Learning Blog #3 (Ch. 4)

Greetings everyone! Welcome once again to Dr. Education’s Learning Blog!  I just want to say that I have had a marvelous time with all of you that visit and comment on my blog postings.  This has been an adventurous 2 weeks of discussing the toss and turns of our educational system.  As teachers, we can talk for hours about the many different obstacles that we face everyday in the public school system in working with children from versatile backgrounds and various stages of comprehension levels.  As I say in all of my blogs, PLEASSSEEEE comment on my postings and make sure your voice is heard.  We are all learning and striving to become better educators.  Now lets get to the good stuff!!!!!!

This week I want to focus on the topic of assistance in learning.  Students often need to be reminded that they are not in the struggle of learning by themselves, their teachers are right in the midst offering them a plethora of opportunities to be assisted in retaining the content knowledge of a particular subject.  A great start to assist a student in learning is to prepare them for what they are about to do.  For instance, if the class is about to part take in a reading assignment, one of the most used methods of reading preparations is to define the vocabulary terms that are found in the chapter.  This method of learning is described to be, “Preparation to Read.”  Its somewhat like what we discussed in the last blog.  Many of us have heard of the term PAR (preparation, assistance, and reflection.) The most important part in the PAR lesson is the assistance stage.  Students are in great need of this stage of PAR because this is the part that they absorb information and learn how to apply it to what they are reading.  In most cases, students feel most comfortable with interacting with their peers about their work and they have the opportunity to utilize what they’ve learned and are capable of explaining why they believe what they believe.  It is necessary that a reader apprehends and ponders the significance of the content.  This analysis must also set their own purposes for reading and in future reading. 

Another important method of teaching is reciprocal teaching.  This is when students and teachers establish a dialogue and work together in comprehending text.  This method of teaching consists of prediction, summarization, questioning, and clarification.  For example, the teacher assigns a paragraph.  Then the teacher summarizes the paragraph and asks students several questions about it.  The teacher then clarifies any misconceptions or difficult concepts.  Finally the students predict in writing what will be discussed in the next paragraph or segment.  The goal of this process is that the students will be able to follow the same steps process on their own.

When students can make sense of their learning by developing a knowledge base or constructing their own purposes for reading a selection and developing tasks on their own that demonstrate their learning, they are constructing meaning.  The process of wherein knowledge is actively constructed and based upon prior knowledge, attitude, and values is known as constructivism. In my opinion, prior knowledge must be validated in order for it to be worthy of building upon for future knowledge.  I feel this way because sometimes prior knowledge is not factual or its just hear say.  Another positive way of learning is the direct reading approach.  This approach simply helps the student to understand that each segment of text can help them figure out the next segment.  Studies by Stahl (2008) and El-Koumy (2006) have shown that the DR-TA is beneficial in teaching referential and inferential learning. Because the text is divided into smaller portions, students can focus on the process of responding to higher order questions (Fisher & Frey, 2008). As advocated by Stauffer (1969a), the DR-TA has three basic steps: predicting, reading, and proving.
In conclusion, what are some positive effects of reciprocal teaching?

Learning Blog #2 (Ch. 3 & Article)

Welcome everybody!  This is week 2 of Dr. Education's learning blog #2.  As stated in the last blog, please feel free to comment on the issues discussed.  Don't be afraid to voice your opinion either for or against each situation.  Keep in mind that no one knows absolutely everything, as a result, we all can learn from each other.  With that being said, lets start talking!!!!!!

