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Saturday, May 2, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Towards New Media Texts
Visual literacy involves the ability to understand and learn through the use of visual materials and also creating and using visual images to communicate. As I read in the article, many teachers do not practice using visual literacy because it involves a lot of work, time, and a certain amount of status. They have invested precious time in alphabetic literacy. The result of this, in my opinion, is that the students miss out on learning something that could benefit them heavily. Visual literacy is on the rise in everyday life, and students need to start working with this as early as possible to gain valuable knowledge about them.
The article lists several assignments for working with digital literacy, but I especially favor text re-design and re-vision. With the students revising an essay, they are becoming critics and creative thinkers both at the same time. Revising it for the WWW is motivating in itself because most students would want others to see their best work. This assignment integrates literacy and technology and is a good way for students to explore writing and the web.
The article lists several assignments for working with digital literacy, but I especially favor text re-design and re-vision. With the students revising an essay, they are becoming critics and creative thinkers both at the same time. Revising it for the WWW is motivating in itself because most students would want others to see their best work. This assignment integrates literacy and technology and is a good way for students to explore writing and the web.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Chapter 11
Conley states in the very first line of this chapter, "Writing is one of the most important ways to learn and demonstrate learning in content areas. I agree with him 100%. It is sometimes so much easier for me to express what I know in writing than to try and guess upon the correct answer to feel in the blank or mark in the multiple choice section. By writing, I am able to communicate everything I know about a subject in a clear and concise manner. I can easily convey my understanding of a topic so that my instructor will know if I "get it" or need more practice.
Conley lists many strategies for teaching students how to plan their writing. I personally favor Brainstorming and Goal Setting. From my experience with this technique, I was able to get my supporting ideas and paragraphs for my main topic without any hassle, which it turn, made it less demanding to complete my assignment. I have also had experience with Quick-Writes. I think they are okay, but they can have ideas scattered all over the place. I did not have much experience with Stop & List or The Guided Writing Procedure. I am sure they provide helpful assistance as well.
Teachers need to teach students how to use the writing strategies correctly before expecting students to apply them in their writing. If they are not used correctly, they will not be very effective. When teaching students, teachers cannot just tell them how to use the strategies. They should also model them. Students need to have a mental picture of how they work and look. Teachers should also check for student understanding by allowing them to demonstrate that they know how to apply the strategies. It is through gaining an understanding and using the strategies correctly that student writing will begin to improve.
Conley lists many strategies for teaching students how to plan their writing. I personally favor Brainstorming and Goal Setting. From my experience with this technique, I was able to get my supporting ideas and paragraphs for my main topic without any hassle, which it turn, made it less demanding to complete my assignment. I have also had experience with Quick-Writes. I think they are okay, but they can have ideas scattered all over the place. I did not have much experience with Stop & List or The Guided Writing Procedure. I am sure they provide helpful assistance as well.
Teachers need to teach students how to use the writing strategies correctly before expecting students to apply them in their writing. If they are not used correctly, they will not be very effective. When teaching students, teachers cannot just tell them how to use the strategies. They should also model them. Students need to have a mental picture of how they work and look. Teachers should also check for student understanding by allowing them to demonstrate that they know how to apply the strategies. It is through gaining an understanding and using the strategies correctly that student writing will begin to improve.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Smart/Promethean Boards
I have not had much experience with either of the two boards. I went through an online training for the Promethean board, but I still do not fully understand how it works. I need to experience some hands-on training to know how to use this technology in my classroom. I really look forward to learning how to use both of the boards because they can be very valuable to student learning.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Chapter 7
Activating prior knowledge allows students to think about or recall what they already know. An excellent strategy strategy that the book suggests for doing this is the K-W-L. With this strategy, students tell what they know about a topic, what they want to know about it, and after discussing it, what they have learned about it. Teachers have to explain to students how it works in order to activate prior knowledge. I think prior knowledge should be activated because students build on what they already know. They have to have something to relate new information to in order to retain it.
