Entry #10

The Great Homework Debate "to assign or not to assign homework"  is alive and well.  Our class had and
interactive debate on this complicated issue.  Aside all the statistics being hashed back and forth, in my
findings within the last 10 years the relationship between student achievement and homework  has leaned
toward homework.  Although there is not concrete evidence about whether homework affects student
achievement, teachers and parents alike both agree homework instills independence and responsibility.
Our instructor, Jean Rice, shared with us several research based Homework Guidelines, that when carefully
planned and have purpose for students it will enhance achievement.
1.Purposeful-Our lst Grade team issues a reading/spelling packet for our StoryTown Reading Program
   on Monday to be returned on Friday
2.  Design homework to maximize the probability students will complete the homework-the packet is
     divided into Day 1,Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 so it is not over whelming
3.  Involve parents-the parents initial planners daily to support consistent homework habits
4.  Carefully  monitor the amount of homework appropriate to lst graders-we plan on 10-15 minutes
     an assignment that has been suggested by research.  In addition, my teammate and I also have had
     a lst Grade Homework Club  after school for students who would like additional help with their
     reading/spelling packets or other subjects since the beginning of the school year.
The homework packet is collected in Friday and corrected.  During the next week students are conferenced
to correct errors. Any comments about students' work  is usually communicated in their planners or on the
assignment to their parents.  Serious concerns are addressed with a phone call or email. I am very proactive
with homework for I believe it reinforces skills learned in class to build upon, encourages independency,
practices good study habits, nutures positive attitudes, and accepting responsibility to prepare students for life long learning.

Entry #6

Labeling reading activities for the Learning View or Acquisition View both for teacher and students was quite interesting and enlightening.

The student:

L- look up words in the dictionary to write definitions
    Identify words to get the meaning of text
A- make a Venn diagram to compare two stories
    Teach strategies to comprehend text
L-practice sounding out words
    Phonics rules and sight words that do not follow phonics rules
L-read in round-robin fashion
    Read aloud on a regular basis to help students with difficult words
L-correct peers when they make a mistake during reading
    Supply words to help the student learn that word
L-identify words on a big book page that starts with the same sound
   Applying phonics so the student can pronounce a series of letters.
L-group cards with classmates' names by a criterion on such as first or last letter
    Use of flashcards
A-Write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound
    Teach language directly so students can produce correct language forms
L-ask the teacher how to spell any word they don't know
    Teach correct spelling, correctness is more important than content
A-Read a language experience story they have created with the teacher
    Makes sense out of new language and apply it later in a new situation (ie. introducing a new student)
A-Work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences
    Students interact to produce meaningful oral language and ideas
L- Divide words into syllables
    Break language into component parts
L-On a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound
    Drills and exercises are used to practice language
A-Make alphabet books on different topics
     Use language for a variety of purposes- predictable books

The teacher:

L- preteaches vocabulary
    Words may not be part of students vocabulary 
 A- does a shared reading with a big book
      Students follow along, they begin to make connections with oral reading and print
L- makes sure that students read only books that fit their level
      Students acquire a "safe" comfort level and not challenged
L-has students segment words into phonemes 
    Uses basic phonics rules
A-Writes words the students dictate for a story and has students help with the spelling of difficult words
    students are taught strategies to continue language
L-Asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter
   Language is taught directly so students can produce correct language forms
L-uses decodeable texts
   Break words into parts to identify them
A-sets aside time for SSR
   Reading silently using strategies students have internalized to make meaning from texts
A-teaches Latin and Greek roots
    Study word parts only during linguistic investigations
A-has students meet in literature circles
    Construct meaning using graphophonics, semantics, and syntax
L- conducts phonics drills
     Reinforces grammar and vocabulary the students are learning
A- chooses predictable texts
     Predictable pattern books make linguistic input understandable
A-teaches students different comprehensive strategies
    Focuses on making meaning, not words
A-does a picture walk of a new book
    Technique to introduce new language
L-uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills
   drills and written exercises are used to produce language

According to research, an acquisition view is favored. In my personal opinion, in my teachings, I blend both strategies where applicable.

Entry #9

I reviewed two first grade leveled books. "Lets Look at Animals" was a non-fiction selection about how some animals use specific body parts to help them survive. The fiction (fantasy) book titled "Hedgehog and Beaver," was about using a list to help them pack for a picnic. In my review, both books built background, was previewed and a purpose set. At this point, fiction and non-fiction became two separate entities. Those features are listed as it pertains to the ELL learner.

