7th December Reading Reflection #10: Summary On All Class Readings
In conclusion to this class’s readings, I have learned so much this semester. I feel that my knowledge has greatly increased when it comes to literacy for education. There are some things that I want to highlight in my reading reflection. I will mention something about each reading response that I have blogged. I am very thankful for this class! I am looking forward to all of the things I will learn in the future that I can add to my knowledge I gained from this class.
In my first response, I was talking about Creating Literacy Instruction. From this, I learned the types of approaches and methods for literacy teaching. All of these approaches and methods are based on behaviorism and cognitivism theories. In my second response, I responded to Shaping Literate Minds by Linda Dorn. In that response I mentioned how I agree with Ms. Dorn that all teachers need to have their own theory on teaching. To quote from myself “The teacher needs to have a changing theory in order to best serve the child because a child’s level of understanding changes.” I could not have said my statement better today.
For assignment number three, I responded to “Elementary LEA" Roberta E. Dorr. I learned that the LEA techniques for learning require prior knowledge in order for the child to learn something new. In assignment number four, I responded to "How One Elementary School Uses Data to Help Raise Students’ Reading Achievement" by Kouider Mokhtari. From this, I learned about the process and results of a successful reading program that utilize data. My fifth response, I responded to "A Framework for Response to Intervention in Literacy". I learned that RTI assist in learning disabilities so that all students can be successful regardless to if he or she is in a special or regular classroom setting.
For my sixth response, I talked about “Phonemic Awareness” by Debbie Diller. From this, I learned so many strategies and techniques that will help me succeed as a teacher. I will want to utilize the information from this reading so I can make the best out of literacy learning for my future students. I will not discuss all that I learned because there is so much information to include. This reading assignment is very beneficial to me.
In response to my seventh reading assignment, I responded to “Reading is Thinking” of Harvey & Goudvis. From them, I learned about a variety of strategies and methods that enhance reading for learners. This reading explains how comprehension is the main skill to reading. I totally agree to that statement because when a person reads, he or she is gaining knowledge and that is all about comprehending information.
For my eighth response, I responded to the “Guided Reading” chapter by Linda Dorn. This reading teaches why guided reading is important for learners of reading. This reading assignment also defines the role of the teacher and how to design a guided reading program so that it may be a success. The ninth response was concerning chapter two of Wondrous Words by Katie Wood Ray. During this reading, I learned about the writing process and the craft of writing. I learned how each author has his or her own craft of writing. In response to this reading, I learned the many benefits to studying craft of writing for a teacher or any person who has interest in writing and learning.
Overall, I have learned so much from all of the reading assignments I responded to in my blog. Each reading has provided me so much information about literacy. Again, I am thankful for this class and for everything I have learned this semester. I know that my future studies will add to the knowledge that I gained from this class. All of the reading assignment did contribute to learning all about literacy.
5th December Reading Response #9: Wondrous Words – by: Katie Wood Ray
First, Ms. Katie Wood Ray gives her objective to this chapter “Define and give shape to what we mean by the craft of writing, both in process and in text, so we’ll known what it is we’re looking for as we learn to write from writers,” (Ray). She, the author, goes on to define what a writer’s craft is “A writer’s craft is a particular way of doing something; it’s a knowledge a writer has about how to do something,” (Ray). She gives credit to Donald Graves for his work to contributing writing skills to today’s classroom. Mr. Graves’ studying provided in-depth knowledge on how writers write.
There are steps to the writing process. Those steps are prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing (Ray). To plan the craft of writing, the author categorize craft of writing into two categories. Organizing in such way will help the teacher plan writing time to best suit the needs of the students. With all of that said, each writer has his or her own crafting style. Simply, everyone write and complete all steps of the writing process differently. The only thing all writers have in common is their audience. Every writer is focused on his or her audience and that writer wonders if the audience understands the point he or she is trying to get across.
As an example of how to read a writer’s craft, Ms. Ray points explains an article by Gary Smith in the “Sports Illustrated”. Using such article allows Ms. Ray to explain the details that a normal reading of the “Sports Illustrated” may not take notice of when reading. These details involve the writer’s craft. In conclusion to her explanations to Mr. Smith’s article, Ms. Ray explains how she was able to study his craft. Ms. Ray states
“First, connections help us deepen our understanding of the ‘writing is individual but not unique’ concept. Seeing different writers using words in exactly the same way in different texts shows us that the craft of writing is a part of the public domain, available to all who would write well,” (Ray). Having connections allow writers to see the many different techniques of writing that would not have been noticeable unless the reader was paying extra attention.