I also like the priciple Present Content in Interesting Ways as a means of increasing motivation. The author states that, "Content is interesting when it is accompanied by engaging activities." That is so true. I can remember back when I was in elementary school when we had to read all of those stories from our reading textbook. The teacher did nothing to make it engaging. I only got excited about reading the plays. She assigned roles to my classmates and me, and it seemed like everyone was eager to read. It was only when I was interacting with the text that I enjoyed reading it. The content was presented in an engaging way to me, and I appreciated reading the stories in which roles were assigned so much more than the others.
I also like the priciple Present Content in Interesting Ways as a means of increasing motivation. The author states that, "Content is interesting when it is accompanied by engaging activities." That is so true. I can remember back when I was in elementary school when we had to read all of those stories from our reading textbook. The teacher did nothing to make it engaging. I only got excited about reading the plays. She assigned roles to my classmates and me, and it seemed like everyone was eager to read. It was only when I was interacting with the text that I enjoyed reading it. The content was presented in an engaging way to me, and I appreciated reading the stories in which roles were assigned so much more than the others.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Lesson Plan
Curriculum Competency: 2. Explore the components of living systems. (L)
Big Idea: Plants make food through photosynthesis.
Objective: The students will recall the steps in the photosynthesis process.
Preparation
1. Introduce the term photosynthesis.
2. Explain to the students photosynthesis is the process by which plants make food using light.
3. Read and discuss photosynthesis through the story The Magic School Bus Gets Planted.
4. Teacher stops and asks questions throughout story to check for student comprehension.
5. Teacher explains each step of photosynthesis in detail to the students.
Guidance:
1. Students reflect on the photosynthesis process by completing a concept map.
2. Students use concept map to write a paragraph explaining photosynthesis.
3. The teacher walks around and monitor, providing help and feedback to students.
Application:
1. Students draw and label a plant and tell how each part function in the photosynthesis process.
Assessment: The students will compose a paragraph containing each step in photosynthesis.
Big Idea: Plants make food through photosynthesis.
Objective: The students will recall the steps in the photosynthesis process.
Preparation
1. Introduce the term photosynthesis.
2. Explain to the students photosynthesis is the process by which plants make food using light.
3. Read and discuss photosynthesis through the story The Magic School Bus Gets Planted.
4. Teacher stops and asks questions throughout story to check for student comprehension.
5. Teacher explains each step of photosynthesis in detail to the students.
Guidance:
1. Students reflect on the photosynthesis process by completing a concept map.
2. Students use concept map to write a paragraph explaining photosynthesis.
3. The teacher walks around and monitor, providing help and feedback to students.
Application:
1. Students draw and label a plant and tell how each part function in the photosynthesis process.
Assessment: The students will compose a paragraph containing each step in photosynthesis.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Chapter 5
A part of this chapter that captured my attention was the the section on choosing texts. The book states that, "Before selecting texts of any kind, it is important to think about, map out, or list the knowledge students need to learn." Teachers should be familiar with the texts they choose for thier students to read. They should also know what they want to accomplish with each lesson. The text they choose should support the objectives and the assessments that will follow.
Another section that captured my attention was the section entitled UsingTexts with Students With Special Needs and English Language Learners. It says that a teacher should "Demonstrate and model for students how to meet high expectations." This should be done for all students, not just for ELL students and students with special needs. All students can get confussed. It is through modeling that many students gain a thorough understanding of a subject. I need new concepts modeled for me sometimes. Modeling is an effective concept that should be practiced in every classroom and for all students.
Another section that captured my attention was the section entitled UsingTexts with Students With Special Needs and English Language Learners. It says that a teacher should "Demonstrate and model for students how to meet high expectations." This should be done for all students, not just for ELL students and students with special needs. All students can get confussed. It is through modeling that many students gain a thorough understanding of a subject. I need new concepts modeled for me sometimes. Modeling is an effective concept that should be practiced in every classroom and for all students.
