp" is an "o."
____________________________
Response to “Cherished Memory” prompt on GoMYAccess
Draft #3
In the evening of a morning after noon. When the dew on the grass was still frozen. With a glare of the suns reflecting radiance .The cold cherry shaped water droplet was starting to drip of the rose peddle. Still when the butterfly's morn. The sun rising of the horizon . With nothing but the sound of the grass growing in the far out distance the birds singing The simple dancing patterns in the sky.
I remember me waking up and finding my self smelling the strong odor of pine. When me and my family where camping. It was fun. My family and I went to the lake. Our friend was on his bout and he gave us a ride and was fun to feel the wind. The water splashing in the side of the bout. for a brief moment I felt peace . But everything has to come to a end. Two days before the trip was to a end. We were taking a hike and we so the real true meaning of nature.
When we had to go was fun vacation so sad we had to leave. The last thing we did was go fishing. We ate fish for lunch.We cooked it with lime and salt.You could her the it sizzling. I was full and tired I wanted to finally come home.
On the road riding looking back at the sunset. And the glare of the lake mad a heavenly sight. With six hours to go. I decided to close my eyes. And just remember the fun we had that summer.
Analysis of Response to “Cherished Memory” prompt on GoMYAccess:
Word Level
Spelling: Uses "of" instead of "off," "my self" instead of "myself," and "mad" instead of "made." Also "where" instead of "were," "bout" instead of "boat," and uses "so" for "saw."
Possessives: "With a glare of the suns reflecting radiance." (sun's)
Prepositions: "The water splashing in the side of the bout."
Sentence level errors:
He capitalized "The" in the middle of a sentence, and "for" at the beginning of a sentence was not capitalized.
Extra word: "before the trip was to a end.. . ."
Missing word 3 times: ". . . he gave us a ride and [missing word] was fun to feel the wind. "
"you could hear the it sizzling"
Discourse level errors:
Fragments: 13, Run-ons: 2
Other: "Still when the butterfly's morn" "In the evening of a morning after noon."
_____
Conclusions:
Student Level: Advanced
What implications can be drawn? K.C. has well-developed skills in conversational English; however, he has a lot of weaknesses in writing. I encourage him to slow down as he is doing handwritten work.
What Language development support is needed? K.C. needs help distinguishing sentence boundaries. He needs to practice common phrases used with prepositions, and learn, along with his native-English-speaking classmates, to avoid common misspellings. He needs to read more and write more.
Response to “Family and Friendship” prompt on GoMYAccess:
What I think is a good time is with my family and frends. One time I spent was when my family and I .Went to los Angeles.we went to santa monica and went and the fairis wheel. To feel and see was a sight to be rememberd. When I went on the sandy beach and feeling the sand in my feet was fun. Exept when a jellyfish stung me in my ankle it hurt and to stop the swelling and iretion was urin but luckly they had an other antidont.
To be with friends is a differnt feeling. But I spent most time with them more than my house is in school. Good times there and some of my best storyies. One time I remember is when in the six grade at the next to last day when we through a party. I spent that whole day with my friends. To me it was specle and I hope never to forget.
Talking alot about friends at school know to talk about frends in my home. Usully I say we dont do allot thats what I think? Last time friends came over my friend and I tryed to tack down a tree by chain saw and fire,also we did the bigist fire in my house. Good thing no won got hurt. but that tree is still standing.
Analysis of Response to “Family and Friendship” prompt on GoMYAccess:
Word Level:
Spelling: "frends" for "friends," "fairis" for Ferris," "iretion" for "irritation," Exept" for "except," "urin" for "urine."
allot -- alot -- a lot
usully -- usually
dont -- don't (contractions)
tryed -- tried
tack -- take
bigist-- biggest
luckly -- luckily
an other -- another
antidont -- antidote
differnt -- different
storyies -- stories
six grade -- sixth grade
through -- threw
specle -- special
no won -- no one
Capitalization: los Angeles, santa monica
Prepositions: "I went on the sandy beach.. . " "sand in my feet" "stung me in my ankle"
Sentence Level:
Beginning of sentence not capitalized
Used a question mark after a statement
Discourse Level:
Fragments: 2
"But I spent more time with them than my house is in school."
