Cognitive process p. 23 Culture and Literacy p. 39
I personally am not a fan of theorists. Whenever I read about Dahl or Piaget I respectfully choose to take in their theories, but then formulate my own opinion with my actual experiences in the classroom. I found it very interesting this year in my observations at centennial elementary. I had three different students, and all of them were in different stages of reading They definitely learned from the social interaction like it talks about on page 23 in chapter two. I unfortunately didn't get to see how scaffolding worked because the book that they chose was under their reading level, Stone Fox. I found it interesting how the students interacted with each other when I asked a question and how they would build off of each other! They would understand the content better when they had the opportunity to verbally discuss it with each other.
I really get tired of talking about how we have to teach specifically to minorities. I think that this can put them at a disadvantage because its like we are treating them like they are supposed to fail. By lowering standards on tests, and having them fill in a circle on what ethnicity they are it is singling them out. Why must we always talk about how culture affects an ethnic group and why do we label them students at risk just because of the neighborhood they come from? I wish that we could just treat them as equals. I had the opportunity to work with a Hispanic boy named "C" and he was extremely bright! Even though he is Hispanic and considered a minority, he received an exemplary grade on both his math and reading TAKS! I think the best way to teach is to actually teach students like they are equal! Because they are equal! When I am a teacher, I will work with struggling students when they need help, and I will try to help those who come from different cultures. However, I think it is wrong to assume just because they are a different ethnicity or from a different neighborhood that they need more help! I will help based on need, not ethnicity.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
CH. 15 WK
A letter to George
What I took from this last chapter was that while we can read books and books about teaching, there is nothing that can help us learn better than actual students in an actual classroom. We can think that we are as prepared, but we must be able to react to each student and each problem because we all know that the craziest things can happen in a classroom. We must be flexible and willing to put in the time and the effort that is needed to be the best teacher we can be. Thank God for summer breaks so that we can reflect on the year past and prepare for the year to come! We must not forget that the one element that is most important in teaching is love. We must love the students and the community that we teach in. We must embrace the culture and relate to each and every student. We must also love teaching. You can not be an effective teacher if you don't have the passion for what you are teaching. We must love the student, love the school, but most importantly we need to appreciate the opportunity that we have been blessed with. We have the opportunity of a lifetime, because we get to shape the lives of our nations future and we cannont discouraged when things don't happen the way that we would like them too!
What I took from this last chapter was that while we can read books and books about teaching, there is nothing that can help us learn better than actual students in an actual classroom. We can think that we are as prepared, but we must be able to react to each student and each problem because we all know that the craziest things can happen in a classroom. We must be flexible and willing to put in the time and the effort that is needed to be the best teacher we can be. Thank God for summer breaks so that we can reflect on the year past and prepare for the year to come! We must not forget that the one element that is most important in teaching is love. We must love the students and the community that we teach in. We must embrace the culture and relate to each and every student. We must also love teaching. You can not be an effective teacher if you don't have the passion for what you are teaching. We must love the student, love the school, but most importantly we need to appreciate the opportunity that we have been blessed with. We have the opportunity of a lifetime, because we get to shape the lives of our nations future and we cannont discouraged when things don't happen the way that we would like them too!
CH 14 WK
Finding the right book
This is what I look forward to most when I begin teaching. I absolutely love reading! I also love mid-level literature so I look forward to helping students find a book that they can relate too! I really like her suggestion of "read and tease!" Whether its an online book talk by the Great combo of Ben and Jeremiah or just a book introduction in my own classroom, I have to constantly be introducing books to my students. These have to be diverse in my opinion. Biographies, sports books, poetry, and adventure books can all relate to certain students. Also, give your students time in their school library where they can roam around and choose a book that they want on their own! Another way that you can do this is by literature circles. Give the students a choice of three books and have them get in their own literature circles and discuss on their own! All these are good ways of helping your students find the right book!
This is what I look forward to most when I begin teaching. I absolutely love reading! I also love mid-level literature so I look forward to helping students find a book that they can relate too! I really like her suggestion of "read and tease!" Whether its an online book talk by the Great combo of Ben and Jeremiah or just a book introduction in my own classroom, I have to constantly be introducing books to my students. These have to be diverse in my opinion. Biographies, sports books, poetry, and adventure books can all relate to certain students. Also, give your students time in their school library where they can roam around and choose a book that they want on their own! Another way that you can do this is by literature circles. Give the students a choice of three books and have them get in their own literature circles and discuss on their own! All these are good ways of helping your students find the right book!
