Double Entry Journal #15

All I really need to know (About creative Thinking) I learned (By Studying How Children Learn) in Kindergarten

"Instead of making kindergarten like the rest of school, we need to make the rest of school (indeed, the rest of life) more like kindergarten."

I agree with this quote. I think schools today just teach for a test. Students are missing very important life goals as well as being forced out of classes due to scheduling issues that could be avoided. I have witnessed a few students that want to take a certain class because it is going to be beneficial for them in their college career, but the public schools are not allowing them to take them.

"...most schools are out-of-step with today's needs..."

As mentioned before, I feel that schools are teaching kids the material that is going to be on a test and not material that will stick with them in the real world. 

"Children with different interests and different learning styles can all use the same materials, but each in his or her own personal way."

I agree with this quote because I have had personal experiences with this. Some students learn quicker or pick up on things quicker than others, but that doesn't mean they can't learn just as much. I think this can be related to how different people read. Some are fast readers and some are slow readers. The important thing is not the speed of reading, but the comprehension.
Kindergarten Creativity

Double Entry Journal #14

Chapter 7: Shape-Shifting; Chapter 8: A Final Word, the content fetish

1. What was the most interesting idea you encountered as you read the chapter?
I agree with Gee when dealing with the topic of success. He believes that each student has a different level of success and you should base success on an individual level, not a group.

2. What connections can you make between Gee's critique and Sir Ken Robinson's critique of traditional schooling?
I think they both are proprietors of creativity. Gee mentioned the use of video games as a teaching tool. This would aid in the immersion of learning. I also feel that this is a very creative way of learning and it also boosts a creative mind. Sir Ken Robinson talked about the way that creativity builds a students intelligence through the immersion.  

3. How did this book change or support your understanding of good teaching?
I found myself confused at times while reading this book, but if I had to pick something that will stick with me while in the teaching field I would have to say that students learn by experiences within their own cultural structure. Students learn through experiences in a particular interest and not just on a whim. 

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

1. Three ideas you agree with...

• Creativity is just as important as literacy. 
• We get educated out of creativity.
• Arts are on the bottom of the hierarchy of education. 

2. Two ideas that surprised you...

• The purpose of educators is to produce university professors. 
• Degrees aren't worth anything.

3. One idea that confused you or that you disagree with...
I was confused by the statement, "Children aren't afraid to be wrong." I have often found that children don't speak up when asked an educated question because they don't want to be wrong in front of the class.

Double Entry Journal #13

Chapter 6: Affinity Spaces

1. Give an example of a "community of practice" in which you are currently participating in.
I'm involved with the Percussive Arts Society.

2. Why is the term "community" better defined in relation to spaces rather than groups of people?
The author states in the book that "the key problem with notions like community of practice is that they make it look like we are attempting to label a group of people."  

3. What is a "generator"? What is it's counterpart in school?
Whatever gives a space content.

4. What is a "content organizer"? What is it's counterpart in school?
A content organizer is exactly what the term implies. It organizes its contents based on its design. In school's this can take the shape of group discussion, lab work, or simple question and answer sessions with the teacher.

5. What is a "portal"? What is it's counterpart in school?
A portal is any way that will give access to the content or any way of interacting with the content. This can be achieved with a group or by oneself.

6. What do people have an "affinity" for in an "affinity space"? How does this inform your understanding of good teaching?
You can't really pinpoint one affinity to a group of students. Everyone has their own affinities that can come from a number of things - home life, personal experiences, etc. A "good" teacher will be willing to take notice of these affinities and try to adapt lessons and/or classroom activities to encourage these affinities.

7. How do "affinity spaces" support inclusive classrooms? Choose two characteristics to make connections between "affinity spaces" and inclusive classrooms.
Inclusive classrooms are supposedly are sharing common learning styles with each student regardless of education level. The author, talking about affinity spaces, says, "newbies and masters and everyone else share common space."

8. How are traditional classrooms different from "affinity spaces"?
Affinity spaces allow a lot of sharing within the classroom whereas traditional classrooms did not allow much sharing between the students. 

Double Entry Journal #12

Chapter 5: Learning and Gaming

1. What is the main argument the author is making in Chapter 5?
Schools should structure learning like that in a video game that the student would play.

2. What constitutes a theory of learning?
The setting in which the learning is taking place in.

3. Why did the author struggle to learn to play Warcraft III? What needs to proceed before good learning principles?
The author struggled with Warcraft III because he "failed to engage with it in a way that fully recruited its solid design and leaning principles."
The player has to have "motivation for an extended engagement with the game" to gain good learning principles.

