This article extends on what we have already been discussing in class a great deal, which is integrating new media texts into the classroom, specifically English Composition. The article states that many teachers don't know much about these new media texts and are therefore unable to help student use them. I would have to agree with the article on this because I can relate to what this article refers to as "most teachers". I probably know more than some, but overall I do not feel confident in my ability to incorporate media texts in the classroom. Honestly, the most fancy software I have any knowledge about is Microsoft Powerpoint, and even that I am not very confident using in a classroom. I also know a little about MovieMaker, but both of these programs have features that I know nothing about.
Today, I think visual literacy should be relatively simple to incorporate into most classrooms. They certainly have the technological resources to be able to do so. At many of the schools I have been to, they have the SMARTboards and the projectors. Unfortunately, in ALL the classrooms I have seen that have these, they sit unused all the time. I would imagine the reason behind this is because the teachers either don't know how or don't feel comfortable using this, or because they don't know what to use it for. They aren't sure how to choose media to help complement or enhance their lessons. The article suggests beginning with visual media texts, since they are what is most familiar to what we already know and use. I do think that using PowerPoints, still images, photographs, or videos would be a great way to enhance any lesson, and it would not be that difficult to use, even for someone who has little knowledge of how to use technology.
I really liked how this article included several examples of activities that can be done using visual media texts. I liked the first example that was a visual essay because it gives students more freedom when it comes to conveying their thoughts and ideas. It also reminds me a bit of the digital literacy project we are doing in CIR 411. I would definitely like to do something with one of my classes in the future. I also like the traveling photo exhibit activity. It would have to be modified for younger students, but I do think it would be a lot of fun for students.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Ch. 11 Blog: Developing Content Area Writers
First of all, after reading this chapter, I have come to a conclusion. There are many different types of writing, and different purposes for writing that will shape the content and formality. What students really need to be able to do is adjust their writing to fit the purpose. This means that they will need practice doing all kinds of writing, both formal and informal, school related and personal. Students should also be able to do writing using both pen and paper, and digitally.
One part of this chapter that stood out to me on a personal level what the part about how many students don't feel that they have received adequate preparation for writing at a college level. I can definitely relate to that because I felt the same way when I entered college out of high school. I was completely overwhelmed when I did my first research paper in college. It was the first time I have ever been asked to do one, and the teacher expected us to already have an idea of how to do it. There should have been a whole course dedicated to teaching how to cite resources, and how to research, but we were thrown into it with very little direction.
And the ever so popular, and often forgotten, OUTLINE, for the five paragraph essay. Why didn't I see that before college? I'm sure some people did, but I was completely lost when I saw that for the first time.
Lastly, and I touched on this in my first paragraph, but I think allowing students to do different types of writing in class will eliminate the common hatred for writing. Until college, the only writing experiences I had were writing essays and paragraphs, summaries and reflections. We never got to write anything that was fun, something that was for our eyes only, or something where we didn't have to worry about spelling, punctuation, or level or formality. It is exhausting trying to write a paper without using I or you, so no wonder it was no fun. I also think students should be presented with several different strategies for writing and planning. People think differently, so asking everyone to follow the same planning format is ridiculous. Like for me, an outline is not helpful. I like to just freewrite first, and pull certain ideas from it to reorganize into a proper paper. And this is usually how I ended up with my final products, but I was always forced to do an outline which just ended up being extra work, and something I couldn't do until my paper was completely written. That really defeats the purpose, and has soured my experiences with writing.
One part of this chapter that stood out to me on a personal level what the part about how many students don't feel that they have received adequate preparation for writing at a college level. I can definitely relate to that because I felt the same way when I entered college out of high school. I was completely overwhelmed when I did my first research paper in college. It was the first time I have ever been asked to do one, and the teacher expected us to already have an idea of how to do it. There should have been a whole course dedicated to teaching how to cite resources, and how to research, but we were thrown into it with very little direction.
And the ever so popular, and often forgotten, OUTLINE, for the five paragraph essay. Why didn't I see that before college? I'm sure some people did, but I was completely lost when I saw that for the first time.