In addition to all of the information regarding craft of writing, it is important that teachers know the work of a few authors. Having such knowledge will help the teacher merge his or her knowledge into the classroom lectures to only assist the students’ learning. On top of being knowledgeable about authors, Ms. Ray sees the importance of another skill a teacher should have. The author states
“An important ‘skill’ in learning to see and understand the craft of writing in texts is the ability to think about other ways the text might have been written, to think through the other options as a writer had for how to write the text,” (Ray). Now doesn’t that sound like a headache? But academically, it only makes sense to do such thing if a writer is planning on strengthening his or her own ability to craft writing.
In conclusion, to encourage the study “craft of writing” Ms. Ray states “Understanding these two kinds of things to learn from texts - structural possibilities and ways-with-words possibilities - has helped me organize learning both as a writer and as a teacher,” (Ray). Such skill and knowledge of “craft of writing” can only benefit the teacher. When it comes to teaching, the teacher should no longer feel the need to freak out while trying to teach writing. Yes some teachers feel unconfident with their own writing skills but with practice and knowledge (especially in the craft of writing) teachers should succeed at making writing a wonderful learning experience for their students.
Work Cited:
Ray, Katie W. Wondrous Words. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 25-46. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
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21st November 2011 #8 Reading Response: Guided Reading Chapter 4 by Linda Dorn
The reading starts off by stating that it is important to practice guided reading. This chapter explains the teacher’s role during guided reading and why it is important that the teacher supports the child’s learning. Linda Dorn, the author, states that guided reading is necessary for teaching the appreciation for the story (Dorn). There are many important facts to remember to properly teach guided reading in the classroom.
Linda Dorn states “Individual children make progress at different rates; thus we need to group (and regroup) them for guided reading based on careful observations of how they are applying their skills, knowledge, and strategies while they are reading and writing,” (Dorn). Before jumping into guided reading groups, it is necessary to evaluate the students by using the questions listed on page 42 of Linda Dorn’s book. There are also many elements to consider for guided reading. Those elements are: book selection, setting the focus, book introduction, first reading, and subsequent reading. All elements should be considered and utilized to the max to enhance reading within the classroom.
As stated in Ms. Dorn’s book, there are three levels to guided reading and those are emergent, early, and fluent. Each level has its own methods and strategies to benefit the growth of each child. Ms. Dorn states
“Remember: successful guided reading interactions depend on the teacher’s ability to (a) observe the children’s processing behavior and respond accordingly, (b) use language prompts that focus on cue integration and effective processing strategies, and (c) select appropriate materials that support reading development,” (Dorn). It is important that the teacher is aware of each student’s ability so that the lesson can be accommodated to help each child succeed in reading. Never plan a whole lesson plan or design a guided reading program to fit the entire class because each child is at their own level of reading abilities.
In conclusion, there is a lot of information to study and consider for guided reading. Each child should be grouped with other students while similar reading levels. Ms. Dorn does provide a lot of information regarding guided reading and the benefits it provide to reading within the classroom. Guided reading is a great idea but it may only be affective if the teacher carefully designs the guided reading program properly. The suggestions Ms. Dorn state in her book is a perfect guide to guided reading and it is neat to learn how this type of learning can assist children in so many ways.
Work Cited:
Dorn, Linda. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 41-55. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
_______________________________________________________9th November, 2011 – Reading Response #7: “Reading is Thinking” of Harvey & Goudvis
Chapter one, “Reading is Thinking”, by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis covers lots of information about reading. The best quote, in my opinion, out of this chapter is towards the beginning “Reading out loud and showing how readers think when they read is central to the instruction we share in this book. When we read, thoughts fill our mind,” (Harvey; Goudvis). I really respond to this quote because I believe that such strategy is a big piece of the foundation of learning how to read. This chapter covers information about comprehension during reading, active literacy, and strategies. The information in this chapter is great for teaching teachers about reading and any other communication.
First, the chapter talks about how readers read the text and apply it to their own understanding and experiences. I can personally relate to this because I do that very thing every time I read, and that goes for reading for pleasure or for educational purposes. I can only think that applying the text to your own understanding and experiences is healthy. It activates your thinking and now that I want to be a teacher, I am thinking beyond that level. Now I am thinking metacognitively (such a great new word for me) about what I am reading. This can only help me understand myself and therefore, it can make me a better teacher.