4. How would have the authors struggle with learning to play Warcraft III been interpreted in school?
It would have been seen as a failure and not as a precursor to learning something further.

5. What kind of learning experience might be better suited for at risk students?
I have worked with a few "at risk" students and I have found that computer programs that have a game-like feel and presence about them work very well with these students.

6. Why does the school-based interpretation of "at risk" lead to bad learning?
I feel that most schools treat "at risk" students too different than others. Most schools will give the "at risk" students easier material in the hopes of "pushing" them through school. Problem with this? have they really learned anything that will benefit them?

7. What do schools need to do to function more like a good game?
Schools need to take the students thoughts and modern thinking into account while planning school-wide curriculum. Students need to feel engaged in the assignment or lesson and should have a sense of importance during their learning.

8. What is different about how good games and school assess learners?
In school, the student can often find the course work very dull, dry, and boring. When a student sits down to play a game they are immediately transformed into the gaming world. They suddenly become the character in the game. I personally feel like that when I sit down to play a game.

9. What are the attributes of a fish-tank tutorial that make it an effective learning tool? How is it different than school-based learning?
The student can assess his or her learning style by playing the game and learning how they learn best. This is different because the school system assesses the student and then decides on how well the student can learn.

10. What is a sand-box tutorial? Why is it effective? How is it different than school-based learning?
The sand-box tutorial allows the player to have a free run of the game without any consequences. This is mostly best used for new players on an easy setting. This method can be effective because it allows the player (usually a beginner) to get a feel for the game. This is different from school-based learning because most of the time students do not get a "free run" at an assignment during school.

11. What is a genre? Why is it important for good learning?
The "type of thing something is." It is important for good learning because you need to know what particular thing it is you are trying to learn.

12. According to the author, what do learning and play have in common?
You often learn to play games by actually play them (trial and error).

13. How are the skills tests in good games different from skills tests in school?
As stated on page 73, "developmental for the learner and not evaluative."

14. How does RoN support collaborative learning?
Students can learn by watching other players through online gaming and can also participate in the gaming online and use some of them strategies that have been obtained while observing the game play.

15. Match at least one learning principle of good games (on page 74) with each of the following learning theorists you have studied in 3352:

Dewey = #1 - They create motivation for an extended engagement.

Vygotsky = #12 - They offer guided fish tank tutorials.

Piaget = #9 - "Experienced" doesn't mean "expert"; it can mean that one is prepared for future learning.

Gardner = #14 - They give information via several different modes.

Bandura = #9 - "Experienced" doesn't mean "expert"; it can mean that one is prepared for future learning.

Skinner =  #15 - They give information "just in time" and "on demand."

Fostering High Quality Assessment: A Policy Brief by The National Council of Teachers for English

1. What is formative assessment?
It is the continued assessment of a student's development dealing with a specific subject.

2. What is the CENTRAL purpose of formative assessment?
It is to hopefully identify what the student is learning and to help to understand the teacher's goals.

3. Connect a best practice in formative assessment to one research-based strategy.
The books states that formative assessment "provides feedback that engenders motivation and leads to improvement." I feel that it is similar to research-based strategy "Reinforcing Effort". This strategy states that "achievement can increase when teachers show the connection between effort and success."

4. Give an example of how a specific assessment can be used formatively and summatively.
You can provide you students with a rubric for their assessment. This will allow them to make sure they have all the necessary items in their project to earn the best possible grade. 

5. Give an example from you field placement related to formative assessment and timing.
I taught a guitar class and I used a music program called SmartMusic. This is a computer based program that allows me to create a playing assignment and publish it online. The students then log onto SmartMusic to complete the assignment. This program tells the student how fast they need to play the excerpt, shows the music to be played, and can contain an accompaniment audio track to play along to. After the student has completed the assignment it is submitted to a file that only the teacher can view. The teacher can listen to the recording and can also see the accuracy of notes as well. The teacher can then assess the students work and send them a grade directly to their online grading system (i.e. Live Grades).

6. What are some strategies to help formative assessment be more effective when providing students with feedback?
The text mentions the following strategies:

• Emphasizes the quality rather than the quantity of student work.
• Prizes giving advice and guidance over giving grades.
• Avoids comparing students in favor of enabling individual students to assess their own learning.
• Fosters dialogues that explore understanding rather than lectures that present information.
• Encourage multiple iterations of an assessment cycle each found on a few issues.
• Provides feedback that engenders motivation and leads to improvement.