Teacher Blog
Chech out this blog which can be of assistance to teachers and students as well. It has a website listed on it that can enhance both teacher and student presentations. There was also a rap video posted on this site to help students learn how to do fractions. The topics the teacher explore are interesting too.
interesting teacher blog
interesting teacher blog
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Chapter 4
The term 'ongoing assessment' implies that the assessment process is like the energizer bunny that keeps going and going. It continuously happens. There are basically two types of assessments. Classroom assessments are those designed to help teachers plan instruction and evaluate student learning. High-stakes assessments determine if teachers, students, and schools are meeting standards and penalize them if they are not. Why is there so much emphasis on penalties for failing state tests and so little on rewards for passing them?
There are many types of assessments that measure the same goal in different ways. The goal is to measure student learning. Personal assessments like interviews, conversations, and observation, as well as critical thinking questions/responses allow the administrator to analyze a student's thought process. Content assessments allow teachers to see how well students are understanding information. I especially favor portfolios because they allow students to evaluate themselves as well as collect and exhibit their work. There are also mandated assessments which include state and standardized tests. I particulary do not favor these because they place more pressure on top of the pressure that is already there on teachers, students, and school districts alike.
An assessment is not useful if a teacher does not understand how to interpret it. Through conversation and observation, teachers can determine students viewpoints towards subjects and make the necessary adjustments to make them more appealing to students. Teachers can determine which skills have been mastered and which skills need work through students' reading and writing. They can also help students to share what they know through communication. When teachers can interpret assessments, they know when to move on or reteach a skill. This is good in that they want to make sure all of their students are learning, but if a teacher constantly has to reteach subjects and skills, how is it possible to cover all of the materials necessary to pass state tests?
There are many types of assessments that measure the same goal in different ways. The goal is to measure student learning. Personal assessments like interviews, conversations, and observation, as well as critical thinking questions/responses allow the administrator to analyze a student's thought process. Content assessments allow teachers to see how well students are understanding information. I especially favor portfolios because they allow students to evaluate themselves as well as collect and exhibit their work. There are also mandated assessments which include state and standardized tests. I particulary do not favor these because they place more pressure on top of the pressure that is already there on teachers, students, and school districts alike.
An assessment is not useful if a teacher does not understand how to interpret it. Through conversation and observation, teachers can determine students viewpoints towards subjects and make the necessary adjustments to make them more appealing to students. Teachers can determine which skills have been mastered and which skills need work through students' reading and writing. They can also help students to share what they know through communication. When teachers can interpret assessments, they know when to move on or reteach a skill. This is good in that they want to make sure all of their students are learning, but if a teacher constantly has to reteach subjects and skills, how is it possible to cover all of the materials necessary to pass state tests?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Principle 9
Ongoing formative assessment of students, which is informal, often daily assessment of how students are progressing under current instructional practices
Informal assessments are methods of seeing how students are doing and what they need to work on. These assessments inform instruction. Teachers need to know whether or not their students are progressing in order to meet their learning needs. If formative assessments are done daily, teachers will keep track of students' needs and enhance instructions to meet them. Teachers want to see all of their students succeed. By keeping track of their dialy performance, teachers will be able to modify instructions to make better performance possible.
Informal assessments are methods of seeing how students are doing and what they need to work on. These assessments inform instruction. Teachers need to know whether or not their students are progressing in order to meet their learning needs. If formative assessments are done daily, teachers will keep track of students' needs and enhance instructions to meet them. Teachers want to see all of their students succeed. By keeping track of their dialy performance, teachers will be able to modify instructions to make better performance possible.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Conley's Ch. 3
Teachers who focus on textbooks gamble with their students' performance in ways that matter for state funding for schools, students' academic progress, and even graduation. (p. 63-64)
Students learn more effectively if the content they are learning is connected in specific ways. (p. 67)
If a teacher cannot get all of the "Big Ideas" taught before state tests, how does he/she decide which topics are more valuable?
Does NCLB means that all students in a class should be held to the same expectations, or that students with special educational needs in that class be held to high expectations for the level at which they are performing?
Students learn more effectively if the content they are learning is connected in specific ways. (p. 67)
If a teacher cannot get all of the "Big Ideas" taught before state tests, how does he/she decide which topics are more valuable?
Does NCLB means that all students in a class should be held to the same expectations, or that students with special educational needs in that class be held to high expectations for the level at which they are performing?
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