Fiction

• Stories usually follow the same structure-story elements
• Usually read for pleasure, quickly, several times
• Easy to remember what has been read, along with creating mental pictures
• Some vocabulary instruction

Non-Fiction

• In depth vocabulary instruction-6 step systematic approach stated by Marzano and Pickering (2005)
• Read for a purpose, slowly and deliberately many times
• Details and note taking involved, difficult to remember
• Text structure, table of contents, charts, graphs, heading, support comprehension 
• Technology-informational sites, and Discovery Ed

In the future, when I present fiction and non-fiction selections to ELL learners, I will be more aware of these differences to drive my instruction. Again, what is good for the diverse students and all learners is just best practices. 

Entry #8

After viewing the video clip on a sheltered literacy lesson, I felt I needed background information "Esperanza Rising." It enabled me to comprehend the lesson being taught. After researching this book, I found out it was a novel written by Pam Munoz Ryan in 2000. The setting is during the America's Great Depression and focuses on the plight of the Mexican farm workers as they persevere to survive and adapt in the United States. The author was inspired to write this novel (appropriate for grades 6-8) by the stories she heard as a child from her grandmother Esperanza.

In my observation I noticed the teacher used many techniques for learning, comprehension, and participation. She explained the goal for reading was inferences. The teacher then reviewed reading strategies and connections to background knowledge. During pre-reading, Preproduction of language acquisition took place as the teacher extracted vocabulary. For example, harvest means to pick and produce, and discussion of the word bouquet doesn't look like how it sounds. Early Production Acquisition included synonyms of key words and using the students 1st language to clarify vocabulary. Predicting, previewing, and summarizing, encouraged Speech Emergence Acquisition. The teacher brought about Intermediate and Advanced Fluency Aquisition by relating the book to the student's background, guided questions comparing it to the student's culture. She asks the students to clarify "Manzanista," the Spanish birthday song, and suggest they sing it.

I enjoyed viewing the video clip of older students actively engaged, enjoying learning. In this observation, I have found that I already include these sheltering techniques in my teaching, ie. explicit instruction, repetition, modeling, wait time, scaffolding, and review.

Entry #7

In collaboration with the ELL teacher, I analyzed reading miscues for a Spanish speaking and Cantonese speaking students. When it comes to M-meaning, Spanish speakers substitute words when they know the context of the passage, rather than using visual cues. For instance, instead of reading the word detergent they might say soap instead. If they are good decoders, they will self correct, if not, they will leave the substitute their to fill in meaning. The Cantonese language does not use word parts to construct new words. A student uses more main words (root/base) to build background knowledge. In relating S-syntax to these two students, they must consistently practice grammar patters, verb tense, prepositional phrases, and clauses. Spanish speaking students add plurals-'s easily: gato(cat)---> gatos. A Cantonese students omits "'s" for plurals; instead it translates to one cat, two cat. In Spanish, possessions uses prepositional phrases instead; instead of my sisters' dog, it is spoken as the "dog of my sister." Also it is the syntax of the Spanish language to have double negatives; for instance, "I no see nobody," compared to, "I don't see anybody." A Cantonese student leaves out articles because it is not parallel in their language. "He has toy," must be practiced as, "a toy, a cat, a dog." Regarding V-visual cues for application for sound/letter association, a Spanish speaker must learn 30 symbols, 4 more than our English language. A Cantonese student must be taught our alphabet completely because the symbols don't transfer, however sometimes it is easily acquired because it has much fewer symbols than their native Cantonese.

I was very much enlightened by this miscue information to help support and guide my instruction for reading and writing. It gave me the insight into why there are barriers for reading fluency in second language learners.

Entry #5

When introducing a story to students, it is very critical for understanding to occur, is by checking what students know and don't know. Activating prior knowledge and building background, is preparation for quality reading. I reviewed two Children's Books, one fiction, and the other non-fiction, to determine what components of the book may affect comprehension impacted by cultural aspects.

The first book I chose was a fiction selection titled, "In the Desert" by Penny Lee Forest. A child who inhabits a climate that is in a cold, icy, and snowy environment would have difficulty imagining the opposite. It would be an eye opening experience. Pictures of the desert, videos, environmental elements (mostly sand, very little rain fall, and animals), creates a scheme. Explaining everyday living, such as putting clothes on to stay cool, houses made of mud or tents with a hole at the top to let the air in, the student would gain a better meaning of the word "desert."