7. Name two advantages to high quality formative assessment.

• "It helps identify students who are struggling with particular tasks or operating under misconceptions."
• "...formative assessment offers increased feelings of confidence and control."

8. What are some challenges to implementing high quality formative assessment? 
These assessments can be very time consuming for a teacher to create.

Double Entry Journal #11

Chaper 4: Simulations and Bodies

1. What does the author means when he says, "Learning doesn't work well when learners are focused to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West."
I think the author means that children learn better when their school activities are more hands on. Personally, I enjoyed school the most when I was able to be up and about in class and could do some real hands on learning in class. I can still remember a lot of science experiments I did in the 3rd grade because the teacher allowed us to not just listen to a lecture on how to do the experiment, but she had us perform the experiment in class. Kids today seem to just sit in class and don't really get the full value of being completely involved in class.

2. According to the author, what is the best way to acquire a large vocabulary?
You can obtain a large vocabulary by your experiences in a certain setting. For example, I use a lot of terminology in my music classes, therefore a student in that class will acquire that vocabulary during that time.

3.What gives a word specific meaning?
The context of the word is what gives a word a specific meaning.

4. What does the term "off the hook" mean in each other these sentences?
     a. My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present.
I no longer have to purchase a present. 

     b. Them shoes are off the hook dog.
The shoes are really awesome!

       c. Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!!
It was really awesome!

5. According to the author what is the "work" of childhood? Do you agree?
The author states that play is the "work" of childhood. I agree with this because I believe a child at play is one who can use his/her imagination which also keeps the mind sharp and focused. In some ways technology has ruined our children in today's society. They are being raised by the TV, computer, and "learning video games" like leapster. These might be modern tools or methods of learning, but I also see a lot of kids who have no idea of how to go outside and play... 

6. Why is NOT reading the instruction for how to play a game before playing a game a wise decision?
By not reading the instructions the person is practicing trial and error. I don't know if I fully agree with this or not. I'm the kind of person that reads the instructions. I like to know what I'm suppose to do before I just try and make a mistake.

7.Does knowing the general or literal meaning of a word lead to strong reading skills?
I think that both coincide. The literal meaning of a word can help you when reading. The general meaning of a word can lead the reader to other ways the word can be used which builds the vocabulary.

8. What does the author mean by the terms "identity" and "game"? Give an example of 3 "identities" or "games" you play.
The author is referring to identity as the actions that define a person.
1. I am very involved in music.
2. I am a teacher.
3. I am a composer.

9. According to the author what is good learning?
Good learning is learning that will have an affect of the persons life for a greater cause and can create a better future.

10. How does understanding that being able to build a mental model and simulations of a real-word experience is closely tied to comprehending written and oral language support of change the way you think children should learn in school?
I believe that students learn at a greater rate when they can participate in hands-on activities. I also believe that while talking about the hands-on activity you are also increasing the written and oral language support.

11. Why is peer to peer interaction so important for the language development of young children? How does knowing this support or change the way you think children should learn in school?
Interaction with peers is a very important step in learning because it builds oral, social, and mental skills. By having students interact with each other in a classroom you are increasing their sense of self and are allowing them to get to know others and find similarities between their peers.  

Double Entry Journal #10

Chapter 3: Language and Identity at Home

1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?
In Jennie's case, the features are repetition and parallelism, story-telling, figurative language, and sympathetic fallacy.

2. What are features of Leona's specialized form of language?
Leona uses repetition and parallelism when telling her story in class. She also organizes her thoughts by comparing and contrasting the different patterns. Gee says, "She is interested in creating a pattern out of language, within and across her stanzas: a pattern which will generate meaning through the sets of relationships and contrasts which it sets up, like the multiple relationships and contrasts..."

3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?
Gee states, "They stress linear step-by-step events or facts organized around one topic expressed with no poetry or emotion."

4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).
Gee mentions that poor readers are usually associated with certain ethnic groups, poor neighborhoods, and rural towns. Gee also states, "...the test scores were going up at a time that integration was also increasing."

5. What other factors besides early training will make or break good readers?
Another factor that will make or break a good reader is the need to have a variety of academic language and/or belong to a particular social group. 

6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?
Gee states, "Children cannot feel they belong at school when their valuable home-based practices (like Leona's) are ignored, denigrated, and unused. They cannot feel like they belong when the real game is acquiring academic varieties of language, and they are given no help with this, as they watch other children get high assessments at school for what they have learned not at school but at home."  

Student Observation & Interview

I chose to interview two students during my clinical placement at Bridgeport High School. Both students come from the same class and one is a struggling students and the other is a high performing student. Below are their responses to the interview questions...