Second, the chapter discusses comprehension and the importance it has on reading. As the authors say, comprehension is the most important thing when it comes to reading (Harvey; Goudvis). To me, comprehension is a fancy word for understanding. The reader is reading to understand something, anything. The authors go on to say “We believe constructing meaning is the goal of comprehension. We want students to: monitor understanding, enhance understanding, acquire and actively use knowledge, and develop insight,” (Harvey; Goudvis). All of this forwards to the strategies for reading and reading comprehension.
For comprehension, it is crucial to understand that the goal is to enhance the students’ comprehension. This is done by having the students go beyond the literal meaning of the text (Harvey; Goudvis). The authors state that the strategies such as determining importance or synthesizing information are helpful for the students (Harvey; Goudvis). The readers should evaluate their reading and give more insight then just simply reading. “When we use the term constructing meaning, we refer to building knowledge and promoting understanding,” (Harvey; Goudvis). When the students build onto their knowledge, they’re advancing towards active literacy.
According to the authors, active literacy “is the means to deeper understanding and diverse, flexible thinking. Reading, writing, drawing, talking, listening, and investigating are the cornerstones of active literacy, and comprehension instruction is more effective when it takes place within an active literacy framework,” (Harvey; Goudvis).
There are many strategies that can be useful for the classroom. For comprehension reading, there are some crucial strategies that can really benefit the students. The authors mention such strategies: active background knowledge and connections, questioning, making inferences, visualizing, determining importance, and summarizing and synthesizing information (Harvey; Goudvis). The authors recommend their readers to use such strategies in their own reading. When teaching, it is okay if you do not get to every strategy when teaching but try to get some strategies in every time you teach.
I hope to take what I learned from this chapter and apply it to my own teaching. I just may purchase this book because I can see the value in this available information. I can really understand how comprehension is so vital to reading. It just makes sense; reading is all about understanding so why not work on learning how to teach comprehension skills the best we can to best serve our students. I hope that schools across the world would take notice of the value in comprehension skills because it can only strengthen the education of our students.
Works Cited:
Harvey, Stephanie, and Anne Goudvis. Strategies That Work. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 11-21. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
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Reading Response October 5, 2011 #6: Phonemic Awareness from Diller, Ch. 6
Phonemic Awareness Response
In conclusion to this entire chapter, I learned some great information regarding phonemic awareness response. The teachers provided great lessons that I would like to use in my own classroom someday to group the students based on where they are at academically for phonemic awareness. I was surprised of all of the information provided in this chapter is the following is bullet points defining what I have learned and information that I think will be crucial for me as a teacher.
· Section I
At first, the teacher, Mrs. Bird, starts with singing beloved songs to the class that allows the students to emphasize the sounds they are learning. The teacher continues the phonemic lesson by having the students play “Toss the Cube” so that the students can associate sounds with the letters (Diller). That particular lesson is a base for phonological awareness. Phonological awareness “refers to an understanding of spoken words, and includes an awareness of words, syllables, rhymes, and individual sounds,” (Diller). The author continues the subject of phonological awareness by explaining the importance of rhyme, which is a great indicator that children is progressing towards phonemic awareness. This is critical of rhyme because “it helps them understand that words are made of parts that can sound the same,” (Diller). In conclusion to this first section, the author values the importance of syllable learning, chunk sound learning, rhyme learning, letter names, concepts of print, and how all of these aspects support the growth of phonemic awareness through Mrs. Bird’s lesson.
· Section II
The first part of this section breaks up phonemic awareness into parts “phonemic awareness activities may include: sound matching, sound isolation, sound blending, sound segment, and sound addition, deletion, or substitution,” (Diller). The author also states “all phonemic awareness activities should begin with oral language,” (Diller). In continuation with that statement, Diller also states that it is not necessary to separate letter and sound learning (Diller). This section concludes with research and explanations to the research done by many professionals to help attribute to the knowledge of phonemic awareness.
