Week 14 Student AR

1. Problem- Students need to be able to identify patterns through word families and ryming words.

2. Rationale- Recognizing ryme and word families in text was idendified as a goal in the schools Strategic Plan.

3. Stategy- Games which will require students to use basic elements of phonetic analysis.

4. Question- How can a variety of ryming games be used to help students recognize ryme and word families in text?

5. Evidence- Research shows that implementing a range of ryming games can help students improve their recognition of ryme and word families in text (Allen, 1998).

6. Data Collection- An assessment of decoding strategies will be administered before the implementation of the porject and again at the end of the four week implementation period. A reading attitude survey will aslo be issued at the start and finish of the project. A student checklist covering a students ability to identify ryme in pictures, text , and sound, as well as documenting student performance and participation in whole group activities and samples of student work are other forms of data collection used for this activity. This data will be inserted into a graph upon completion of the activity.

Week 14 Teacher AR

1 Title- Looking into the Mirror: Helping students speak more reflectively about their work during portfolio presentations

2 Question- How can portfolios be used to get students to self assess and internalize the curriculum goals for themselves.

4 Strategy- Setting objectives and providing feedback were the stategies used for this activity.

5 Feedback- Effective learning results from students providing their own feedback, monitoring their work against established criteria (Trammel, Schloss, & Alper, 1994; Wiggins, 1993).
Setting Objectives- If students are encouraged to personalize the teacher's goals, then learning increases. Student ownership enhances learning focus. Studies show the benefits of students setting sub-goals derived from the larger teacher-defined goals (Bandura & Schunk, 1981; Morgan, 1985).

6 Students will give a portfolio presentation after the first semester. An intervention will be held showing weak points and how students can improve. Then at the end of the second semester students will present a second portfolio demonstrating what they've learned.

7. The data was analyzed by comparing the first and second semester portfolio presentations.

8. Their was a 73.3% rise in students who scored at or above grade level in reflection after the intervention and a 51.9% decrease in students who scored below grade level. When surveyed, eighty-one percent of students said they felt that the intervention helped them think about, plan, and improve what they were going to say during their presentations.

9. The results show that providing helpful feedback to the students and allowing them to redo the activity results in a higher level of understanding for the learning goals and concepts for a given activity.

Struggling Student

One of the students in my class seems to loose interest quickly when working on classroom activities. I noticed from the survey the interest of this student is geared towards computers and graphics. Although those subject are covered in Tech. Ed., we are currently on another field of study. In order to help this student engage in the current material, elements from the subjects of interest could be integrated into the current lesson. For instance instead of learning about the different types of bridges from conventional studies, Bridge Designer a computer program which allows students to build a bridge and test it revealing its strengths and weaknesses could be used.

Technology Survey

How many computers are in the classroom? 22

Do they have internet access? Yes

Can you access Google tools? Yes

Do you have access to a laptop cart? Yes; Can they get on the Internet? Yes

Is there a computer lab? Yes but irrelevant since class has own lab Do the computers have Internet access? Yes Can you access Google tools? Yes How do you reserve it? Sign Up Sheet

How many of your students have computers with Internet access at home? 12 of 13

Are there locations in the community where students can access the computers and the Internet? Yes, Library

Double Entry Journal #14

Some challenges inquiry based instruction involves are that to a teacher not familiar with the practice it can seem chaotic and unorganized. Because many students are not used to this form of instruction, students may have difficulty developing logical arguments and evidence to support their claims (Krajcik et al., 1998).

Benefits of group work include increased information retention, teams outperformed individuals on all types and across all ages (Quin, Johnson, & Johnson, 1995). Cooperative group work benefits

students in social and behavioral areas as well, including improvement in student selfconcept, social interaction, time on task, and positive feelings toward peers (Cohen et al., 1982; Cook et al., 1985; Hartley, 1977; Ginsburg-Block, Rohrbeck, & Fantuzzo, 2006; Johnson & Johnson, 1989).

One strategy that can be used to support group learning is Complex Instruction, an example of this technique is here.

Resource: Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (n.d.). Teaching for meaningful learning. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf

Double Entry Journal #13

Traditional education where the student has to memorize information or perform operations with a given equation are becoming antiquated because they don't teach students the critical thinking skills which are necessary in today's society.