"To feel and see was a sight to be remembered."
Instead of telling one story, as directed in the prompt, he told (briefly) about several incidents.
_____
Conclusions:
Student Level: Advanced
What implications can be drawn? Again, he has fluency of thought, but needs work on recognizing sentence boundaries in writing. His weaknesses in spelling can be addressed by learning some rules, and by continuing to provide spelling practice on the READ180 software.
What Language development support is needed? See implications. As K.C. receives praise for the thoughts he is attempting to express in writing, he will be motivated to write more.
I'm working with him on adding inflectional endings such as -er and -est. We're also working on double consonants.
Level of Proficiency
Report:
Linguistic Strengths in BICS/CALP: K.C. has heard a lot of English, and is quite fluent in his speech. He thinks about and examines language, looking for new ways of saying things, including new and more precise vocabulary.
He is consciously aware that he needs to adjust his choice of words and other aspects of his language to various situations. His pronunciation and grammar are definitely moving toward those of a native speaker.
His proficiency level in BICS is ADVANCED.
His proficiency level in CALP is perhaps between INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED. Simplified texts for content are helpful to him. He can read and hear various forms of discourse such as persuasion and comparison/contrast more proficiently than he can write them.
Linguistic Weaknesses in BICS/CALP:
Implications for Success in the Classroom
Encourage further vocabulary development through wide reading and through word study.
Proposed Teacher Work
Individualized Language Development Plan 6.1
Classroom Interaction Inventory
This is an inventory focusing on one student -- known here as K.C.
A. Student Work in Second Language Acquisition
1. Taking risks in using language: K.C. is willing to speak up and try to use new words and phrases. However, he is less willing to write, but with encouragement will.
2. Showing confidence in using language: He is pretty confident with spoken language, but less so with written.
3. Showing motivation in acquiring language: He spends time learning vocabulary words. In 5th grade he was given a pocket thesaurus. He thought it was fun to go through it, marking synonyms, and finding more ways to say things. For instance, while I was interviewing him, he properly used the words discrete and stance.
After we read The Giver, K.C. asked if he could borrow Gathering Blue, and was excited when he came back to class having read it.
4. Setting personal learning goals for acquiring language: K.C. looks for chances to learn.
5. Using informal opportunities to acquire language: K.C. associates with both Spanish-speaking and English-Speaking friends.
6. Developing a range of communication strategies:
7. Moving from big ideas to details in comprehension: He is getting 100% scores on the READ180 software for finding main ideas and details.
8. Assessing impact of native culture on acquiring language: K.C.’s culture is Hispanic-American. He was born in the U.S. and has lived here his whole life. However, his parents speak Spanish, and have a difficult time understanding English.
9. Understanding of American culture: He has grown up in the U.S. so he seems to know what is expected.
B. Nonverbal Participation: See #10. Also, Kenneth participates when the class is asked to raise their hands or to stand up to indicate agreement or disagreement with a statement. He is generally attentive when the teacher is reading to the students or playing a tape or CD of a book.
10. Attending to action: gaze other nonverbal:
K.C. was resting his head on his arm and drawing while the student teacher was teaching about the verb lie and lay. His eyes on his notebook. He continues to draw and rest his head when the teacher asks students to start calling out nouns. Then he starts writing down nouns, and calls out “hippopotamus.” While the students are calling out words, and working together to create sentences with them, his head is up, he’s looking forward. After a few minutes, he is writing and drawing, but goes back and forth between looking up, and looking down to write.
He is not paying attention to other students when they are giving explanations for grammar rules.
11. Responding to directives:
He continues to draw and rest his head when the teacher asks students to start calling out nouns. Then he starts writing down nouns, and calls out “hippopotamus.”
12. Responding to indirectives: (What is an indirective?) I’m assuming this means non-verbal directives. He will respond to a look or a gesture. He is generally cooperative. Occasionally interacting with friends trumps responding to the teacher.
13. Taking turns: talking at appropriate points:
During observation: He calls out “hippopotamus” when the teacher asks for students to call out nouns (they don’t have to raise their hands. – appropriate.