Make phonemic awareness learning activities fun (Diller). The author emphasizes on the importance of grouping the students together in smaller groups according to their needs. The author provides several possible focuses for the students during their learning experience “possible phonological focuses: rhyming, alliteration, sentence segmenting, and syllable blending and segmenting,” (Diller). The author concludes this section by continuing with phonemic focuses “possible phonemic focuses: onset-rime segmenting and blending, sound matching, counting phonemes in a word, blending phonemes to make a word, isolating the beginning phoneme in a word, isolating the final phoneme in a word, isolating the medial phoneme in a word, segmenting phonemes in a word, substituting one phoneme for another, …and deleting phonemes from words,” (Diller).
· Section III
When it comes to materials it may not be necessary for phonemic learning but it may be great to let children play with language (Diller). Since Mrs. Bird was struggling with teaching rhymes in her class, she allowed Diller to come and teach a rhyme lesson. Diller read a particular book and asked the children if they heard any rhymes and what words can rhyme. The kids were then set into stations and the lesson conclude that the children were learning to recognize rhyming words. After the rhyming lesson, Diller moves on to a sentence segmenting lesson. First, Diller gives pointers before detailing the lesson “Things to think about: keep these lessons brief, and use pictures with familiar objects and events,” (Diller). The lesson involves a game called “Push my Sentence” which allows the teacher to use mini teddy bears to represent each word, (Diller). The teacher then pushes each teddy bear and space them out while repeating the sentence. This allows the teacher to teach word chunks and proper spacing between each word. In conclusion, the teacher was successful with teaching sentence segmenting.
· Section IV
For initial and final sound isolation, the author provided some key pointers “things to think about: start with sounds only, connect only known letters to the sounds, start with two phoneme-words, and do similar work with medial sounds after kids can hear initial and then final sounds,” (Diller). The purpose to this lesson is to assist the children locate and hear sounds in particular words (Diller). The teacher had the children use cards to hold up if the particular sound is heard at the beginning or the end of the word (whichever she chooses). In conclusion, this activity helps the children pay extra attention to what they hear in the words. This lesson successfully assists the students in isolating sounds in any given words.
The next subject is blending and segmenting phonemes. Diller provided some details to think of during this type of lesson then he explains Ms. Wu’s lesson. The teacher begins by playing “Name Blending” by sounding out the students’ names (Diller). After the warm-up, the game “Sound Blend Bingo” where the child will need to mark the picture that represents the word the teacher calls and they will need to hear the blending sounds of the word (Diller). In conclusion to this lesson with a small group, the teacher congratulates the students on their hard work.
The next subject is about substituting one phoneme for another. The teacher this time is Mr. Diaz and he uses magnetic squares that are labeled with a letter. In this lesson, the students will play with sounds to make words. This exercise was for hearing the sounds for students that were English language learners (Diller). This activity is great for this particular group of kids because they do need a base knowledge in sounds before becoming great readers and writers.
· Section V (all information is from {Diller} for this section and all other sections).
This section covers quick information. First, was how to assess phonemic awareness? Diller answers this question by encouraging the reader to follow the examples in the lessons covered in this chapter. For the remaining of the chapter, Diller provides solutions for possible questions and concerns by subject. He basically goes back to the lessons that were just explained.
All citations are cited from:
Diller, Debbie. Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 87-113. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
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September 21, 2011. #5
Part I.
Response to "A Framework for Response to Intervention in Literacy"
In response to “A Framework for Response to Intervention in Literacy”, I studied information about Response to Intervention (RTI). The research done by the author, Peter J. Johnston, explained the reasons for this concept is to lower the number of students labeled as learning disabled (Johnston). Johnston sums up the purpose of RTI “The law that gives us RTI pushes us to reevaluate our ways of thinking about the distribution of expertise and training and professional development of all parties,” (Johnston). Basically, due to RTI and the research that goes into this method, it is crucial for educators to focus on their instruction and to build upon their expertise to best serve all students. RTI is to help define learning disabilities and to eliminate labeling students based on their testing and learning responses in a regular classroom section.
Notes:
· “EAHCA was reauthorized in 1990 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),” (Johnston).
· “Researchers realized that IQ tests were not as independent of culture or socioeconomic status as they were thought to be,” (Johnston).
· “RTI framing: 1st- alternative assessment & 2nd- expansion on the insistence on appropriate instruction,” (Johnston).
· “In this identification-measurement frame, there are often levels, or tiers, of instructional intervention. For example, if a child showed inadequate growth in the classroom (Tier 1), there would be an intervention (Tier 2) that would quantifiably increase the “intensity” or “dosage” (Deshler, 2008) of the instruction. This might be a small-group intervention with more instructional time. If the child still showed inadequate growth, there might be another intervention (Tier 3), perhaps one-to-one instruction for twice the amount of time. If the child still did not improve adequately, a committee could use this failure as an indicator of the child’s disability,” (Johnston).