Project Based Learning(PBL) allows students to better learn by making the problems authentic and relatable to real life scenarios. (Thomas, 2000) In a study done by Boaler(1997, 1998) it was found students who are taught in project based classrooms have a better understanding of conceptual problems. Another benefit students gain when exposed to PBL is an increased ability to define problems (Gallagher, Stepien, & Rosenthal, 1992), most likely stemming from the fact that PBL resembles real life scenarios the students can relate to.

Problem Based Learning(PBL) offers students the ability to work in small groups to investigate meaningful problems, identify what they need to learn in order to solve a problem, and generate

strategies for solution (Barrows, 1996; HmeloSilver, 2004). Research has found that the use of cases in teacher education can help prospective teachers learn to apply theory and practical knowledge to specific school contexts and think through and resolve classroom dilemmas more productively(Darling-Hammond & Hammerness, 2002). Additional studies have demonstrated that students who participated in problem-based experiences are better able to generate accurate hypotheses and coherent explanations (Hmelo, 1998b; Schmidt et al., 1996).

Learning by Design focuses on having the students apply their learned knowledge towards constructing an artifact. In one such study, Hmelo, Holton, and Kolodner (2000) asked sixth-grade students to design a set of artificial lungs and build a partially working model of the respiratory system. They found that the design project led to better learning outcomes than the traditional approach to instruction. They also noted that the design students learned to view the respiratory system more systemically and understood more about the structures and functions of the system than the comparison group. Researchers have also observed that design activities are particularly good for helping students develop understanding of complex systems, noting that the systems can be presented as a united whole whose structure is adapted to specific purposes (Perkins, 1986). Fortus and colleagues (2004) noted learning by design had a positive effect on motivation and sense of ownership over designs among students.

Differences between these approaches are Project Based Learning focuses on making learning authentic for the student, Problem Based Learning focuses on getting the student to critically analyze a problem, and Learning by Design focuses on the application of the knowledge the students gain.

I think the benefit that can be gained by all of these approaches is that they make learning interesting to the student by involving them in the process and forcing them to actively participate while developing solutions to questions that arise during the activity.

Barron, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (n.d.). Teaching for meaningful learning. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/edutopia-teaching-for-meaningful-learning.pdf

Double Entry Journal #12

I learned that IRE type teaching leads to the idea that the teacher is superior to the student and that it implies there is an answer to every question. Also this learning implies that the teacher decides what is important and how the material should be covered

I thought it was interesting relating the intimacy of language to public speaking as well as how stiffing IRE type instruction can be to student interest.

One question I have is why is IRE instruction taught as a primary method of instruction if its results are as dismal as this reading suggests.

Discourse." Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education. Yahoo. Available: http://www.caje.org/a_lukin.htm. March 7, 1998.

Asking essential questions can improve learning in schools because the answers to the questions are often open ended and allow the student to critically think and develop their own rationale to the answer.

Reflection: learning to ask essential questions. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/165BCE1vIgTotWw49y5tMN2JAKVNdjH7aVTsaNZep7Js/edit?hl=en_US

Double Entry Journal #11

The Top Ten Wiki is an example of good student assessment practices because in the activity the students take part in establishing the criteria for the top ten list. In addition to establishing the criteria the students also self monitor their decisions as well as each others to ensure the proper choices are being made. This activity was also authenticated for the students by having an external audience in the form of the Clustrmap, the project was of interest to the students, and ranking items is a practice they will encounter outside of school. The students participated in active exploration in this Wiki through different sources of research such as text and internet. They also used different forms of technology to arrange the gathered information such as the smartboard, a graphic organizer, and creating their own Voki's.

WV content standards in science and lang/reading which are accomplished by the Top Ten Project...

SC.O.9.1.2

demonstrate how a testable methodology is employed to seek solutions for personal and societal issues (e.g., “scientific method”).

SC.O.9.1.4

conduct and/or design investigations that incorporate the skills and attitudes and/or values of scientific inquiry (e.g., established research protocol, accurate record keeping, replication of results and peer review, objectivity, openness, skepticism, fairness, or creativity and logic).

SC.O.9.1.6

use appropriate technology solutions within a problem solving setting to measure and collect data; interpret data; analyze and/or report data; interact with simulations; conduct research; and present and communicate conclusions.

RLA.O.9.1.4

use various pre-reading skills and comprehension strategies for activating prior knowledge or generating questions during reading and post reading, literary experience, information and/or performing a task.

RLA.O.9.1.5

locate and analyze the author’s use of specific information in text (e.g., author’s purpose/perspective, main and supporting details, specific facts, statistics, definition).