CH 13 WK
Ch. 13 p. 266 Do Not Tolerate Put-downs
I think it is very necessary to have a positive enviroment in your classroom. After observing in classes all semester, I can see how put downs can negatively affect the classroom. " When children are belittled by their peers, something happens that is hurtful beyond repair. When it happens in front of an adult, an adult who is supposed to care, and the adult does nothing, then the damage is even greater." What that means is that it is my job as the teacher and adult in the classroom to make sure that students aren't belittled in my classroom. I've noticed that there are certain students that sometimes bring the comments on themselves, but it is my job to help these students cope in social situations as well! I really cannot wait until I have my own classroom that I can help influence our future!
I think it is very necessary to have a positive enviroment in your classroom. After observing in classes all semester, I can see how put downs can negatively affect the classroom. " When children are belittled by their peers, something happens that is hurtful beyond repair. When it happens in front of an adult, an adult who is supposed to care, and the adult does nothing, then the damage is even greater." What that means is that it is my job as the teacher and adult in the classroom to make sure that students aren't belittled in my classroom. I've noticed that there are certain students that sometimes bring the comments on themselves, but it is my job to help these students cope in social situations as well! I really cannot wait until I have my own classroom that I can help influence our future!
CH. 12 WK
Spelling
In the days of text messaging and instant messaging, the need to teach spelling has never been more important! I've helped my mother grade research papers with the words LOL and bc written in the paper! I think the first thing that you have to teach them through the stages of spelling development. By doing this you can see what stage each student you have is in. Also, you can now give them spelling lists that can help them develop in their own individual stage. Once again, grouping your students can help the learning process by putting similar learners together. I completely agree with Beers' ideas on how you should use different spelling tests with different groups of students.
In the days of text messaging and instant messaging, the need to teach spelling has never been more important! I've helped my mother grade research papers with the words LOL and bc written in the paper! I think the first thing that you have to teach them through the stages of spelling development. By doing this you can see what stage each student you have is in. Also, you can now give them spelling lists that can help them develop in their own individual stage. Once again, grouping your students can help the learning process by putting similar learners together. I completely agree with Beers' ideas on how you should use different spelling tests with different groups of students.
CH 11 WK
p. 231 Suggestions for students who lack word recognition skills
My biggest fear/weakness is, at this point, I struggle with helping students with word recognition skills. I just find it kind of hard to describe how I read a certain word besides just saying sound it out! Beers four suggestions help me have a starting place of when I am trying to help a struggling reader. Their knowledge about letters and sounds are very important, and I can't assume that they are fluent in this area by the time they are in my classroom. I think a great way of helping students like this is by separating them into groups with similar reading problems! This chapter was very helpful for someone like me who is worried about this kind of teaching!
My biggest fear/weakness is, at this point, I struggle with helping students with word recognition skills. I just find it kind of hard to describe how I read a certain word besides just saying sound it out! Beers four suggestions help me have a starting place of when I am trying to help a struggling reader. Their knowledge about letters and sounds are very important, and I can't assume that they are fluent in this area by the time they are in my classroom. I think a great way of helping students like this is by separating them into groups with similar reading problems! This chapter was very helpful for someone like me who is worried about this kind of teaching!
CH 10 WK
Fluency pg 209-210
Too many times you see fluency teststed by how many words you can read per minute. I don't understand why they think that how fast a child reads is a true test of fluency! He read 200 words per minute! Impressive! Now tell me what was the main idea of the story. I think it is ridiculous to test fluency by how fast a child reads! That is why I like the way that Beers suggests we shoudl test fluency. It combines both speed with comprehension. I still don't think it is necessary to test how fast a student reads as long as he is comprehending what he is reading. (under most circumstances)
Too many times you see fluency teststed by how many words you can read per minute. I don't understand why they think that how fast a child reads is a true test of fluency! He read 200 words per minute! Impressive! Now tell me what was the main idea of the story. I think it is ridiculous to test fluency by how fast a child reads! That is why I like the way that Beers suggests we shoudl test fluency. It combines both speed with comprehension. I still don't think it is necessary to test how fast a student reads as long as he is comprehending what he is reading. (under most circumstances)
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