Lastly, and I touched on this in my first paragraph, but I think allowing students to do different types of writing in class will eliminate the common hatred for writing. Until college, the only writing experiences I had were writing essays and paragraphs, summaries and reflections. We never got to write anything that was fun, something that was for our eyes only, or something where we didn't have to worry about spelling, punctuation, or level or formality. It is exhausting trying to write a paper without using I or you, so no wonder it was no fun. I also think students should be presented with several different strategies for writing and planning. People think differently, so asking everyone to follow the same planning format is ridiculous. Like for me, an outline is not helpful. I like to just freewrite first, and pull certain ideas from it to reorganize into a proper paper. And this is usually how I ended up with my final products, but I was always forced to do an outline which just ended up being extra work, and something I couldn't do until my paper was completely written. That really defeats the purpose, and has soured my experiences with writing.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Promethean and SmartBoard technology experience
The word NONE basically sums up my experience with these technologies. At least any hands on experience. I have seen the SmartBoards used in most of my classes, but not in a way that would help me if I were to have to use one. I have only heard about the wonders of the Promethean boards. Apparently they can clean your house and make you a sandwich, but I have never seen one in use, and I honestly don't know what the difference between this and a SmartBoard is, or even if there is one. I would absolutely love to learn how to use these things, and I can definitely see how they could be very valuable tools in the classroom, but right now I really know basically nothing.
Ch. 7 blog: Activating Prior Knowledge and Increasing Motivation
Motivation is probably more important, and integral in our everyday lives than many people may even realize. I mean, think about it, everything you do every day comes from some form of motivation. Why do we do the thing we do, particularly the thing we don't enjoy? Because it will benefit us in some way. Maybe not directly, but we stand to gain something from everything we do, otherwise we wouldn't do it. Now, think about your students. If they don't feel like they will receive any personal gain or benefits from learning, they won't try. Some students are motivated by getting good grades, but other students who experience failure regularly will need some other reason to be motivated.
Prior knowledge ties closely to motivation, in my opinion. If a student has absolutely no prior knowledge about something the teacher is talking about, and they can't make any personal connection with the topic, they are unlikely to care about it. Teachers must become familiar with what their students already know, or they must find ways to make new topics relevant to students by using literature, analogies, or anything really. Even in my personal experiences, I am less likely to become engaged in a topic that I know little to nothing about. When teachers attempt to make the topic relevant to me, or give me concrete reasons as to how this topic could be useful to me, something will click and I will become motivated.
I really liked how the book went into detail about methods teachers can use to activate prior knowledge, and examples of how the methods can be used. My personal favorites to use are the anticipation guides and the K-W-L charts. Anticipation guides are a good way to find out from every student what their level of prior knowledge is, and it is a great basis for planning lessons. The K-W-L chart is valuable in that you can do an on-the-spot, classwide assessment of prior knowledge, and it lends itself to being very flexible. We are always told that as teachers we have to be flexible, so a K-W-L chart fits well into an efficient classroom. Also, from previous experience, student really enjoy these KWL charts.
Prior knowledge ties closely to motivation, in my opinion. If a student has absolutely no prior knowledge about something the teacher is talking about, and they can't make any personal connection with the topic, they are unlikely to care about it. Teachers must become familiar with what their students already know, or they must find ways to make new topics relevant to students by using literature, analogies, or anything really. Even in my personal experiences, I am less likely to become engaged in a topic that I know little to nothing about. When teachers attempt to make the topic relevant to me, or give me concrete reasons as to how this topic could be useful to me, something will click and I will become motivated.
I really liked how the book went into detail about methods teachers can use to activate prior knowledge, and examples of how the methods can be used. My personal favorites to use are the anticipation guides and the K-W-L charts. Anticipation guides are a good way to find out from every student what their level of prior knowledge is, and it is a great basis for planning lessons. The K-W-L chart is valuable in that you can do an on-the-spot, classwide assessment of prior knowledge, and it lends itself to being very flexible. We are always told that as teachers we have to be flexible, so a K-W-L chart fits well into an efficient classroom. Also, from previous experience, student really enjoy these KWL charts.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ch. 6 Assignment- 5th grade Informational text lesson plan
Subject: 3rd grade Science
Title of Informational Text: Planet Earth, Animals and their prey.
Curriculum Framework: 3. Describe the characteristics, structures, life cycles, and environments of organisms.
e. Recall that organisms can survive only when in environments (deserts,
tundras, forests, grasslands, taigas, wetlands) in which their needs are met and
interpret the interdependency of plants and animals within a food chain, including
producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, predator, and
prey. (DOK 2)
Big Idea: Predators and prey are both integral to a life cycle.