Works Cited:
Johnston, Peter H. A Framework for Response to Intervention in Literacy. Newark: International Reading Association, 2010. 1-9. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078.
Part II.
In Response To The NCLB Report and Letter
Part II.
In Response To The NCLB Report and Letter
In response to the NCLB annual performance letter and report results, I learned about a local district’s progress towards the “No Child Left Behind Act” goal for all public school systems in the United States. The Ozark district’s superintendent, Gordon Pace, wrote a letter to the students’ parents briefly explaining the NCLB act and providing a progress report for the district. The other reading assignment covers the NCLB Annual Performance Report results for the Ozark school district. The information within both data tables declare that the Ozark district met all requirements for the Annual Performance Report (APR) except for the subgroup achievement, but still got a total of 14 out of 14 (unknown). In summary, the Ozark school district is doing exceptionally well in comparison to the state in regards to the “No Child Left Behind Act” that was approved by George W. Bush.
Notes:
· “Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, each state is required to assess all school districts to determine if each district has made adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward meeting the academic testing standards and additional measures set by the state. AYP decisions are based on the results of state testing in communication arts and math and the district’s attendance rate and graduation rate. If the district has not made AYP for two consecutive years in any one of the four areas, it is considered ‘in need of improvement,’” Gordon Pace superintendent Ozark R-VI (Pace).
· The Ozark district met all requirements for the Annual performance report (APR) except for the subgroup achievement, but still got a total of 14 out of 14 (unknown).
· For table one, the Ozark district succeeded the state on each trend for the ACT scores for five consecutive years (unknown).
Works Cited:
Pace, Gordon. Letter to parents about NCLB. N.p., Aug. 2011. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
Ozark's School District Annual Performance Report Results. N.p., n.d. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
Part III.
In Response to "Evaluating NCLB" by: Thomas Dee and Brian Jacob
In response to “Evaluating NCLB” by Thomas Dee and Brian Jacob, I looked into a detailed research concerning the cause and effects of the “No Child Left Behind Act” that was approved by President George W. Bush. First, the authors explains how the concept is used in the schools “NCLB requires annual testing of students in reading and mathematics in grades 3 through 8 (and at least once in grades 10 through 12) and that states rate schools, both as a whole and for key subgroups, with regard to whether they are making adequate yearly progress (A YP) toward their state's proficiency goals,” (Dee; Jacob). All configurations for NCLB are done through research in the United States school testing scores. The authors emphasize importance in teaching methods and it is crucial that teacher training is reinforced in all public schools regardless of the outcome of NCLB (Dee; Jacob). During the first few years under the “No Child Left Behind Act” some schools were succeeding in test scores but currently, most schools are not going to be able to make the 100 percent proficiency goal by 2014.
Notes:
· “Supporters and critics, in their various approaches to discerning NCLB's impact, share a significant problem: because NCLB applies to all public school students, researchers lack a suitable comparison group and so have been unable to distinguish the law's effects from the myriad other factors at work over the past eight years,” (Dee; Jacob).
· “We do not find that the introduction of NCLB harmed students at higher points on the achievement distribution. Indeed, NCLB accountability seemed to increase achievement among higher-achieving students, if by a smaller amount than it did among their low-achieving peers,” (Dee; Jacob).
· “An effective redesign of accountability policies like NCLB may need to pay more specific attention to the processes and practices operating within schools. Along those lines, it is interesting to note that our evidence of differential effects by grade and subject is broadly similar to the results from evaluations of earlier state-level school-accountability policies. Understanding the sources of these differences is likely to be particularly useful as policymakers discuss the future design and implementation of school-accountability systems,” (Dee; Jacob).
Works Cited:
Dee, Thomas, and Brian Jacob. "Evaluating NCLB." Education Next 2010: 54-61. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
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September 19, 2011. #4
In Response to "How One Elementary School Uses Data to Help Raise Students’ Reading Achievement" by Kouider Mokhtari.