C. Language Function
14. Greeting acknowledging others' presence: Proficient.
15. Commenting: volunteering a remark: Yes, he can do this well.
16. Providing feedback: "uh huh": Yes.
17. Directing: telling someone to do something: He is able to do this.
18. Denying: contradicting: Yes.
19. Protesting: objecting to an offense: Yes.
20. Apologizing: acknowledging an offense: Yes.
Maintaining topic/changing topic
21. Producing relevant talk: Yes.
22. Introducing a topic change: Yes.
23. Replying when nominated: Yes.
24. Refusing: declining to act: Yes.
25. Complimenting: expressing approval: Yes.
26. Narrating: producing a story: Yes.
Giving reports
27. Presenting readily-available information: Yes. In READ180 he and the other students were asked to find and read an short article (about child labor) online. They were to take notes, to summarize, and present the information. K.C. was able to complete the task. One problem area for him was writing his summary legibly since they had a limited amount of time to complete the assignment. Another was looking up at the audience (his classmates and teacher) as he presented. (Is this usually harder for Hispanic students?)
28. Presenting personally-constructed information: Yes, he can do it, but he often hasn’t handed in or presented assignments.
D. Verbal Participation in Joint Productivity
29. Collaborating with the teacher: He is able to talk with and ask questions of the teacher. Usually interactions need to be initiated by the teacher.
30. Collaborating in pairs of students: He does work with other students in pairs. He is able to communicate.
31. Collaborating in small groups: He suggests the word “pen” as a noun in a group that is creating sentences. He is quiet in this assigned group, as are the other three students. After a few minutes, he has become the leader of the group, leading them through creating the sentences. A few minutes later he’s looking confused and frustrated about not understanding lie/lay. The teacher explains to the group, and K.C. helps to clarify.
When I talked with him afterwards, he said that it’s harder to get a group started when the teacher picks the group. When you pick your own group, you know you can work together. When the teacher picks, it takes awhile to decide you can work together.
32. Collaborating in whole class activities: K.C. is collaborating with other class members to create posters against child labor. We have been studying this international problem. He is artistic, so is asked by other students to help with their artwork.
Classroom Rules or Routines that Affect the Student
K.C. thrives when he has plenty of time to talk with other students, and some time to talk with the teacher. My student teacher and I are planning to incorporate more of activities such as think/pair-share or think/write/pair-share.
We've decided that neither of us are consistently allowing enough wait time after asking a question. K.C. has reminded me of the value of that wait-time.
When forming small groups in English class, we use various methods including teacher-assigned groups (based on several different criteria), count offs or picking a color or candy and finding "matching" students, and student choice groups. K.C. feels that he needs to get to know people before he works with them, so for him, student-choice groups are best because he can choose people he already knows and would like to work with.
Joint Productive Activity/Instructional Conversation
K.C. and I talked about how to know when to double the consonant when adding an inflectional ending onto a word. This is an error that has been repeatedly showing up in his writing. Objective: K.C. will be able to correctly spell many words when he changes them by adding an inflectional ending. Joint product: After the "lesson," K.C. was able to successfully spell several words we hadn't already used. He could use the general rules to tell when to and when not to double the end consonant before adding the ending.
What Teacher Work will Benefit this Second Language Learner
(with Inclusive Pedagogy Guiding Principles Goal Questions)
Communication:
I can help K.C. develop more background knowledge. Already in READ180, he's watching brief videos to develop background for various high-interest subjects. Also we are as a class studying various subjects that build background knowledge in content areas such as literature, social studies, and science. I can bring in more pictures and video clips, and basic information about topics we study. For instance, in English class, K.C. needs more background knowledge dealing with how we put together sentences, including an understanding of what verbs are, what tense means, and how verbs show tense. (See number ten under the Classroom Interaction Inventory.)
I think I should work more closely with his social studies teacher. I can provide him with reading materials he can use to fulfill assignment for reading class, and English class, and that will build background knowledge for social studies. Also, K.C. tends to have a good handle on what he needs as a learner. I need to listen more to him. (Recognizing Multiple Perspectives)
I can continue to use the "to/with/by" method of teaching.