        This weeks blog is covering the topic, "Preparation for Learning."  I decided to talk a little about what this topic consists of because its very important as an educator to realize what it takes for each student in your class to achieve success in learning. Lets take a first year teacher and briefly discuss his or her expectations of classroom teaching.  Most first year teachers come in fresh, not really having strong classroom management skills, expecting the majority of their students to be well behaved and scholarly or having some form of basic knowledge of what is being taught, looking for everything to run smoothly without any mistakes, and using what was taught out of the books in college in whatever teacher preparation program as a guide to be a successful teacher.  Now with all of this being said,  we, meaning experienced teachers, know first hand that this is NOT in some cases what happens once becoming  full time educators.   We know that teaching students is a learning process and that you should expect mistakes to be made concerning instructions, preparing lessons that are very clear and precise in direction and content, developing teacher student relationships, and learning how your students respond to your delivery of instructions, and etc....We also understand that teacher preparation programs give you BASIC knowledge on how to develop in becoming a teacher, but it doesn't give you everything that you need.  Experience in the teaching field helps refine your teaching ability.  My reason in saying all of that is, taking the time to discover the prior knowledge of your pupils in the beginning of the year is most needed.  Learning exactly what each of your students know and don't know can be very helpful in planning lessons to compensate them and assist them in grasping the knowledge that they need to pass the SOL's.  We often as educators wonder why certain students, after we've done absolutely everything that we possibly could do, still just don't get it.  You always must remember, being a teacher you have got to learn how to use fore sight and cause and effect.  For example,  If I have an African American student that lives in an at risk environment and have parents that don't really show parental support in anything that he or she does, and have an Asian student that lives in a middle class environment and their mom is very active with activities in the school and with the academic success of their child, which of the two students would you think obtained the most prior knowledge before entering into the new school year?  We all would say the Asian student. Which is right!!!  The reason I used that as an example is because, most students that are very knowledgable about something is because they've heard it discussed in their homes or with family members.  Children that don't have the luxury of their parents actually teaching and re-enforcing the learning material being taught in school to them at home are at risk.  Usually in that case, the teachers have to put that child in remediation and play catch up with him or her to get them up to pace with everybody else.  So,my point is that teachers have to take all of this into consideration while preparing for lessons to teach their students.

       The next topic I wanted to discuss in this blog is, "Preparing the Learner through Building on Prior Knowledge."  How many of yall remember back in elementary school, your teachers would assign you definitions before reading a chapter in your social studies book?  Then they would ask you to answer the questions at the end of the chapter? EXACTLY!! This would include everybody!!!  A lot of us still use that same exact method today!  This form of activity helps to enhance the reading experience of the student while reading the chapter.  It allows students to prepare themselves for what the chapter is discussing by assigning them definitions of words that appear in the reading and the questions at the end of the reading allows students to go back inside their mind and remember the most important facts about the reading and word it into a complete sentence.  I found that this method embellishes the student's mind about whatever subject being discussed.  It even works for those students who may not have prior knowledge of a topic.  Of course, I just gave one example of how teachers could build on prior knowledge, but this process can be worked so many different ways.  Teachers can be creative with this and really help bring out the best in their students.

        The last thing that I wanted to cover in this weeks blog is, "Content Area Literacy Strategies."  Though the article that I viewed listed 10 strategies of content area literacy, I want to focus on one in particular, the use of vocabulary.  Using engaging vocabulary during lessons can be very effective.  It gives students a chance to be introduced to proper english other than that filthy slang language, such as, Yo, Wassup, and I'm down,and etc...  Please forgive my lack of knowledge of these slang words of today.  However, in order to evolve in reading comprehension and even writing ability, students must know a plethora of different vocabulary and know what they mean and be able to write complete sentences using those vocabulary words.  If we as teachers constantly implement new vocabulary words not only in instruction, but in our regular conversation with the students, this will intrigue students to take the next step in learning new vocabulary.

        In conclusion to our blog this week, I want to close with a question and I want to know exactly what you think about this and PLEASSSSSSEEEEEE leave your comments and give supporting details about what you think.  I'm itching to hear from you. The question is, Considering our discussion concerning the use of vocabulary into content area literacy, do you think that teachers should use slang and try to become friendly with the student by coming down to their level or establish a professional yet nurturing student teacher relationship and speak to them using vocabulary that will provoke them to broaden their ability to speak proper english?  TALK TO ME!!!!!   UNTIL NEXT TIME MY FELLOW TEACHERS!!!!!!!!!

        

Learning Blog 1 (Article & Ch. 2)

Greetings everyone!

I want to personally welcome you to, Dr. Education's Blog.  I'm elated that you have decided to click on my link to join me.  In my blogs, we will be discussing issues, concepts, and common practices within the public school system concerning teaching students how to read.  Most of the information that you will find in my blogs will be facts that I've read in a text book.  However, you can expect my blogs to be very opinionated and informative.  My goal is to encourage the readers of my blogs to post your opinions and give your personal perspective as an educator about the current situations discussed.  This is not a case of who's right and wrong, but an open forum to agree, disagree or agree to disagree.  We are all learning and striving to obtain substantial information to evolve into a better educator.