Struggling Student:

1. Do you enjoy school?
     No
2. What kind of student are you?
     Like...A's...mostly...
3. What do you do for fun outside of school?
    Spend time with my friends.
4. How would your classmates describe you?
     Friendly
5. Who are you friends with? What do you and your friends do together?
    Courtney, Ashton, and Jenna; Go to the mall.
6. Tell me a good memory you have about school...
     (after some thinking) When I got a "A" in math (last 6 weeks)
7. Tell me a bad memory you have about school...
     When I failed this test and got really upset.
8. Describe a "good" teacher or tell me about a favorite teacher you had in the past.
     A teacher that helps you and wants you to succeed.
9. What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you?
     (thinks for a while) That I don't like answering questions...

High Performing Student:

1. Do you enjoy school?
     Yeah, I do.
2. What kind of student are you?
     Hard working.
3. What do you do for fun outside of school?
     Music, mostly...
4. How would your classmates describe you?
     Humorous, politically involved
5. Who are you friends with? What do you and your friends do together?
     Bobby, Zach, Jared, Tre; We discuss a lot of things (politics), go to sports events, and hang out.
6. Tell me a good memory you have about school...
     A lot of band memories that really stick with me.
7. Tell me a bad memory you have about school...
     Ont time a teacher was upset with me about something during my freshman year. 
8. Describe a "good" teacher or tell me about a favorite teacher you had in the past.
     Jenny Dorsey was truly concerned about our school and our achievements. 9. What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you?
      I have a life outside of politics. I'm not always serious.

Double Entry Journal #9

Chapter 1: A strange fact about not learning to read.

1. What is the strange fact about not learning to read?
It seems that children in the minority have more trouble learning to read then children raised in the middle to upper class.

2. Why is this fact so strange?
I find this strange because those same "minority" children don't usually have the same troubles in other activities (i.e. sports, video games, music). I think a lot of it has to do with the enforcement on education in the home, but I won't get into that...

3. What is it about school that manages to transform children who are good at learning things like Pokeman into children who are not good at learning?
I think it is either the school's lack of knowledge or understanding about the students culture.

4. What is the difference between a traditionalist approach to learning to read and more progressive educators? 
Traditionalists believe learning to read is an instruction based process while progressive educators believe learning to read is a more natural approach.

5. Is learning to read a natural process like learning to speak a language?
No. I believe learning to read is something that has to be taught; just like learning how to zip up a jacket, button a coat, or tie your shoes.

6. What is the difference between natural, instructed, and cultural processes and which process should reading be classified under?
A natural process is something we do instinctively as humans. Instructed processes are were the child is being taught information (i.e. school). Cultural processes are those we learn based on the culture around us.

7. How do humans learn best? Through instructional processes or through cultural processes? How is reading taught in school?
I think that students learn through both ways. They learn by an instructional process while at school and a cultural process while at home or out of school.

8. According to the author, what is the reason for the "fourth grade slump"?
Fourth graders have a very difficult time reading in the content area.

9. What is a better predictor of reading success than phonemic awareness?
Observing how well a student does with language before entering school.

10. What is the difference between "vernacular" and "specialist" varieties of language? Give and example of two sentences, one written in the vernacular and one written in a "specialized variety," about a topic in your content area. 
Vernacular is the way that one speaks to another on a daily basis. Specialist language is a more proper and refined language.
A vernacular sentence could be taken from the movie "Wizard of Oz"; "There's a storm blowing up Silvester; A WHOPPER! To speak in the vernacular or the peasantry."
A Specialized example is, "There is a storm coming this way. It looks to be very large!"

11. What is "early language ability" and how is it developed?
Early language ability is developed at an early age and it is when the child has been introduced to vocabulary, phonics, and other means of speaking and reading before they reach the Pre-K or Kindergarten level in school.

12. According to the author why and how does the traditionalist approach to teaching children to read fail? 
It fails because children are more accustomed to hearing language in their own vernacular. At school reading is more on an academic basis which may not be comfortable for most students.

13. Are parents of poor children to blame for their children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language before coming to school?
I believe the parents are to blame! Teachers can only do so much in a school day. We aren't super heros! we can supply the students with everything they need to succeed, but if it's not reinforced at home then it makes all of the teachers efforts a bit worthless. I know some may say "Well, what if the parents didn't receive a good education?" If this is the case then I would have to point the blame at the parents of the parent. If I were in that situation, I would look at my parents and their life and ask myself one question: Do I want better than them? If the answer is yes, then i feel that any person would strive to get better.