Kouider Mokhtari’s article teaches educators about the importance and the benefits of using data for clarifying students’ reading levels. The focused question of this article is “What are the factors that contribute to effective uses of data to help raise students’ reading achievement?” (Mokhtari). The article focuses on data used by professional literacy specialists and teachers at Westwood Elementary School in Ankeny, Iowa. First, the article explained the demographic of the student body and the performance level of literacy before the change in the literacy strategies. The article goes on elaborate how the data was used by the school system and the remarkable final results.
The reason why the school was dedicated to changing the literacy program was because the school was placed on the No Child Left Behind act due to the fact that some students were performing below grade level. The school adapted DuFour and Eaker’s program called Professional Learning communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement (Mokhtari). The teachers and reading specialists took time to make educated questions to go along with the data from the new program to change all teaching methods to encourage reading success in the students. The new program involved “employing specialized reading professionals… establishing professional learning communities focused on improving reading achievement… putting in place systems that support student, teacher, and school performance,” (Mokhtari). In conclusion to the change in the literacy program, the school witnessed remarkable results in each grade level.
In response to reading Kouider Mokhtari’s article, I learned the process and results of a successful reading program that involved data. The data was used with educational questions on how to help student achieve in the classroom. Teachers and reading specialists partnered together to make a remarkable improvement on reading abilities at the Westwood Elementary School in Ankeny, Iowa. I was surprised at how well the students succeed at reading in comparison of the data before the change in the program. I took noticed of the steps the school took in hiring and making striking effort to be able to better assist the students. I hope to apply this article to my future classroom so I may make a wonderful difference in my future students’ reading abilities.
Work Cited:
Mokhtari, Kouider, Jennifer Thoma, and Patricia Edwards. "How One Elementary School Uses Data to Help Raise Students’ Reading Achievement." The Reading Teacher 63.4 Dec. (2009): 334-37. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
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Elementary LEA Response: Sept. 12, 2011 #3
In response to the "Elementary LEA" reading assignment by Roberta E. Dorr, I learned the benefits of using the "Language Experience Approach" method in the classroom. Thus, this article focuses on using LEA for literacy learning but I personally can see the advantages of using this method for all learning experiences. The reason for my opinion is because I personally learn well when I base what I am currently learning onto my prior knowledge. The author, Roberta E. Dorr, states that this method is great for many different knowledge and abilities in the classroom "Classroom teachers can use LEA techniques to introduce lessons to the entire class where differentiation and accommodation are the norm," (Dorr) . Using the LEA techniques can help find common ground for starting a lesson for all the students regardless of their personal differences in knowledge.
The LEA techniques are an approach to learning that involves prior knowledge to develop new vocabulary. This abilities expands so that the students can learn many fundamental skills for literacy, examples include sentence structure skills and processing new information skills (Dorr) . In this particular reading assignment Dorr used this method to teach plants to students in a Title I classroom that ranges many different cultural and literacy background. The results described in the article were amazing because each student was able to learn the lesson based on building new vocabulary from prior knowledge. As a college student learning how to teach, I found this article very beneficial to me because the technique is very powerful and the results are provable for encouraging literacy abilities for the children in today’s society.
Works Cited:
Dorr, Roberta E. "Something old is new again: Revisiting language experience." The Reading Teacher Oct. 2006: 138-46. Evangel University's Angel Database. Web. 9 Sept. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
_________________________________________________________________________________September 7, 2011 #2
My response to Shaping Literate Minds by Linda Dorn.
I learned many theories on literacy for reading and writing. While reading I thought of my personal experiences in literacy theories that my teachers may have used when teaching me. A quote that stood out to me was “A theory is just a tool for testing out certain beliefs as teachers apply the ideas to their on-going observations of students’ learning patterns over time and in different contexts,” (Dorn). Ms. Dorn’s statement is very powerful for a teacher because a teacher must have his or her own theory to teach. The teacher needs to have a changing theory in order to best serve the child because a child’s level of understanding changes. I decided to outline the text as I read Ms. Dorn’s work. I truly hope to remember this outline because I would like to use these theories in a classroom someday.
Works Cited
All information in this outline is cited from:
Dorn, Linda. Shaping Literate Minds. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 1-17. Evangel University Angel System. Web. 5 Sept. 2011. <https://angel.evangel.edu/Angel/section/default.asp?id=62078>.
· A teacher must have a theory, one that will allow reflection and change.
· The theory must change in order to children’s cognitive performance in literacy.
