Writing to Learn

Chapter 8 in the textbook discussed “writing to learn.” I really found this chapter valuable because it made me realize how important “writing to learn” actually is. I have always felt writing was important and as a child, it was one of my favorite things to do in school, however, this chapter made me realize how important it is for all students of all ages, content area or circumstances. On page 222, it discusses how writing helps to aid in research and the thinking process. This stuck out to me because I have always noticed that I will look for sources for information for my own writing but once I actually start to write and sort out this information, I am able to find even better sources through sorting out my thoughts on paper. Sometimes it is just good to just begin writing, which is why I think free-writes and quick-writes are an excellent tool in the classroom. I think all students should have a composition book that they use as a learning log throughout the year.

On the subject of rubrics, these are a must for any assignment. I loved that the text talked about including students in writing the rubrics. This is such a great idea and would really get students to understand what their goals should be for an assignment. This is something I will definitely try to incorporate into my classroom.

This chapter also touched on the fact that we write differently than we type on the computer. It mentions the fact that pre-writing activities when typing on the computer are limited because of the fact that it is easier to edit on the computer. I can definitely see this and I also thought of my own writing process when I am typing. I find that because I type faster than I write, I can get my thoughts down faster and not lose sight of what I am trying to say. This probably won’t be the case for younger students but for the older ones, using a word processor instead of writing may be very beneficial because of this.

For pre-writing strategies, I liked the cubing strategy. I particularly liked the perspective cubing. I think that puts an interesting spin on a subject, looking at it from different points of view.  This will definitely help students in higher order thinking.  I also love the idea of incorporating poetry into the content areas. The resources given in this chapter of examples are great and ones I will go back to look at for my lessons. I especially liked the geopoem which is a geography spin on a traditional biopoem. For the “reflection” phase of writing to learn, I love the idea of creating a melodrama of a topic. The students would be able to work collaboratively to produce a characters, a script, setting, etc… to explain their topic. This seems very engaging and a lot of fun! I have always wanted to have a prop box in my classroom of things I collect over the years and I think this would be a great way to use the props.

The article, “Writing across the Content” is very rich in information regarding writing for all subjects. It reiterates what is talked about in chapter 8 and gives some great examples of writing activities to use in each content area. I will definitely be using this as a resource in my future classroom.

The only question that kept coming to my mind when reading was if we are supposed to focus on the sincerity and fluency of the writing and not dwell on handwriting and mechanics, do we ignore it altogether for assignments that are not “published?” Or, do we point out that they are wrong but not take points off? I guess I am just a little confused on the best way to address spelling, punctuation and legibility.

Struggling Readers

When I saw what the title of chapter 11 was, I was excited to dive into it in hopes of it shining some light on the isearch topic I have chosen. Although, the information discussed about ELL students, I’m sure will prove to be useful one day, I am particularly interested in the latter part of the chapter on struggling readers.  I do want to note that in the article, “Targeting Content Area Literacy Instruction to Meet the Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners,” the statistic that projects 40 percent of students in U.S. schools will “language minority students” by 2030. I had no idea that there were that many students with an L1 besides English. This statistic alone is something that all future educators must prepare for so they can efficiently accommodate these English Language Learners. For some time now (especially as I am in the process of writing my isearch paper) I have asked the question that is asked on page 344: “Why don’t students come to each grade level more prepared?” Even though I know this question cannot easily be answered, as the text reminded me, I do welcome any insight on the issue. I like the fact that the text did narrow down the main contributors of this issue. The first one listed, “literacy experiences,” I immediately thought to be the most contributing factor. However, after reading them again, I realized that each one was just as important and some coincided with others because of the lack thereof. After reading the chapter, I still do not know how to remedy this problem but I definitely have taken tips and strategies to begin to understand and help my future students who are struggling readers. With that being said, I can take strategies like ReQuest or LEA and apply them to my class, but will this be enough? And will I have enough time to implement these strategies? I understand the reading specialist is a vital part in helping struggling readers as well as helping the teacher so they can help the student. What are your experiences with reading specialists? What techniques are helping these students? 

iSearch Proposal

Topic: Are accommodations for students helping or hurting students from becoming autonomous learners?

 Possible Questions: 

Are schools relying on accommodations more than they should to shuffle students along?

In what situations are accommodations the only option for students?

What evidence is out there that shows accommodations are helping?

Are read-aloud accommodations the best option for some students?

Are teachers misinterpreting what the child actually needs?

People to Interview: 

My best friend is a 9^th and 12^th grade English teacher at Princess Anne High School. I feel she will give me honest answers to some difficult questions because of our openness with one another. She teaches two inclusion classes as well as honors and core courses. She has had a lot of experience with accommodations and has seen first hand how it affects the student.

I also may interview my brother. He grew up having a 504 plan and I think it would be interesting to get a student's point of view.

 Titles of Articles You Plan to Use: 

 I have found tons of articles that I think will help me answer this question, although I still need to comb through a lot of it. Whether I come to an answer or not, I think some of these sources will give me some great insight on the subject.