14. Did you struggle with reading this text? Why? Are you a poor reader or are you unfamiliar with this variety of specialized language?
I'm in the middle... I can read and comprehend well, but I just find the book very boring. As I mentioned in my previous journal entry, I have a hard time reading books that do not catch my interest. I am trying to get through as best as possible. 

Double Entry Journal #8

Situated Language and Learning: A critique of traditional schooling

1. What is the main challenge being addressed in this book?
I feel that the main challenge in the book is based on the various ways people talk. Is it educated language or just everyday jargon that a lot of folks are used to speaking on a day to day basis; in the vernacular you might say...

2. What does the author mean by the phrase "ways with words"?
The author means words that are used in a particular fashion. These words can be considered "jargon" and "academic language."

3. What is the core argument being made by the author of this book?
People can learn there "ways with words" in and out of the school building, but only when they find it most convenient or compelling.

4. Give an example of a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" you have learned outside of school?
I have heard many students talk within their cliques or groups, but I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary when speaking aloud. I have, however, noticed a "way with words" when people, mostly teenagers, text on their phones. Words like "LOL", "ROFL", and "BRB"  have a deeper meaning, but some may not know what these letters imply. For the "older" generation these letters have no meaning what-so-ever, but they are everyday phrases used into today's society.

5. According to the author, how do people learn a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" best?
The author suggests that people learn best when they have more experiences outside of school that may pertain or be more important to their futures.

6. If people are to be successful in the 21st century, what must they become?
To be be successful, one has to learn to and be able to adapt. If one is to achieve a particular goal or objective he/she must learn to understand and be able to "shape-shift" into whatever the situation calls for.

7. The author states that learning academic language is NOT sufficient for success in modern society? Do you agree? Why or Why not?
I do not agree with Gee. I think you have to have a little give and take when it comes to learning academic language. I think that one has to be able to adapt or "shape-shift" to their surroundings in the modern society, but I also believe that a person must have a certain level of professionalism. As a future public school teacher I feel that when I go into my first job interview I would give the impression of a well-mannered, upright citizen, and carry a high level of decorum.

8. What do you think about this author's "way with words"?
In all honesty, I'm not looking forward to reading the rest of the book. I enjoy reading very much, but only if I can "latch" onto the book or story. I'm having a hard time with this one right now. Gee states in the book that he can change his "way with words" and perhaps if he does that may benefit me. For now, I'm in that black hole he mentions...

Double Entry Journal #6

According to the introduction of Teaching for Meaningful Learning the dominant paradigm is teacher instruction and teacher reliance on textbooks as a primary source of knowledge acquisition through discussion and reading.

Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups.

Problem-based approaches to learning have a long history of advocating

experience-based education. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method in which students learn through facilitated problem solving. In PBL, student learning centers on a complex problem that does not have a single correct answer. Students work in collaborative groups to identify what they need to learn in order to solve a problem.

Learning by design is based on children learning deeply by being asked to design and create an artifact that requires understanding and application of knowledge.

I think that these different strategies can be spread all over the content area due to their association with inquiry-based practices. A downfall, one might suggest, is that the inquiry levels are different with each instructional method. 

Judging by my own school experience, I would have to say that an instruction that relates to the outside "career" world. I find it pointless, in some cases, to spend 4 years of high school studying a foreign language that you will never use once outside the school walls. I'd rather have some meaningful to take with me on my life walk.


References

Why teach with project-based learning?: Providing students with a well-rounded classroom experience. (2008, February 28). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning-introduction

Hmelo-Silver, C. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn?. Retrieved from http://thorndike.tc.columbia.edu/~david/MTSU4083/Readings/Problem- and Case-based ID/hmelo.pdf

Barron, B., & Darling- Hammond, L. teaching for meaningful learning a review of research on inquiry-based and cooperative learning. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf

Double Entry Journal #5

"In an ideal classroom everyone treats what is to be learned with a reverence that generates mutual respect among teachers and students" (Woodruff 2001, 192).

I agree with this statement because I believe in the value of not only teaching and learning, but retaining information. I'm a musician and I want to share my knowledge with my students and want them to have the same respect that I do for music and the disciplines behind it.

1. What is reverent listening and how can it support culturally responsive teaching?

The article mentions that "Reverent listening is certainly not a panacea for the concerns and problems of our schools, but it is part of a simple act of paying regard and attention to others that is too often ignored in today’s schools." Many teachers ignore or pay less attention to students who come from broken homes or rough neighborhoods or even because of the color of their skin. Like the quote states, this is a SIMPLE act and solution. If only more teachers would pay attention to this...