I can continue to provide him with texts at his own reading level, and plan to use strategies such as think/pair-share.
I can teach him fix-up strategies for when learning breaks down in reading. (It's about time to review those in READ180, and perhaps in English, too.)
I will continue to teach him writing skills.
I just realized that I don't know just how literate his parents are. He watches the news (in Spanish) with them. I could encourage them to the newspaper (Spanish edition) together.
Pattern:
I do provide a rich literacy environment in both classrooms, but I could enrich it more, by posting more materials (pictures, brief articles, poems, cartoons, etc. about the topic we're studying at the time.
I do monitor (especially with the READ180 software, K.C.'s fluency, comprehension, and word recognition. In fact, it's time to move him up a level on the READ180 software, since he's getting 100%'s almost exclusively.
He has another writing assignment coming up at the end of the week, so I will (as I usually do) respond to his writing first for overall meaning, then attend to errors in form, grammar, or conventions. He will have multiple opportunities to revise, aiming at a score of "4" or above on the GoMYAccess rubric for writing.
Variability:
I'm teaching him academic language and skills, as we learn content area vocabulary in READ180. We're also learning academic language in Engish class as students about parts of speech, and as we talk about reading and writing strategies, and the words expert reading and writers use to name them.
Expectations: I do have high expectations for K.C. He can meet the requirements on class assignment rubrics -- sometimes with a little extra help and time. I'm noticing that when I give him materials that are on his comprehension level, he can excel.
Current Knowledge about Second Language Learning and Teaching:
I'm gaining insights as I study the BEEDE materials. For instance, I have known that peer interaction is important to students (especially at the junior high level), but now I realize that there is added importance for bi-lingual learners like K.C.
Accountability: Since it often takes K.C. longer to "get-it," I ask him to be willing to ask questions, and to use Cave Time to come in for extra help. I make a point of checking with him, too.
Individualized Language Development Plan 4.1
Definitions and Needs Worksheet
Who is my second language learner? K.C. is a seventh grader who has grown up in the United States in a home where his parents speak Spanish and are highly uncomfortable with speaking English. He speaks English with his brother, but Spanish with his parents. His mother is from Mexico and his dad from Guatemala. For television his parents have a cable package of Spanish channels. He says that they mainly watch the news, and that sometimes he will watch with them. Radio and TV programs he chooses to watch are in English. His musical taste is international and from many genres.
One reason I decided to focus on him is because he is in my mainstream English class, my READ180 class, and in my advisory class.
I interviewed him, as well as observing and interacting with him in class.
Cognitive Strengths: K.C. says, "[My learning] takes time, but I can do it. It takes time to process, but thinking it over again, looking at what it really is, I get the answer. He says that "when the teacher calls on you randomly, it takes time to think. Teachers do give time. That’s what the “umm" is there for -- so the teacher knows you're thinking."
Cognitive Needs: "It takes takes understanding the questions. Accessing background comes naturally -- I just do that. I've had teachers talk about accessing background."
Social/Affective Strengths: K.C. says, " Knowing how they are and how I can relate with them, I can start great conversations even with people I don't know. I like making new friends."
When asked how he feels in school, He says, "Excited." I asked about a time earlier in the day when he looked tired, and was resting his head on the desk. He said that was when he didn't know quite what was going on.
Social/Affective Needs: He withdraws when not understanding -- for example, during a grammar lesson being taught by the student teacher. However, sometimes he seems to not be listening, when he really is.
Linguistic Strengths: He says his writing is more emotional, more thoughtful language than speaking. When speaking he likes to be funny, to cheer up people, "always wanting them to have fun, always feel good. He will pause for the words -- always trying to find the right word, a better word. Note: He is very purposeful in trying to find the right, the exact word to express himself.
Linguistic Needs: He says he needs to make his grammar in writing better, and needs to know when to quote and unquote, and how to not have run on sentences. His reading scores are low enough to place him in a reading intervention class this year.
Cultural Strengths: As K.C. reports: On a future job application, he says, being bilingual will look good. He can sometimes translate.