RLA.O.9.1.10

extend vocabulary by developing and using new terms through various literary and informational texts through various strategies: context clues affixes prefixes multiple meanings origin history evolution

RLA.O.9.2.4

identify, evaluate, and analyze a variety of informational media using primary and secondary sources.

RLA.O.9.3.3

perform a variety of roles in various settings: critique oral/visual information relate personal experiences collaborate to gain consensus mediate speak extemporaneously

RLA.O.9.3.6

properly use private and public information.

RLA.O.9.3.7

plan, create, organize, and present an age appropriate media product that demonstrates an understanding of format, purpose, and audience.

Resources:

Pilver, R. (n.d.). Wikis and 21 st century literacy instruction. Retrieved from http://top10.sblc.wikispaces.net/file/view/wikisand21stcentury.pdf

Cso - teach21 search page. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wveis.k12.wv.us/Teach21/public/cso/cso.cfm?tsele1=1&tsele2=109

Double Entry Journal #10

Kid watching is a critical skill for a teacher to develop and use because a teacher needs to be aware if their current method of instruction is effective. If it is not by monitoring the students the teacher will catch this and can modify the instruction to better suit the needs of that child. Kid watching is informed by cultural difference theory through the different behaviors and cultural traits of the student body. A technique which may work for most students might not be effective for teaching a student from a different culture.

Getting to Know Students:Developing Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices for Reading and Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved on 9/21/2011. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_5palgT26a4J:media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/24/EHEP0005/EHEP000524-1.pdf+getting+to+know+your+students+interview&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESihbHTui0felcMHojEsBpnh8z7NAdzADlw2OA4q9Vocu4GnsE9vU6W8FAkura70mCyuOla1xOr-rr-Fx2SClUgdkg0vR_t62WIa7eI5Xv0hb-0RJGU6wkBN550lYlezIl_CDQ0s&sig=AHIEtbQinv4Hao96DU6foV8n3HZ8ybE5Ng&pli=1

Double Entry Journal #9

It is important for students to use their primary language for literacy events because the students are better able to elaborate using the language their accustomed to. Also this prevents the students from misinterpreting the meaning of the text due to a translational error.

This would apply to students with an Appalachian dialect just as it would for any other dialect.

Reading aloud from a student centered perspective involves observing the students peer to peer interactions and allowing them to chose which aspects of the story they talk about which encourages them to bring their own experiences into the conversation. A teacher centered perspective focuses on guiding the students conversation with prompts from the teacher.

Getting to Know Students:Developing Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices for Reading and Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved on 9/21/2011. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_5palgT26a4J:media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/24/EHEP0005/EHEP000524-1.pdf+getting+to+know+your+students+interview&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESihbHTui0felcMHojEsBpnh8z7NAdzADlw2OA4q9Vocu4GnsE9vU6W8FAkura70mCyuOla1xOr-rr-Fx2SClUgdkg0vR_t62WIa7eI5Xv0hb-0RJGU6wkBN550lYlezIl_CDQ0s&sig=AHIEtbQinv4Hao96DU6foV8n3HZ8ybE5Ng&pli=1

A site for including Appalachian content into your lesson plans.

Thomas, M. (2010, July). Appalachian studies association. Retrieved from http://www.appalachianstudies.org/resources/K12/index.php

Double Entry Journal #8

It's a mistake to group all English learners together in a classroom. Just because two students speak the same language does not mean they will be friends or their contact beneficial to their learning. Grouping these students together may give them the feeling that their are being intentionally separated from the other students because of their language. In the text placing Rosa and Bianca together wasn't effective because Bianca was ashamed of her Mexican heritage.(Getting to Know)

A virtual backpack is the culmination of all the knowledge and skills a student has acquired outside of the classroom. This knowledge can be used in the classroom, but it is not always apparent and a teacher may have to get to know the student before realizing what they have to offer. This concept is similar to Luis Moll's Funds of Knowledge because both cases deal with knowledge and skills the students have but were acquired as a result of their heritage or community.(Gonzales, Greenberg & Veles)