Preparation:
1. The teacher will read the informational text to the class while emphasizing important points to the class.
2. Students will work in groups to create a visual representation of a food chain, using a copy of the text as a guide.
3. Students will present their food chains to the class. Each group will likely have used different animals.
4. After students have finished presenting their food chains, the teacher will ask a series of open-ended questions to help develop students' understanding.
a. Look carefully at these different food chains. What are some things that you notice that they all have in common?
b. Is an animal always either a predator or prey?
c. Do all predators eat the same prey? What factors might determine what an animal's prey might be?
d. Which category do humans fall under, predator or prey? Why do you think so?
e. Why are prey important? Why are predators important?
5. Students will be given an opportunity to share and ask questions about the topic or the activity.
Guidance:
1. Students will work in groups to help one another, and will refer to the text if needed.
2. The teacher will walk around providing guidance and assistance to students.
Application:
1. Students apply what they know about the predator and prey relationship to create a food chain.
Assessment:
1. Students will be assessed by the accuracy of their food chains.
2. Students will also be assessed during the class Q & A through informal teacher observation.
Title of Informational Text: Planet Earth, Animals and their prey.
Curriculum Framework: 3. Describe the characteristics, structures, life cycles, and environments of organisms.
e. Recall that organisms can survive only when in environments (deserts,
tundras, forests, grasslands, taigas, wetlands) in which their needs are met and
interpret the interdependency of plants and animals within a food chain, including
producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, predator, and
prey. (DOK 2)
Big Idea: Predators and prey are both integral to a life cycle.
Preparation:
1. The teacher will read the informational text to the class while emphasizing important points to the class.
2. Students will work in groups to create a visual representation of a food chain, using a copy of the text as a guide.
3. Students will present their food chains to the class. Each group will likely have used different animals.
4. After students have finished presenting their food chains, the teacher will ask a series of open-ended questions to help develop students' understanding.
a. Look carefully at these different food chains. What are some things that you notice that they all have in common?
b. Is an animal always either a predator or prey?
c. Do all predators eat the same prey? What factors might determine what an animal's prey might be?
d. Which category do humans fall under, predator or prey? Why do you think so?
e. Why are prey important? Why are predators important?
5. Students will be given an opportunity to share and ask questions about the topic or the activity.
Guidance:
1. Students will work in groups to help one another, and will refer to the text if needed.
2. The teacher will walk around providing guidance and assistance to students.
Application:
1. Students apply what they know about the predator and prey relationship to create a food chain.
Assessment:
1. Students will be assessed by the accuracy of their food chains.
2. Students will also be assessed during the class Q & A through informal teacher observation.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Conley's Ch. 5-Understanding and Using Texts
One key point that I took from Chapter 5 is that your students determine what texts will be most appropriate for a lesson. It is their experiences, prior knowledge, and motivation that should dictate what texts a teacher chooses to enhance a lesson. It makes sense to me. I mean, if I have absolutely no prior knowledge on a topic, and then I read about it, I personally will still not have much understanding of that topic because I won't have understood what I read. It's kind of like a vicious circle. Give a student something to read about that they don't understand, and they probably won't understand what they read. My point is, the best way to introduce a brand new concept in which students have no prior knowledge is to let them experience it, either by taking a trip, or more likely a video or photos. Then you can introduce simple texts to students on the concepts and gradually get more complex.
Another key point that I took from Chapter 5 is the importance of using a variety of texts. Most teachers will work with diverse learners who have different levels of experience and prior knowledge. We all know by now that what is best for one student is not necessarily best for another, therefore we need to mix it up. There are so many options these days that this task does not need to be that difficult. We have textbooks, informational texts and documents, and various media outlets in which to utilize to reach all students. With this being the case, using a textbook as the sole source of presenting information is basically inexcusable.
Lastly, choosing quality texts is extremely important. A teacher can use all the different types of texts, but if they are too complex, too vague, or if they don't focus on the main idea the teacher is trying to convey, then they won't be effective in achieving the desired results. No matter what teachers choose to use, they should always keep understandability, usability, and "interestability" in mind. I particularly like the checklist on page 139 that teachers can use as a guide to check for these things. The most important thing is to know your students and keep their interests, abilities, prior knowledge, experiences, and motivation in mind when choosing texts for them to use.
Another key point that I took from Chapter 5 is the importance of using a variety of texts. Most teachers will work with diverse learners who have different levels of experience and prior knowledge. We all know by now that what is best for one student is not necessarily best for another, therefore we need to mix it up. There are so many options these days that this task does not need to be that difficult. We have textbooks, informational texts and documents, and various media outlets in which to utilize to reach all students. With this being the case, using a textbook as the sole source of presenting information is basically inexcusable.