2. Give an example from your own schooling experience of what this quote means:

    Reverent listening is not to be confused with humiliation and domination by others who force us to listen, and even less so, with the kind of incompetence that wants to be told what to do.

I know of some times in high school when teachers would ask a student for an answer to a controversial question.  The majority of the students would just stare and stutter around their "true" answer and say what he/she thought the teacher wanted to hear. I can't really relate to that. I have been taught since I was a young boy to be honest and speak my mind, within reason of course. 

3. What is meant by a "laundry list of value ethics"? Give an example from your own schooling experience. And then explain how this approach to character education can be NON-culturally responsive.

I cannot recall a point in my schooling that dealt with a "laundry list of value ethics"

4. Have you ever had a teacher that at one time or another exhibited the traits of a reverent teacher? What did they do? How did they make you feel?

Alongside my music classes I'm taking at FSU I have been studying American Sign Language. I have always wanted to learn it and as a teacher I'm sure it could come in handy sometime. Ruby Losh, one of my sign language professors, treats her classes with seriousness, but doesn't make it stuffy. She encourages learning and doing your best. If you struggle she is more than happy to work with you one on one until you understand the material. I felt very secure under her teachings and it made me learn very quickly.

5. What factors contribute to a "toxic" school culture?

A school culture can be "toxic" when a lack of leadership leads to a lack of reverent listening. 

6. Find a quote in this article that you would like to incorporate into your own philosophy of education and explain how it fits or changes your philosophy of education.

"Beyond all other considerations, reverent teaching understands the need to listen and respect students, parents, custodial staff, secretaries, and principals."

I already base some of my teaching philosophy off of this quote, but it is a constant reminder that I must not judge my students based on any of their personal choices. I must respect them and give them reasons to respect me as their teacher. I want to reach out to my students and their families. I was that the key to having success in your school it to make friends with the two most important people in your school - the custodian and the cooks! I have found that this is a true statement. It leads to extra food and a clean room!

7. Find a strategy/activity conveyed in a video, blog posting, lesson plan, or online article that will help you become a  teacher who cultivates a reverence in their classroom and school community.

I found this video on Youtube and It really "hit home" for me. In the first minute and twelve seconds of this video Professor Rosemont, Jr. talks about the values, consequences, and interpretations of reverence.

Double Entry Journal #4

1. Describe 3 things you learned about teaching and literacy development.

I learned that teachers are beginning to consider different forms of testing that adhere to the people in rural Appalachia. I was also curious when I read that some teachers were thinking about the possible improvement if writings were rooted in the students dialect. I find it interesting that there has been a sudden thrust forward in the area of literacy development. I feel like I have not heard much about it until now...

2. Give 2 examples of how the strategies for literacy instruction presented in this article reflect Culturally Responsive Teaching.

One example would be when Clark said, "By using their own words to describe these patterns, students move from what they intuitively know about language to an understanding of language variation and how it works in different settings and with different audiences." Another one would be in the words of Phillips. "I know my kids as individuals, and this is who they are. It's my responsibility to teach the learning standards, but not to change them or take away their dialect."

3. Give 1 example of literacy instruction from your own schooling experience and explain how it reflects or does not reflect Culturally Responsive Teaching.

I honestly cannot recall a time when literacy was an issue in my schooling. My teachers always corrected us if we spoke in correctly and we never thought anything of it. We realized we spoke improperly and we fixed it. I do remember an instance when some people had the same pronunciation for the word "Color" and "Collar". The teacher corrected the student and that was the last of it. 

Digital Story

Here is a short video that tells a little about me and where I'm from. I hope you enjoy!

Where I'm From

I am from the small speck outside a big town, from Legos and Micro Machines.

I am from the third house on the right, the Christmas house.

I am from the rhododendron and lily, the pad on the surface of the water.

I am from big family gatherings and too much food, from John, grandpa Bill, and Glenna – strong, faithful, and God fearing.

I am from the late, lazy, yet trust worthy and caring.

From a family where “You don’t have to be crazy to be in, but it sure helps” and "Trust in the Lord our God" is our motto.

I am from a family that teaches the Bible and believes in prayer – longing to be reunited with my loved ones and know I will never see some of them again.

I'm from the small inner city, the town of Italian Heritage, from cannolis, fritis, and lasagna.

From the grandfather who taught me how to put my trust in Jesus Christ when I was a young man, the father whose death was incredibly hard to bear and still is to this day, and the wisdom of a grandmother who always had the right words at the appropriate time.