The Effect of a Read Aloud Accomodation on Test Scores of Students with and Without a Learning Disability in Reading

 I think the articles I have found concerning accommodations for students without disabilities will be key to the answers I find.

A Summary of Research on the Effects of Test Accommodations: 2002 through 2004. Technical Report 45

This will give me concrete evidence on the effects of testing accommodations.

Confirming the Need for Individual Accommodations for Students with Learning Disabilities

Through this article, I hope to better understand the process of deciding if a student is in need of accommodation with a learning disability.

Effects of an Oral Testing Accommodation on the Mathematics Performance of Secondary Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

I think it is important to research articles like this one to find evidence of outcomes of accommodations through content area subjects.

Patterns of Accommodations Provided to Students with Disabilities in Integrated Classrooms

Enabling or Empowering? Adaptations and Accommodations for Twice Exceptional Students

This article is especially important because it points out how parents, students and teachers perceive adaptations and accommodations.

There were a few more articles I did find, but I think the above are the ones I will start with in my journey.

Notes:

I feel accommodations are becoming more prevalent in schools. I want to do research to see if I am alone in this or if there is some truth to it. I feel as though students are getting shuffled along through the grade levels without actually learning to read or write well because of accommodations that aren’t actually necessary for some students.

Vocabulary Strategies

This chapter had some great resources for vocabulary. I really liked the word inquiry strategy because it is like a game. I know something like that would have motivated me in school. This activity, I think, would make students want to learn the vocabulary in order to do well with this activity.  I think it is very important for students to understand the vocabulary while reading. Even at my age, I still look up the meaning of words I do not know when reading a book because I know it will enrich the meaning of the content so much more. I think it is very important to teach students when and how to use dictionaries so they can look up words when reading on their own. However, I think it is just as important to teach context clues so students can figure out vocabulary on their own. I think a way to get students to think on their own but still incorporate the use of a dictionary is the dictionary game. It can be a way to assess prior knowledge or to review what has been learned. What are your thoughts on use of dictionaries for elementary students? What strategy do you believe is the best for students to decode a word?

Word inventories are a great way to preview upcoming vocabulary and assess what words to look out for in the reading so new knowledge can be gained. I think all of the vocabulary activities shown in this chapter are great tools. I think it is important when teaching vocabulary at all levels of PAR that the most appropriate strategy is chosen for the lesson and level of PAR you are in. 

Reflection on Reading

In the chapter of the textbook on the reflection phase of PAR, I was surprised at how many different strategies there were to use. One of the ones that really stood out for me was the Rallytable. I think this is such a great idea to get students to work in pairs and reflect. I like how there is a set time which is great for time constraints and I think that makes the activity more fun. It is almost like a game for reflection. Combining this pair’s knowledge into a graphic organizer is also a great tool for a study aid.

I was surprised at how much critical thought and literacy was discussed in this chapter. I was even more surprised at the fact that it was encouraged at all grade levels. I have always thought of critical thought as being important in all levels of PAR. I guess I am just surprised it is not talked about in the other chapters like it is in this one. I feel like a student can also be taught to think critically in the preparation phase and assistance phase. What does everyone else think on that topic? How could you teach critical thinking in the other two phases? As far as it being important in all grade levels, I can see how that would be true, however, how can you promote such higher level thinking and problem solving in the lower elementary grades? Because first graders, for example, might not be proficient readers or writers yet, would they reflect critically through oral or visual communication and if so what ideas do you have? The text also says that it is “…especially important to start these types of activities in early elementary classrooms…” on page 112. This statement is referring to study guides to help in assisting the students in problem-solving steps however, I do no t think the example given in Activity 5.1 is something that would be used in an early elementary classroom. The group- and- label technique in the activity below is something much more appropriate that I could see myself using in my future classroom.

Assistance in Literacy

Chapter four was very helpful in understanding how to generate higher level questioning while assisting students in reading. Although I have learned about the DRTA, I appreciate the detail the chapter goes into on the subject.  It is clear that this is something every teacher must take advantage of because of the higher level thinking students can focus on due to the smaller segments of reading. One thing I do not want to neglect is higher level questioning as a teacher. Not only do I want to include higher level thinking in reflections of readings, but I want to be able to include it before and while reading. I love the “higher level questioning bookmark” in activity 4.4 on page 90. This is a great tool to use for trying to think of higher level questions for students.

The Guided Reading Procedure is something that I have always felt I would incorporate into my classroom. I think this is something readers of all ages can benefit from. Even at my age, I find myself reading some things twice and paying attention more the second time and understanding key concepts a lot more. I love how the text gives recommended passage lengths on page 92. I have wondered how to know how much reading to assign for these types of activities.

I love the different comprehension strategies the text offers. I particularly like the jot chart. It is very visual and something that does not take a lot of time. I can see this being used in maybe watching a video or clip of something for science or math and using it to follow along. It can then also be used as a quick reference guide for studying. Has anyone seen or used any of these comprehension strategies and if so, which one? Was it successful?