Getting to Know Students:Developing Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices for Reading and Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved on 9/21/2011. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_5palgT26a4J:media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/24/EHEP0005/EHEP000524-1.pdf+getting+to+know+your+students+interview&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESihbHTui0felcMHojEsBpnh8z7NAdzADlw2OA4q9Vocu4GnsE9vU6W8FAkura70mCyuOla1xOr-rr-Fx2SClUgdkg0vR_t62WIa7eI5Xv0hb-0RJGU6wkBN550lYlezIl_CDQ0s&sig=AHIEtbQinv4Hao96DU6foV8n3HZ8ybE5Ng&pli=1

Gonzales, N., Greenberg, J., & Veles, C. (n.d.). Funds of knowledge: a look at luis moll's research into hidden family resources. Retrieved on 9/21/2011. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6DFAmexYq7vYWVlOGM3MmUtM2RhNy00MmE4LWFhNzMtZmMwMjQ2NTlkNDA0&hl=en_US

Website with activities for ESL students.

(n.d.). Activities for esl students. The Internet TESL Journal, Retrieved from http://a4esl.org/

Photo Story Reflection

Reflection

Double Entry Journal #6

One culturally responsive activity I've experienced at Fairmont State was a paper/presentation we had to write for English. For the paper we were to pick a topic of interest to us and use research as well as our own ideas to compile the paper. It was interesting because as each of us presented our papers, you could get insight into the persons culture and background, and seeing how that influenced their opinion and writing style.

Resource: Principles for culturally responsive teaching. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml#TOP

Related Resource: Guide for developing culturally responsive activities.

Kea,C. & Campbell-Whatley, G. (2004). Developing culturally responsive lesson plans. Retrieved from http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/ec/docs/ec/conference/2004/sessions/55lessonplans.pdf

Where I'm From Daniel H..wmv

Double Entry Journal #5

One strategy I learned for developing my writing is sharing your thoughts with peers before writing it to get a sense for how it will sound and should be written. I also never thought about how where a person grew up would reflect on their writing so much. Another case I hadn't considered was the different tone a piece of writing takes on depending on the circumstance such as when your boss tells you to write something. I found it interesting that as a teacher its better to build upon an individuals traditional way of speaking and writing instead of trying to modify it. I also thought it was interesting that incorporating other modalities was still considered a part of writing. One question I have is whether some subsets of society are actually at an advantage in terms of their writing skill even though they don't have the "standard english" way of speaking.

Reference: (n.d.). National Council of Teachers of English Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kBob4rwoBfMr5KibZLGhE7RopH9ZVrXij2XWhbNzeVK/edit?h1=en_US&pli=1

Related Resource: http://true-ink.com/writingmatters.aspx

(n.d.). Core Beliefs about Writing and Teaching Writing Retrieved from http://true-ink.com/writingmatters.aspx

Where I'm From Poem

I am from playing outside, from Lego’s and Lincoln logs.

I am from the white house with blue shutters past the dead end sign.

I am from the field and creek.

I am from family reunions and hard work, from an unbroken home.

I am from my cousins and jokes from my Uncle.

From do what your told and don’t talk back.

From getting up at four in the morning to go hunting.

I am from Gods House burned to the ground but not destroyed.

I'm from nowhere and everywhere apple butter and pumpkin pie.

I am from four seasons each with their own beauty.

I am from winding back roads and twisting the throttle.

From the fighters the farmers and the miners.

I am from scrapbooks spanning the years and tools passed down from generation to generation.

Double Entry Journal #4

Quote: Each exchange with relatives, friends, and neighbors entails not only many practical activities (everything from home and automobile repair to animal care and music) but constantly provides context in which learning can occur (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992).

Response: The article talks about using the communities body of knowledge to teach the students instead of relying on the knowledge of just one person (the teacher). I like this approach because it allows the student to hear information from a variety of sources and teaching styles. Also hearing the information come from the professional gives the information more credibility and interest allowing the student to better understand the material.

Reference: Moll, L.C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.fairmontstate.edu/stable/pdfplus/1476399.pdf?acceptTC=true

Related Resource: Using the Environment and Community as a Resource for Learning in Coastal and Marine Studies Module: http://www.mesa.edu.au/cams/module4/index.html

8/30/2011 Own the Word

Cultural Deficit

Double Entry Journal #3 8/27/2011

A cultural deficit is viewed as a learning deficit on the part of the learner. In other words the reason a learner fails to make progress is because the culture they come from prevents them from being able to succeed.

A cultural difference is a misunderstanding between the learner and teacher due to each person being raised in a different culture with different interpretations of what may be the same in print or thought.