Cultural Needs: K.C. says, "Sometimes I have to set my mind -- this is English now." Comparing his two languages, he comments that the difference is the feeling -- Spanish goes faster, the conversation goes faster. Hispanic tries to get to know you more than English. Hispanic is more fast moving , more vivid, lively, smooth.
Age Strengths: He is 13. He says that the difference between now and when he was younger was that in grade school he was learning the basics. Now his learning is "higher."
Age Needs: Because of K.C.'s age, social interaction is especially important.
Limited Formal Schooling (Strengths): K.C. has attended school in the U.S. all his life. He received perfect attendance awards for fifth and sixth grade. He would have received one for fourth grade, but he got the chicken pox.
Limited Formal Schooling (Needs): His schooling is not limited in amount of seat time, since he has grown up in the U.S. and prides himself in his excellent attendance at school.
Note: K.C. is very intelligent, and knowledgeable about many things. I have discovered that the problem with his grades stem largely from not turning in assignments. Today he told me that he'd learned from the guidance counselors to treat homework like a hot potato -- when the teacher hands it to you, bounce it back to him or her as quickly as you can. (What a great idea!)
Current Realities
K.C. received D-'s and F's in his core classes for both first and second term.
Program: English Class:
K.C. is in a regular English class in his junior high.
Constraint: In a class of thirty-three students (times 5 classes that size, plus two more classes of about twenty, and an advisory group to keep track of), I don't always take the time with individual students like K.C. that I would like to. I have wanted to set up a "reading workshop" format in my English classrooms so I could spend more time checking in on individual students, but have not yet worked out the logistics to implement that plan. K.C.'s other teachers also deal with large classes (some much larger than mine), and so don't necessary have the time to help out individual students. Our guidance counselors each have responsibility over about 500 students or more. Even when teachers (or parents) give the counselors a heads-up about students who could use extra support, it can take awhile to get around to that student.
Support: I'm getting to know Kenneth through this project, and am making sure he understands assignments, and has goals for handing in work. Also, I have a student teacher this term, which allows me to work one-on-one with individual students.
Program: CaveTime
Support: However, we do have a program now called CaveTime. It is held during the 35 minutes four days a week that used to be called advisory. It is an opportunity (forced) for students who have D's and F's to work with the teachers of those classes on getting caught up, and for the students with C's and above to participate in enrichment activities.
Constraint: K.C. does currently have a B+ in English, so he is probably spending most of his CaveTime on algebra where he has an F. I'm concerned though about a large project that is coming up, and will request that he come to my class for CaveTime to make sure he's on schedule to complete that.
Program: Math Enrichment
Support: For math, K.C. is enrolled in an enrichment class. In other words, instead of having math every other day (on the block schedule) he has math every day, with an opportunity during the enrichment class to work on and seek help on what he learned in math class.
Program: READ180
Support: Read180 is an intensive intervention program for students who are behind in reading skills. Its effectiveness in helping students improve their reading skills has been proven in extensive research. K.C. is in a class of about 20 students.
We start out class with brief teacher instruction, then the students break into three groups and move through three rotations. One involves about 20 minutes of time with interactive software that includes videos to build background about an engaging subject, instruction and drill on spelling, work recognition and fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Another rotation is time for individual reading, with students selecting books and other reading materials from a library of high-interest, student-level specific books, and with brief written responses and computer quizzes to check comprehension. The third rotation is small-group time, working with the teacher and peers (sometimes just with peers or having individual interviews with the teacher).
The teacher can view feedback from the Scholastic Reading Inventory (a computer test to determine student reading level) and skill- specific feedback from the computer software, so he or she can respond to particular student needs.
Constraints: Our Read180 classes are larger than they are supposed to be (20 students instead of less than 15), and we meet only every other day for 77 minutes compared with every day for 90 minutes.
Because the Read180 class has an extremely precise structure, during two of the three rotations opportunities for socializing (and being on task at the same time) are almost nil. Students need to be able to work independently during he individual reading and computer rotations. During the small group portion, there is a bit more opportunity for students to visit, but usually it must be about the task at hand. In other words, two-thirds of the time they are not supposed to be talking with each other. K.C. has a hard time with that.
Programs: Tracking: Because K.C. has earned so many D's and F's, he is eligible for the tracking program. That means he checks in daily with an adult who helps him check his grades, and figure out what he needs to do to succeed.