The second book is fiction and called "Snow Suprise," by Lisa Campbell. It is about two children building a snow man. The snowman falls on its side because Sport, their faithful dog, unsuccessfully tried to scare off the forest animals from eating edibles off the snowman. The end results in the snowman lying on the ground appearing like a snow mouse from falling face down. A student who lives in the desert or a country with hot temperatures year round, will find it difficult to fathom an environment of snow, freezing weather, and ice. This student would need visuals, a discussion on clothing and artifacts, even some ice or an opportunity to feel frost in the freezer. How people adapt to life in snowy places would be an involved discussion on weather formation, housing, transportation, and cultural activities, such as building a snowman.

Presenting background information to fill in the gaps, will enhance student's comprehension and learning much more quickly for an ELL learner.

Entry #4

The text I chose was a People Magazine, written in Spanish about Hispanic people in the news. The strategy I used first was previewing the magazine cover to cover. The illustrations on the cover were several famous people! (Jenifer Lopez, Shakira, and Salma Hayek) I encountered pictures, similar to a picture walk, to get a general idea of the magazine. The format was like a "woman's magazine" advertising makeup, clothes, and articles. For more context clues, I skimmed the table of contents, headings, and captions. Though most of the words were in Spanish, there was quite of few English words interspersed throughout the magazine, such as Jenifer Lopez, Divas, MaryKay, and Kellogs, added to prior knowledge. I also recognized words that I was familiar with in English called cognates. For example, the word actividades derived from the word activity, as celebrar is to celebrate. After I did the groundwork, I consulted my team mate from New Mexico who speaks Spanish fluently. We discussed the major article on the magazine cover. She consulted her Velazquez Spanish and English Dictionary because of the dialect. We both came to the conclusion that the article was about an event on May 19, 2011 honoring movie stars and notable persons of Hispanic descent. It was held in a section of one of the Disney Parks. Now I have grasped a better insight of learning a second language, and what "diverse and struggling readers" may be encountering. Learning vocabulary to support comprehension and reading fluency doesn't always come naturally as I have experienced.

EDIT- 3/19/12
I would like to thank our ELL teacher for not only sharing her expertise and experience,but also her Spanish text People Magazine and a resource link: spanishtranslate.com.

Entry #3

The relationship between oral language and the reading process is high importance to become a proficient reader. Emergent readers must have oral language in place before they are able to read. Oral language translates to the learning of sounds to letters(phonics), words to phrases, then to sentences to compose meaning. Just in the reading process itself there is a multitude of oral interactions to gain knowledge from reading. In pre-reading, talks about background knowledge, purpose and predictions are first at hand. Next, reading the text involves reading out loud with the teacher first, partners, and then choral reading. Responding includes asking questions, monitoring of understanding and critical thinking. Extending the reading can be having grand conversations and rereading for deeper meaning and discussing how vocabulary words. It is exciting to see my first graders talking and writing about new texts, and reading their writing Oral language is spoken words that is written to be read.

Entry #2

Reflecting on the past writing experiences I fall definitely into the learning view: Traditional Writing Classroom. From the acquisitional view standpoint, if I had have known the writing process today, I knew I would have made me a more comfortable and confident writer. I remember in junior high and high school you were expected to write a composition without much guidance or skills. When you add 98% of writing being thinking, it was an enormous task. No wonder motivation and end product was not my personal best. During the adult ears, I learned that writing is recursive. You have permission to move about freely, shifting gears within the writing process: Growing up, it appeared a writing piece was expected to be correct from the get go. I view myself as an acquisitional writer. Today, I welcome, the input from others and responses to my drafts rather than only my own response. I realize that the content of my composition is improved and the message is clearer.

Entry #1

I enjoyed discussing and sharing our philosophies about teaching literacy with one of my first grade team mates. We both agree without a doubt that all students are capable of learning to the best of their ability if we provide access to the appropriate tools. Teachers need to ensure content addresses all ability levels through differentiation and learning styles. Utilizing the data from informal and formal assessments guides teachers to construct lesson plans to close the achievement gaps: assess, monitor, change, and reassess. I felt good instruction should include active engagement strategies, pacing, and smooth transitions. A point I shared was, we often don't think about, is a safe environment. It also contributes to nature, joy, and the motivation of learning. I once read somewhere that a great classroom is one that the teacher is respectful of the students and in turn the students are respectful of the teacher. It is apparent that learning is taking place. Each child is valued and challenged.

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