Lastly, choosing quality texts is extremely important. A teacher can use all the different types of texts, but if they are too complex, too vague, or if they don't focus on the main idea the teacher is trying to convey, then they won't be effective in achieving the desired results. No matter what teachers choose to use, they should always keep understandability, usability, and "interestability" in mind. I particularly like the checklist on page 139 that teachers can use as a guide to check for these things. The most important thing is to know your students and keep their interests, abilities, prior knowledge, experiences, and motivation in mind when choosing texts for them to use.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Conley Ch. 4 blog
The first thing about this chapter that jumped out at me is the concept of ongoing assessment. I agree that this is extremely important. Reading this made me think of a time back in high school when I was trying out for the dance team. I went to the whole week of workshop to learn the dance and practice before the actual tryout was to take place. By the day of the tryouts, I had the routine down, but the tryouts had me so nervous that I didn't feel confident about my ability. The combination of nerves and the lack of confidence caused me to bomb the tryout. I had done the routine perfectly probably a hundred times, but for the one where it had to count, I blew it. Lucky for me, I made the team anyway. It turns out that the judges were observing us the entire week to see how quickly we picked up the routine and how well we did overall. So, I thought this was a perfect example of why it is important to assess students often and by various means. Its the only way to know what they really know and what they are really capable of.
Another part of this chapter that struck me as interesting was the examples of assessments. I mean, I have heard of most of these assessments before, but a few of them I had not considered before, and others were presented in the chapter in a way that made me see how I could actually use them one day. For example, surveys! For whatever reason, I always saw surveys as something that should only be used with parents and college age students, but there really is no reason why they can't be used with younger students. I think that is a great way to get an idea of how your students feel about certain subjects, how confident they are in their knowledge, and what they enjoy. I can definitely see using surveys with my students at the beginning of the school year and then again at the very end. Another idea from the book that I liked was the personal portfolio. We have all seen and done academic portfolios, and I think they are valuable assessments, but I think a personal portfolio would be a great way to not only get to know your students, but also to give them a chance to become accustomed to what is involved in creating a portfolio.
This chapter also did a good job at addressing the concerns I have about high stakes testing. I will never feel that it is acceptable to put so much emphasis and accountability on a one-shot test. To me, its that dance tryout all over again. Anyhow, what really stood out to me was this phrase; "Some teachers are fortunate enough to receive results from the tests...". What?! I guess I was naive in assuming that teachers were always able to see how their own students performed on a test that is the end-all, be-all for the whole school year. I just think that it makes the most sense that a teacher be able to see where his or her students performed well and where they really missed the boat. How are teachers supposed to adjust their instruction accordingly if they don't have that information? I mean, isn't that the whole purpose of assessment? I, for one, absolutely want to know how my students performed on a big test like that, first of all to see if I'll still have a job, but mostly so I can help my students improve for the next one.
Another part of this chapter that struck me as interesting was the examples of assessments. I mean, I have heard of most of these assessments before, but a few of them I had not considered before, and others were presented in the chapter in a way that made me see how I could actually use them one day. For example, surveys! For whatever reason, I always saw surveys as something that should only be used with parents and college age students, but there really is no reason why they can't be used with younger students. I think that is a great way to get an idea of how your students feel about certain subjects, how confident they are in their knowledge, and what they enjoy. I can definitely see using surveys with my students at the beginning of the school year and then again at the very end. Another idea from the book that I liked was the personal portfolio. We have all seen and done academic portfolios, and I think they are valuable assessments, but I think a personal portfolio would be a great way to not only get to know your students, but also to give them a chance to become accustomed to what is involved in creating a portfolio.
This chapter also did a good job at addressing the concerns I have about high stakes testing. I will never feel that it is acceptable to put so much emphasis and accountability on a one-shot test. To me, its that dance tryout all over again. Anyhow, what really stood out to me was this phrase; "Some teachers are fortunate enough to receive results from the tests...". What?! I guess I was naive in assuming that teachers were always able to see how their own students performed on a test that is the end-all, be-all for the whole school year. I just think that it makes the most sense that a teacher be able to see where his or her students performed well and where they really missed the boat. How are teachers supposed to adjust their instruction accordingly if they don't have that information? I mean, isn't that the whole purpose of assessment? I, for one, absolutely want to know how my students performed on a big test like that, first of all to see if I'll still have a job, but mostly so I can help my students improve for the next one.
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