Classroom Practices:
Support: In my English and Reading classes, I try to support learners by pre-teaching needed unfamiliar vocabulary; providing opportunities for peer interaction through such activities as think, pair-share, and collaboration on many assignments; and building background knowledge.
Constraints: K.C. is usually quiet, outwardly cooperative (thought sometimes he isn't really on task), and doesn't stand out in English class. He could be overlooked. Encouragement from a teacher goes a long way with K.C., so larger class size could be a problem. Sometimes I don't check to make sure everyone understands and is doing the work -- taking, rather, the "temperature" of the class as a whole. I need to be more attentive to students like K.C.
What implications for [my] classroom teaching practices can I make from what I know about this student's strengths and needs?
K.C. is bright and eager to learn, and has high hopes for his future. There seems to be a disconnect between his aspirations and his current performance in school. (He is doing well in some classes, and flunking others.) I believe that part of that comes from a different understanding of the purposes and values of school that is common among his Hispanic peers, and that relates, too, to the way the education process is viewed by his parents and other adults in his life. There are other values that take precedence over grades. Also, K.C. doesn't entirely understand "the school game." He wants to learn it, though. He greatly values the tip the school counselors recently gave him to "treat homework like a hot potato. When the teacher gives it to you, get it done and back to him or her as quickly as you can." He doesn't have anyone at home to help him figure out or do his homework, or to provide him with curriculum-related enrichment.
I can help him learn the school game by explicitly teaching school success strategies to him and the rest of his classmates, and giving him specific tips as opportunities arise. I can also more explicitly point out the value of good grades.
In English class I can focus with him on developing his writing --
going ahead and writing for fluency now, but also pointing out repeated errors -- one type at time, and help him work on that type of error, such as sentence run-ons.
In reading, I want to provider more opportunities for Kenneth to speak out appropriately -- to interact "legally" with his peers. I can help him with useful spelling rules, review of commonly misspelled words, and work on using inflectional endings.
Inclusive Pedagogy:
Collaboration: I can collaborate with his other teachers on finding ways to help K.C. I've already talked with his history teacher, and with a counselor.
Guiding (theoretical and moral) Principles :
Essential Policy (standards, classification, legalities):
Critical Learning Domains: See above.
Classroom Strategies --
Group Work -- K.C. responds well to group work -- especially if he is allowed to select his own group.
Explicit teaching -- Explicitly teach phonics and syllabication, vocabulary and word study (in small chunks) as the need arises. E specially in READ180, I could help K.C. by explicitly teaching facets of language that he's still working on getting, including spelling when adding inflectional endings.
Wait time -- Allow Wait time after asking questions.
Second Language Acquisition Concepts:
Communication -- Input and Interaction:
Pattern -- Stages of Development and Errors:
Variability -- Types of Proficiency and Types of Performances:
Standards for Effective Pedagogy:
Joint productive activity --
Language and Literacy development
Contextualization
Challenging Activities
Instructional Conversation
Who is my second language learner? K.C. is a seventh grader who has grown up in the United States in a home where his parents speak Spanish and are highly uncomfortable with speaking English. He speaks English with his brother, but Spanish with his parents. His mother is from Mexico and his dad from Guatemala. For television his parents have a cable package of Spanish channels. He says that they mainly watch the news, and that sometimes he will watch with them. Radio and TV programs he chooses to watch are in English. His musical taste is international and from many genres.
One reason I decided to focus on him is because he is in my mainstream English class, my READ180 class, and in my advisory class.
I interviewed him, as well as observing and interacting with him in class.
Cognitive Strengths: K.C. says, "[My learning] takes time, but I can do it. It takes time to process, but thinking it over again, looking at what it really is, I get the answer. He says that "when the teacher calls on you randomly, it takes time to think. Teachers do give time. That’s what the “umm" is there for -- so the teacher knows you're thinking."
Cognitive Needs: "It takes takes understanding the questions. Accessing background comes naturally -- I just do that. I've had teachers talk about accessing background."
Social/Affective Strengths: K.C. says, " Knowing how they are and how I can relate with them, I can start great conversations even with people I don't know. I like making new friends."