· “A theory is just a tool for testing out certain beliefs as teachers apply the ideas to their on-going observations of students’ learning patterns over time and in different contexts,” (Dorn) .
· Apprenticeship- to learn procedural steps for performing a specific task.
· Cognitive Apprenticeship- emphasizes how to use strategies for working out task-related problems.
a. Teachers make the children’s learning visible to them
b. Don’t be afraid to do demonstrate like when Clara used open-thinking on her story and jotted down some ideas for writing development lesson. This can teach the children.
· Conceptual Model Understanding- students’ ability to transfer knowledge, skills, & strategies over time and across changing circumstances (act out the process on how to think or do something).
· Elements for Apprentice: Modeling, Coaching, Scaffolding, & Fading.
a. Modeling- provides demonstration (have to have conceptual model).
b. Coaching- use clear language to coach the child & to keep the child actively involved in the task.
c. Scaffolding- Temporary support teachers give to accommodate the child’s skills level.
d. Fading- as the child’s competence grows, the teacher responsibility lessens.
Developing Self-regulated learners
· Transfer- implies understanding. Not only what to do but when to do it.
· Self-regulation- higher level thinking processes: steps.
1. conscious awareness
2. selective attention
3. voluntary memory.
a. Children’s capacity to plan, guide, & monitor his or her behavior within & flexibility according to changing circumstances.
The Co-Construction of Meaning
· Meaning- personal state of mind; mental process that occurs when former knowledge is bridged with new knowledge.
· Build pathways for constructing meaning. Basically, have the child draw upon former knowledge and what he or she just learned.
Vygotsky’s theory states “Language is a tool for shaping higher level thinking. The intellectual development is found in 2 zones: zone of actual development & zone of proximal development,” (Dorn).
· Zone of actual development- the child can complete the task independently.
· Zone of proximal development- the child can complete the task with the assistance and/or guidance of an expert.
Thinking by Analogy
Eisner states “Understanding depends on the child’s ability to think by analogy, and to grasp, often through metaphor, what needs to be understood,” (Dorn).
· Analogy- two or more sources of information are being compared with ea. other.
· “The child should apply strategies of comparison that use the known source of information as a model to compare with the unknown source of information,” (Dorn).
· To help children learn how to compare and analyze information:
1. Internal Model- child’s own representation; what the child already knows.
2. External Model- teacher’s example of demonstrating the model (the child must have their own internal model to be able to understand the teacher’s model).
“In order for higher-level thinking to occur, the child must understand the significance of the teacher’s prompt, and he must possess adequate models for comparing three language sources,” (Dorn):
· Pronoun Model- pronoun that represents the child’s response (“Does that sound right?”).
· Oral Language Model- a comparison to check against the text.
· Text Language Model- how does the child’s own oral structure compare to the book’s language. The teacher must teach the language structures and vocabulary.
_________________________________________________________________________________August 31, 2011 #1
Chapter One Reading Response
Chapter One Reading Response
In response to chapter one of Creating Literacy Instruction, I read about many types of approaches and teaching methods for literacy based on the two major theories of language: behaviorism and cognitivism. The chapter explains several reasons why educationists value and teach through behaviorism, cognitivism, or both. I am familiar with both theories after taking a child psychology class, but I am thankful for the review on the theories because all information within the rest of the chapter was based on the theories. This chapter covered introduction to reading and covered the role of language in a child’s education.
After reading the chapter, I did learn several things about literacy and a few things about myself. I also learned how I currently might be viewed as a teacher based off of the approaches I am familiar with due to how I was taught and my own personal beliefs on learning. For example, I learned that I currently lean towards the cognitivism approach to education. In cognitivism, methods such as scaffolding, top-down, and bottom-up approaches are used in teaching (Gunning). I was always taught with such methods and I can see myself using those methods when I teach.
I also see the benefits to behaviorism methods. In my experiences, I have seen many teachers use rewards as a way to encourage positive learning. I will also want to use behaviorism methods in my classroom. For example, in this chapter I learned about mastery learning. According to this chapter “The learning objective or skill is broken down into subskills. Subskills are taught and practiced until students achieve mastery, as defined by specific, objective criteria,” (Gunning). This is a method I will want to use because I believe that a person must practice in order to achieve.
I look forward to reading the following chapters and I am excited to learn something new about literary concepts and a few things about me.
Works Cited:
Gunning, T. G. (2010). Creating literacy instruction (7th ed., pp. 3-25). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