        Being an educator today can be most challenging in a lot of areas.  Teachers are faced with so many issues brought to them by their students.  Of course, its not the child's fault.  Sometimes living conditions at home, such as, divorce, insufficient funds to provide basic needs, and parental support are not promising factors in the life of everyday students in this generation.  As a result, students find it difficult to be motivated about coming to school or even having a desire to learn.  Typically, these students either are the very quiet ones in class, having nothing or very little to say or they take their anger out on those pupils who are doing what they are supposed to do. These students are labeled as bullies.  As a teacher, we are responsible for the nurture, cultivation, and comprehension growth level of each child regardless of his or her deficiency.  In chapter to in the, Reading to Learn in the Content Areas book, by J.S. Richardson, R.F. Morgan and C. Fleener, motivating students can be achieved by having a welcoming classroom learning environment, desk arrangements, and building a positive relationship between teacher and student.  They explain that the classroom should symbolize that the teacher is going to do everything in his or her power to see the academic success of each child flourish.  I firmly agree to that!  Children have to feel a genuine sense of care and nurture within instruction.  They have to constantly be reminded that you as the adult or teacher, care about them that you will do whatever is necessary to see to their success.  Having a classroom decorated with numerous colors, calendars, construction paper poster boards, and a consistent encouraging attitude from the teacher can just about always minimize persuade and motivate a child to feel safe and secure.  The goal of these methods is to make the child feel like the classroom is a second home for them.  Sometimes the school, teachers, and classroom is the only place of complete safety for some students.

        Another interesting topic that I read about in chapter 2 was, Fostering the Habit of Reading.  This discussed how students are not inspired to read anymore.  They basically depend on information that they hear from their teacher, siblings, peers, or relatives.  Students are not anxious to pick up a book and explore and search out information anymore.  The common interest amongst most children is technology.  Ipads, Ipods, cell phones, computers, and video games are the devices that are most attractive.  In the reading, the author bridged the gap between the problem of not reading text books and technology.  They introduced the idea about having the text book put on an ipod or smart phone, so that students will be more enticed to read.  Well......I would say yea and nay to this.  Why?, because students need to be versatile in learning.  IN MY OPINION,  this generation practically grew up in a technology era.  Basically, knowing how to operate an electronic device is like second nature to them.  In contrast, learning how to read a paper text book is almost like dinosaur age.  Students need to learn how to do both.  I always say, "What if one day cell phones weren't working, or calculators were non-existent, and computers were not popular anymore, could you still function properly as far as reading and solving math problems?  A lot of my answers were, "NO."  To me, that is a problem.  I know that we are discussing reading, but this problem leaks over into math as well.  Many students in 5th and 6th grade dont know their multiplication tables.  Most of them need a multiplication chart to help them to solve mathematical problems.  In contrast, I remember when I was in school it was mandate that we memorized our multiplication tables starting in the 3rd grade.  It just seems like as the world advances in technology, our basic knowledge that we obtain is diminishing and we become more dependent than independent.

        In the article, "Promoting Learning Through Content Literacy Instruction, by Katherine Misulus," the author discusses content literacy: investigating beliefs and instructional applications, manageable strategies for developing literacy skills, comprehension strategies,  study strategies, and writing strategies.  I thought a good subject to discuss would be writing strategies.  Since we are talking about content literacy, writing is one of the major forms of communication other than speaking.  Being an educator in an urban environment, the ability to be able to write complete sentences and paragraphs have become a major issue.  I find that students don't understand how write or even speak grammatically correct.  For example, I instructed my students to write a paragraph on what they desired to become after they complete school.  Some students brought me three short incomplete sentences, some did not indent at the very beginning of there paragraph, or give supporting details.  This was in the 7th grade.   I was completely floored by this.  My first thought is,  What is your teacher teaching you about language arts?  This was very shocking to me.  And the fact that they thought that it was okay, made me feel even worse.  After discovering their weakness, I began to instruct them on how to write a paragraph and give them examples on how form complete sentences with supporting details.  I told them that, as a writer, it is their responsibility to engage the reader with their words and make them interested in what they are trying to say.  The article explains that writing activities can integrated within the instruction of subject areas and can positively impact learning.  I honestly agree!  In knowing that, I plan to assign short paragraphed assignments for my students just to get their perception on how they feel the class is growing, what they like or dislike, and if they are learning anything.

        In conclusion, the school system is in dying need of remediation in reading and writing across the board.  Students are suffering with deficiencies that shouldn't even be.  Please post your comments about these subjects reviewed above.  Make sure you give honest feed back base on your perceptions and experiences regarding these situations.  As teachers, we need each other to lean on and to learn from to help our growth continue to blossom.  Stay tuned for the blog next week and remember, "Education is the Key to a bright FUTURE!!!!! Catch you later!

Yours truly,

Dr. Education