When asked how he feels in school, He says, "Excited." I asked about a time earlier in the day when he looked tired, and was resting his head on the desk. He said that was when he didn't know quite what was going on.
Social/Affective Needs: He withdraws when not understanding -- for example, during a grammar lesson being taught by the student teacher. However, sometimes he seems to not be listening, when he really is.
Linguistic Strengths: He says his writing is more emotional, more thoughtful language than speaking. When speaking he likes to be funny, to cheer up people, "always wanting them to have fun, always feel good. He will pause for the words -- always trying to find the right word, a better word. Note: He is very purposeful in trying to find the right, the exact word to express himself.
Linguistic Needs: He says he needs to make his grammar in writing better, and needs to know when to quote and unquote, and how to not have run on sentences. His reading scores are low enough to place him in a reading intervention class this year.
Cultural Strengths: As K.C. reports: On a future job application, he says, being bilingual will look good. He can sometimes translate.
Cultural Needs: K.C. says, "Sometimes I have to set my mind -- this is English now." Comparing his two languages, he comments that the difference is the feeling -- Spanish goes faster, the conversation goes faster. Hispanic tries to get to know you more than English. Hispanic is more fast moving , more vivid, lively, smooth.
Age Strengths: He is 13. He says that the difference between now and when he was younger was that in grade school he was learning the basics. Now his learning is "higher."
Age Needs: Because of K.C.'s age, social interaction is especially important.
Limited Formal Schooling (Strengths): K.C. has attended school in the U.S. all his life. He received perfect attendance awards for fifth and sixth grade. He would have received one for fourth grade, but he got the chicken pox.
Limited Formal Schooling (Needs): His schooling is not limited in amount of seat time, since he has grown up in the U.S. and prides himself in his excellent attendance at school.
Note: K.C. is very intelligent, and knowledgeable about many things. I have discovered that the problem with his grades stem largely from not turning in assignments. Today he told me that he'd learned from the guidance counselors to treat homework like a hot potato -- when the teacher hands it to you, bounce it back to him or her as quickly as you can. (What a great idea!)
Current Realities
K.C. received D-'s and F's in his core classes for both first and second term.
Program: English Class:
K.C. is in a regular English class in his junior high.
Constraint: In a class of thirty-three students (times 5 classes that size, plus two more classes of about twenty, and an advisory group to keep track of), I don't always take the time with individual students like K.C. that I would like to. I have wanted to set up a "reading workshop" format in my English classrooms so I could spend more time checking in on individual students, but have not yet worked out the logistics to implement that plan. K.C.'s other teachers also deal with large classes (some much larger than mine), and so don't necessary have the time to help out individual students. Our guidance counselors each have responsibility over about 500 students or more. Even when teachers (or parents) give the counselors a heads-up about students who could use extra support, it can take awhile to get around to that student.
Support: I'm getting to know Kenneth through this project, and am making sure he understands assignments, and has goals for handing in work. Also, I have a student teacher this term, which allows me to work one-on-one with individual students.
Program: CaveTime
Support: However, we do have a program now called CaveTime. It is held during the 35 minutes four days a week that used to be called advisory. It is an opportunity (forced) for students who have D's and F's to work with the teachers of those classes on getting caught up, and for the students with C's and above to participate in enrichment activities.
Constraint: K.C. does currently have a B+ in English, so he is probably spending most of his CaveTime on algebra where he has an F. I'm concerned though about a large project that is coming up, and will request that he come to my class for CaveTime to make sure he's on schedule to complete that.
Program: Math Enrichment
Support: For math, K.C. is enrolled in an enrichment class. In other words, instead of having math every other day (on the block schedule) he has math every day, with an opportunity during the enrichment class to work on and seek help on what he learned in math class.
Program: READ180Support: Read180 is an intensive intervention program for students who are behind in reading skills. Its effectiveness in helping students improve their reading skills has been proven in extensive research. K.C. is in a class of about 20 students.