I also love the idea of marginal glosses in readings. I personally love it when textbooks have these. They help me to understand the concepts written. I think this would be very beneficial for students who may need just a little more guidance with the original text. The chapter also gives great directions on how to make these marginal glosses on books or pages using a copier.

This whole chapter is definitely a go to tool for my future lesson planning and teaching!

Much Needed Tools and Strategies

After reading chapter three of the textbook and the article on content-area literacy strategies, I am realizing even more how important this course is for the future educator. Although I have learned about many tools to use in my future classroom through my education classes at ODU, I have never really known how to judge which tool or strategy would be best to use for particular subjects and situations. I also was never comfortable making tools such as anticipation guides, written previews and rewrites. My first inclination before would have been to research the internet for ideas or an example I could use instead of coming up with one on my own. I thought this way because I never really knew how to create and incorporate these tools into the classroom. 

While reading about rewrites, I felt as though it may be more beneficial, if time allows, that the teacher and class rewrite the story together. I understand the rewrite is to help the student comprehend the text better when they read it for the first time, but I feel like they may not be as interested in reading it if they already know what it is about. Does anyone else share this feeling? Does anyone think that maybe students will find it pointless to read the actual text if they already read an easier version of it? Maybe someone can explain why they would still be interested.

While reading about graphic organizers and looking at the examples, some ideas came to my mind. I think a great way to incorporate graphic organizers such as a tree diagram into a lesson (once the class gets acquainted with them) is to leave a few places blank so they students’ curiosity is peaked when looking at it before reading and while reading are able to fill in the missing pieces. It is also a tool that can be created by the student to check understanding after the story has been read. Students could also use the tree diagram that is completed by the teacher as a writing activity. Once the story has been read, the student can then write a summary using the key concepts in the graphic organizer and linking them with complete sentences.

This article and chapter is something I can continue to look back on as a reference to make sure I am accessing my class’s prior knowledge they best way I can and incorporating content-area literacy in the best way. These tools and strategies described in the readings is something I can continue to use even specific examples. I really loved the example of the analogy on the revolutionary war and the teenager. What a great way to relate history to present day teenage problems! When teachers think more like the student, these connections between real life and content can be made in a relevant way. Can anyone think of an analogy like this one that can be used in an elementary classroom?

Teacher-guided Literacy

It is refreshing to read about affective domain of learning as one of the first chapters we read in this textbook. I strongly believe that in order for anyone to learn, and enjoy learning, a positive attitude and open mind is essential not only for the student, but the teacher as well. Through this chapter, there were excellent points made as to why some students enjoy reading and writing and some students do not. As teachers, it is our job to set the student up for success. We can do this by listening to students and discovering the reasoning behind a student’s attitude through an Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, motivating students through a positive learning environment, and integrating conation through activities that give students choices. I find it particularly interesting that brain-based learning theory is recognized as a way to promote affect. I have always heard that everything we have ever learned is stored in our brains and it is just a matter of accessing that information when we need it. If what Stanislas Dehaene postulates in Reading in the Brain is true, then it is important for an educator to remember that learning is non-linear. Reading about this theory makes me recall and access information that I have heard before (which I stated earlier in this blog) which helps me understand the information being presented.  Teachers must learn to present different topics in a way that engages the use of the right hemisphere of the brain for non-linear thinking. Although, I was able to recall this information, this will not always be easy for students to grasp when discussing a new topic. I want to incorporate this type of teaching in my future classroom by creating lesson plans that tap into the brain’s natural curiosity. Having students is one simple way of being able to promote curiosity and make connections to prior knowledge. Students being able to share ideas with other classmates is also very important so the student can hear or see ideas that one might not have thought of on his or her own. I can’t stress enough from my own personal experience as a student and an educator how important it is to pair all of the tools talked in this chapter with a positive attitude, environment and feedback. Part of motivating a student is to make them feel comfortable with sharing ideas and asking questions and staying positive is key.

The instructional applications the article discusses focuses heavily on teachers needing to understand their students’ prior knowledge, skills and competencies. I couldn’t agree more with this idea. It really connects with what is being said about how the brain works and different connections we make when learning new concepts and ideas. Without caring to find out what your students know, it will be difficult to help them with their literacy and will continue to push them farther and farther behind as they get older. All teachers of all subjects and grade-levels must realize this and be proactive as the article says. Although my focus is on elementary education, I have seen high school students struggle with literacy and just be shuffled along because teachers are not trying to truly understand their students level of literacy.  As an elementary teacher, I will try my best to break this barrier and assess each student’s prior knowledge and skill so they may be as successful in literacy as they can be. It will then be my job to continue their growth of literacy by teaching study strategies, comprehension strategies and vocabulary strategies.  

With regard to the importance of understanding each students’ literacy level, do you believe lower level literacy is something that can be fixed at a secondary level and if so, how might you go about it with the time constraints and pressure of staying on course with the curriculum?