I am from the shelves that never needs dusted, a place that has a purpose, a priceless treasure that can easily be replaced, but would rather not have to. 

Double Entry Journal #3

1. How does elementary reading instruction contribute to poor literacy attainment for older children?

    I think this has some ties to the myth "Students learn everything about 

reading and writing in elementary school". Perhaps a students literacy gets overlooked as they get older and continue to progress through the school system.

2. What are reading test scores good for?

    Test scores and other numbers do not convey the full complexity of literacy even though they are effective in eliciting a feeling of crisis. Accordingly, a useful alternative would be for teachers and other informed professionals to take an interest in policy that shapes literacy instruction.

3. What reality about a literacy myth surprised you the most? Why?

    The myth that I found surprising was "Literacy instruction is the responsibility of English teachers alone". This is a common problem with some teachers and parents today. They all think all of the literacy teachings and problems come from the English department. I have actually heard teachers and parents make comments such as "I don't need to worry about it" or "It's not my job to aid those problems". I can't believe that parents, especially teachers would have this attitude. I think when schools fail to make AYP in a certain area of instruction it should not fall back solely on that teacher rather the entire faculty at that school should feel responsible. If everyone would work together for the good of the order then I feel schools would not be lacking in certain areas.

4. What do you know about teaching reading comprehension in the content areas? Give an example of a strategy you might use to teach reading during a science or social studies lesson.

     I know how you can relate reading comprehension in the music classroom. Music is more than just reading a bunch of dotes that are arranged on 5 lines. We use letters (p, mp, mf, f) that tell the player how loud to play. Each of these abbreviations stand for a word. You could have the student learn what the letters mean in a musical sense then teach them the full word (i.e. p=soft; the word for soft is piano).

5. What kind of literacy do you have that was not acknowledge in school? (Literacy means being able to use texts and technologies to accomplish one's purpose in the world.)

     I was always lacking in math, especially with word problems. I tried and tried to improve and would even ask my teachers for extra worksheets to help me in my studies. I was shocked to find that most of the teachers said they did not have time to do that. I even had a teacher tell me to come see her at the end of the day. As I was approaching the classroom door I noticed that the door was closed and the lights were turned off. I barely passed my math courses and to this day I am not good at math.

 

6. Give an example of a literacy practice.

    Literacy practices refer to the basic processes of reading and writing that a student would learn in the fourth grade. These practices still need to be reinforced after the fourth grade.

7. What is a discourse community?

    The term discourse community links the terms discourse, a concept describing all forms of communication that contribute to a particular, instructionalized way of thinking; and community, which in this case refers to the people who use, and therefore help create, a particular discourse.

8. What can happen if students valuable multiple literacies are not recognized as valuable in school?

    When students are not recognized for bringing valuable, multiple-literacy 

practices to school, they can become resistant to school-based literacy.

9. Give an example of how a teacher might build on the extracurricular literacy practices of their students?

    Teachers should not be reduced to stereotypical assumptions about predictable responses from specific populations of students; Effective teachers understand the importance of adolescents finding enjoyable texts and don’t always try to shift students to “better” books.

10. Describe a time in which a teacher in your 4-12 schooling experience employed one of the research-base strategies to improve motivation.

    Not trying to make excuses, but that was 13 (plus) years ago and as hard as I try I cannot think of anything. The only thing I can think of that dealt with motivation was in 1998. This was the year I marched with the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps. and our percussion caption head always encouraged us in everything we did. He did get tough on us at times, but he always had creative criticism to give us. I feel this has made me a better man and musician.

11. Give an example from your own K-12 schooling experience that engaged you in multicultural literacy development.

    When I was a junior in high school I befriended an exchange students from Germany. He could speak VERY little English. I have always be fascinated with  the country and the German language. Our Spanish teacher had a program that allowed us to talk into a microphone and it would repeat our words in a different language. 

12. What do teachers who gain recognition and respect from their peers also do well on?

    These teachers also foster critical thinking; address the diverse needs of adolescents whose literacy abilities vary; possess personal characteristics such as caring about students, being creative and collaborative, and loving to read and write; develop a solid knowledge about and commitment to literacy instruction; use significant quality and quantity of literacy activities including hands-on, scaffolding, mini lessons, discussions, group work, student choice, ample feedback, and multiple forms of expression; participate in ongoing professional development; develop quality relationships with students; and manage the classroom effectively.