We start out class with brief teacher instruction, then the students break into three groups and move through three rotations. One involves about 20 minutes of time with interactive software that includes videos to build background about an engaging subject, instruction and drill on spelling, work recognition and fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Another rotation is time for individual reading, with students selecting books and other reading materials from a library of high-interest, student-level specific books, and with brief written responses and computer quizzes to check comprehension. The third rotation is small-group time, working with the teacher and peers (sometimes just with peers or having individual interviews with the teacher).
The teacher can view feedback from the Scholastic Reading Inventory (a computer test to determine student reading level) and skill- specific feedback from the computer software, so he or she can respond to particular student needs.
Constraints: Our Read180 classes are larger than they are supposed to be (20 students instead of less than 15), and we meet only every other day for 77 minutes compared with every day for 90 minutes.
Because the Read180 class has an extremely precise structure, during two of the three rotations opportunities for socializing (and being on task at the same time) are almost nil. Students need to be able to work independently during he individual reading and computer rotations. During the small group portion, there is a bit more opportunity for students to visit, but usually it must be about the task at hand. In other words, two-thirds of the time they are not supposed to be talking with each other. K.C. has a hard time with that.
Programs: Tracking: Because K.C. has earned so many D's and F's, he is eligible for the tracking program. That means he checks in daily with an adult who helps him check his grades, and figure out what he needs to do to succeed.
Classroom Practices:
Support: In my English and Reading classes, I try to support learners by pre-teaching needed unfamiliar vocabulary; providing opportunities for peer interaction through such activities as think, pair-share, and collaboration on many assignments; and building background knowledge.
Constraints: K.C. is usually quiet, outwardly cooperative (thought sometimes he isn't really on task), and doesn't stand out in English class. He could be overlooked. Encouragement from a teacher goes a long way with K.C., so larger class size could be a problem. Sometimes I don't check to make sure everyone understands and is doing the work -- taking, rather, the "temperature" of the class as a whole. I need to be more attentive to students like K.C.
What implications for [my] classroom teaching practices can I make from what I know about this student's strengths and needs?
K.C. is bright and eager to learn, and has high hopes for his future. There seems to be a disconnect between his aspirations and his current performance in school. (He is doing well in some classes, and flunking others.) I believe that part of that comes from a different understanding of the purposes and values of school that is common among his Hispanic peers, and that relates, too, to the way the education process is viewed by his parents and other adults in his life. There are other values that take precedence over grades. Also, K.C. doesn't entirely understand "the school game." He wants to learn it, though. He greatly values the tip the school counselors recently gave him to "treat homework like a hot potato. When the teacher gives it to you, get it done and back to him or her as quickly as you can." He doesn't have anyone at home to help him figure out or do his homework, or to provide him with curriculum-related enrichment.
I can help him learn the school game by explicitly teaching school success strategies to him and the rest of his classmates, and giving him specific tips as opportunities arise. I can also more explicitly point out the value of good grades.
In English class I can focus with him on developing his writing --
going ahead and writing for fluency now, but also pointing out repeated errors -- one type at time, and help him work on that type of error, such as sentence run-ons.
In reading, I want to provider more opportunities for Kenneth to speak out appropriately -- to interact "legally" with his peers. I can help him with useful spelling rules, review of commonly misspelled words, and work on using inflectional endings.
Inclusive Pedagogy:
Collaboration: I can collaborate with his other teachers on finding ways to help K.C. I've already talked with his history teacher, and with a counselor.
Guiding (theoretical and moral) Principles :
Essential Policy (standards, classification, legalities):
Critical Learning Domains: See above.
Classroom Strategies --
Group Work -- K.C. responds well to group work -- especially if he is allowed to select his own group.
Explicit teaching -- Explicitly teach phonics and syllabication, vocabulary and word study (in small chunks) as the need arises. E specially in READ180, I could help K.C. by explicitly teaching facets of language that he's still working on getting, including spelling when adding inflectional endings.
Wait time -- Allow Wait time after asking questions.
Second Language Acquisition Concepts:
Communication -- Input and Interaction:
Pattern -- Stages of Development and Errors:
Variability -- Types of Proficiency and Types of Performances:
Standards for Effective Pedagogy:
Joint productive activity --
Language and Literacy development
Contextualization
Challenging Activities
Instructional Conversation
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