Reference: Bolima, Donna. (n.d.). Contexts for understanding: educational learning theories. Retrieved from http://staff.washington.edu/saki/strategies/101/new_page_5.htm

8/27/2011 Journal Entry #2

Quote: "Donny's failure to learn anything was not noticed because this was the expected pattern."(Purcell- Gates)

Reaction: It's sad to think that a child would not be given a second glance because of who they are or where their from. I've seen this situation played out many times in my school years and even the opposite when certain students get preferential treatment because of their socioeconomic statis. It is something all teachers need to self regulate in order to become a truly great teacher.

Reference: Purcell- Gates, V. (Author). As Soon As She Opened Her Mouth: Issues of Language, Literacy, and Power. [Web]. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6DFAmexYq7vMGQxMjI1OTEtMjAyZS00NzJmLTg1OTUtODlmMGQ0ZDIxOTVk&hl=en_US&pli=1

Double Entry Journal One 8/24/2011

Quote: "If a television network proposed a "real life" show treating poor Afrcan-Americans, Latinos, American Indians, Asians or Jews as curiosities, they, and all Americans of good will, would be justifiably outraged." (O,Brian, 2003)

Reaction: I believe this statement holds alot of truth to it. It's not the fact that mainstream media depicts certain groups of people in a less than flattering way such as the typical imagery used when describing country folk that angers me. Rather it's the medias willingness to mock one sect of society while not daring to ever mock other groups for fear of retaliation. However, one cannot place the blame squarly on the shoulders of the media because if we as a society do not make an effort to rid ourselves of this behavior then why should they.

Reference: O'Brian, J. (2003(. Tall Tales of Appalachia. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html?src=pm

Related Resource: An essay from a high school student depicting bias in the media.
http://tfcus.homestead.com/Markea_Hannah.pdf

VARK

The VARK Questionnaire Results

Your scores were:

Visual: 10
Aural: 6
Read/Write: 11
Kinesthetic: 8



You have a multimodal (VARK) learning preference.

WebQuest

https://sites.google.com/site/chooseyourelot/

Thursday February 3

The similarities I see between good video games and the six c's are that both give the students the freedom to explore concepts they are interested in, the skill level is kept at the upper limit of their skills for optimum learning(Zone of Proximal Development), challenging but not impossible, students have a say in what their doing, goals are set for the students, and success is acknowledged.

Tuesday February 1

Good games and motivating workplaces both allow the participant the freedom to explore subjects they find interesting without being pressured. I'm most intrigued by the idea of having a curriculum that is so stimulating and fun for the kids that not only are they eager to learn but they never plateau. By that I mean once they master one concept, they have to utilize that to understand the next so that they are constantly learning and don't have a chance to loose interest.

I think it would be ideal if teachers could make learning in school more like a video game because with video games the students often learn new concepts and facts through a process that they enjoy, which makes it more likely they will be able to retain the knowledge learned. Also as we learned today it doesen't take much proding to get someone to play a game, but in many of todays classrooms the students are being forced to learn. If we could make learning as fun as a game than I'm sure students would not only pay attention better but their capacity to learn would be increased as well.

Week 2 January 25

My fifth grade science teacher bought suckers with insects inside them, and every day he would give away one sucker to the student who earned it for answering the question of the day. He set it up in which he would tell the class the question, then the students could raise their hand to try and get it right. The first student to answer correctly won the sucker. To avoid students from just guessing each student was only allowed one response per day. This activity reflects the behaviorist theory of learning because the students are rewarded for being able to correctly answer the question and thus are encouraged to engage in the problem solving. Limiting the number of responses to one forces the students to thoroughly work through the problem rather than taking a haphazard guess and being satisfied.

Thursday January 20

Metacognition is essential for good learning because if one doesn't know how they learn best then the amount of knowledge retained will either be limited or it will take a longer time to learn the same material. Once one finds the most efficient method of learning, more time can be spent learning new material rather than struggling to learn the original concept.

One method that supports metacognition is using multiple forms of media when presenting material. The link below shows that most students believe they learn best when the amount of text to diagrams is around 50%. By presenting material using multi media the students are able to see which method they like best, and by using that information become better learners.
In the field of Tech. Ed. I could supliment text for a technical area such as when explaining how an engine works by also using a diagram or schematic to help the students get a better visual of the process.

Materials Used=Chart on pg 6 and first paragraph under DISCUSSION on pg 7 http://webpages.acs.ttu.edu/mserra/Serra%20Dunlosky%202010.pdf