Cited:

Discourse community. (2012, April 17). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_community

Adolescent literacy. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Positions/Chron0907ResearchBrief.pdf

Double Entry Journal #2

"...children who experience other people in their lives reading and writing for many different reasons in the years before they begin school are better equipped conceptually to make sense of--to learn from--the beginning reading and writing instruction in their schools."

    I chose this quote because I strongly agree with it. I have also found in my own personal experience that when children are read to at a young age and when parents teach word recognition and spelling in the child's toddler stage that they tend to have an easier time in the first stages of schooling. It is easier for them to adjust in the public school setting. 

1. What is literacy knowledge? Give examples of both print and non-print literacy knowledge. 
    Literacy knowledge refers to the concepts children acquire while in their preschool years. 
    Print knowledge is the understanding that letters have sounds which can be associated with them and that there is some relationship between the letters seen and the letters heard.
    Non-print knowledge is when a child writes what he/she thinks is a particular word, but cannot tell you what it is they wrote.  

2. How do stereotypes interfere with literacy instruction?
    Many teachers think that a child's or an adult's socio-economic status have everything to do with their literacy and life style. If teachers continue to think this way then it could seriously alter the child's classroom behavior and activity.

3. How do schools and teachers contribute to poor literacy instruction in schools?
    Most schools offer a special reading class to help aid those students who seem to be falling behind the learning curve. This is were I find the inclusion principle to be of no use. If a student can not keep up with a classroom full of "regular" minds then he/she has no business being mixed in there. Why should the other students be held back because of one (or more) students? 

4. What is the relationship between language, social class, and the denial of educational opportunity? 
    I think that a lot of people that live in West Virginia or the Appalachian region do not believe it is important to have a high level of education. Most of these people will work the family farm, work in the coal mines, and take over the family business. They have been around these jobs since they were kids and this style of living is all they know and the parents put a strong emphasis on this style and place it on a higher pedestal than a formal education. 

5. What are some misconceptions about the relationship between language and literacy?
     
     
6. What can schools and teachers do to improve literacy instruction?
    Teachers can give special attention to certain students who may need it without taking time away from the rest of the class. You can also talk to your principle or board office and inquire about having a teachers aid to help out.

7. How do you feel about use of the term "Proper English"?
    It doesn't bother me. I'm not too sure why some would be offended by this term. I think that some might think or envision someone speaking with a British accent (Queen's English). If you look at the classifications of "Proper English", speaking in the vernacular is to be employed. This would mean avoiding larger words that some may not know. This could help to avoid embarrassment or the feeling of being superior. 

PART 2:

"Industrialists and others, however, blamed the people for their own poverty, and this myth continues because it is entertaining to the Americans beyond the mountains." 

    I was born and raised in West Virginia and have heard these "stories" all of my life. While some or most of these "stories" may be for entertainment purposes, I find that a lot of the stereotypes are accurate. People that I have met from the "backwoods" of WV live up to the hype. They do not speak well nor do the carry themselves as an adult should. Having said that, I have also met some West Virginians that are very well civilized and "modern". I don't consider myself to be better than anyone else, but I must admit that the West Virginia myths and stereotypes do humor me quite a bit.

Cited: 
(2009). West virginia hillbilly white trash: Johnny knoxville’s “the wild and wonderful whites of west virginia”. (2009). [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2009/11/west-virginia-hillbilly-white-trash-johnny-knoxvilles-the-wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia/

Purcell Gates, V. (2002). As soon as she opened her mouth. In L. Delpit & J.K Dowdy (Eds.), In The skin that we speak: An anthology of essays on language culture and power. (Print: Anthology)

O'Brian, J. (2003, May 10). Tall tales of appalachia. The new york times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html?src=pm

Double Entry Journal #1

Task 1: When speaking of inclusion inside of the classroom, one might see inclusion as an approach to educating students with special educational needs. Inclusion is about the child's right to participate in a normal classroom setting and the school's duty to accept the child.

Task 2: The students that are most commonly included are those with physical disabilities that have no or little effect on their academic work students with all types of mild disabilities, and students whose disabilities require relatively few specialized services.

Inclusive schools seem to have a better work ethic as a whole (more together-ness). Students can learn in an un-pressured setting alongside their fellow classmates.

I found this image while searching on "Google" and thought it was a good expression to accept anyone. Do not think differently of a student based on color, ethnicity, financial status, or personal appearance.

Cited: 
(2012). Inclusion. (2012). [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.houseofpaincakes.com/2012/06/tuesday-discussion-inclusion.html
Inclusion (education). (2012, August 24). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inclusion_(education)