My first technology experience was on a computer that was so big it had it's own office, how did I get this position, I was the unlucky one, the new girl in the office someone had to be trained and I was it. That was a long time ago but it was the beginning of my love of technology. I now am a self confessed computer geek and gadget freak, if there is a new technology out there, I need to experience it. I believe that technology has completely changed the world we live in, right now I'm doing a research paper that should take weeks and weeks of library time, instead I've logged into our library, went through the databases and extracted the materials I needed, this was done in a few hours. I still have to put in the time to read it all, but the access was so much easier. Another major improvement is that I can not find the time to read the paper every morning but I can log on and find out any major news events from the evening before.
I believe that we are living in a world where we are seeing that "literacy" is changing all the time. We have media at our fingertips and this can allow all learners the opportunity to use their strengths in order to acquire knowledge. Students are using technology in their homework and presentations, who would have thought 5 years ago, we'd be taking hybrid classes. I also believe though that not everything can be replaced by technology, nothing to me is better than laying down with a book and getting lost in the world of written pages for a few hours, that being said, I'm picking up my new Harry Potter and heading for the lounge chair.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
My thoughts on NCLB
I believe that in theory NCLB is a great thing, unfortunately, in practice I do not think it works. I completely agree that every child in the United States should be able to read and write by a certain grade level but I do not think that NCLB is the way to accomplish this. I have family and friends that are both teachers and administrators, I've learned that there is more criticism, than positive reactions to NCLB. The first problem is funding, it is easy for the federal government to pass acts when they do not have to worry where the money to cover these programs is going to come from, that falls to the state and local governments to do, not an easy job for school budgets that are already over burdened. On top, of this there is corruption and kick backs for adopting certain programs, such as we read in the Reading First article. Then we get to the overall problem of standardized testing, not everyone tests the same and I think to make funding or graduating dependent on passing a test is not fair to all. There should be different ways to assess students that would be different but equal for all.
The next area is teacher accountability, I do believe that as with every other occupation there should be accountability and that they should be highly qualified in the area they would like to teach, but the whole success or failure of a student can not be put only on the teacher or school's shoulders. How about parent accountability. I remember years ago a teacher friend saying to me, I can do everything possible to make sure my students get what I need them too, come early, stay late but you need it reinforced at home. Having put a child through school from K - post graduate work, I know how important it is for a parent to sit with my child and help with their studies.
For any educational program to work, I think it needs the input of teachers and administrators because they truly know what is and is not going to work in a school system. NCLB should be revamped so that it is based on the knowledge of these professionals not on favors owed to those that made heavy donations. It should not be tied to other programs such as recruitment, that just shocked me but I did forward that link to everyone I know with school age children to make sure they know they have the option of opting out.
I also believe that we should not do away with other studies in order to teach to the test, I've heard that subjects such as social studies are becoming a thing of the past in order to allocate more blocks of time for Literacy and Math. In a world where our borders are shrinking more and more everyday, I beleive that we need to raise well-rounded educated students in our school systems.
The next area is teacher accountability, I do believe that as with every other occupation there should be accountability and that they should be highly qualified in the area they would like to teach, but the whole success or failure of a student can not be put only on the teacher or school's shoulders. How about parent accountability. I remember years ago a teacher friend saying to me, I can do everything possible to make sure my students get what I need them too, come early, stay late but you need it reinforced at home. Having put a child through school from K - post graduate work, I know how important it is for a parent to sit with my child and help with their studies.
For any educational program to work, I think it needs the input of teachers and administrators because they truly know what is and is not going to work in a school system. NCLB should be revamped so that it is based on the knowledge of these professionals not on favors owed to those that made heavy donations. It should not be tied to other programs such as recruitment, that just shocked me but I did forward that link to everyone I know with school age children to make sure they know they have the option of opting out.
I also believe that we should not do away with other studies in order to teach to the test, I've heard that subjects such as social studies are becoming a thing of the past in order to allocate more blocks of time for Literacy and Math. In a world where our borders are shrinking more and more everyday, I beleive that we need to raise well-rounded educated students in our school systems.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
My thoughts on assessment
I believe that assessments can be a great tool if used properly. I think that self assessing a lesson at the end of the day, is a great way to improve yourself. You can look at what went right and why but more importantly what did not work and why and then how can you fix that. The same can be done with students, they can evalute what they got from a lesson, which could actually work as a self assessment for the student and observer assessment for the teacher. I really like the good reader assessment and the me box, we did the me box in our class and the children absolutely loved it.
I also beleive that portfolio's are one of the best ways of evaluating, I believe that you put the best of your best into a portfolio. You can then reflect on what you've learned and your parents can see your accomplishments. I agree with the book that it is a great tool for the next year's teacher to see where you started and where you are entering the new class.
I do believe that a teacher's experience and knowledge can be great tool in the assesment of their students. It's when the experience and/or knowledge is not there that I have a problem because it becomes a judgement call. One of my first experiences with a teacher's assessment came when my daughter was in 2nd grade with a 1st year teacher and I was told that she may have a reading problem and I might want to consider testing. I was floored because my daughter loved to read and seemed advanced to me. I asked her first grade teacher if she had seen any kind of problem, she told me absolutely not and said she would observe the reading class, her assessment was my daughter was bored with the readings and for me to allow her to read ahead of her class. This worked but had I listened to the first assessment I would have made her go through all unnecessary testing. I also see how college students fill out the evaluations of professors, and all I can do is hope that these do not count for much. A professor who did not show up for half of his classes & gave assignments that no one did but gave easy A's rated higher than the professor who made you work for your grade and made sure you got something out of the class. The book used the assessment tool of pluses and a wish which I again think a teacher would have to take with a grain of salt because there is always going to be someone that is negative.
I also beleive that portfolio's are one of the best ways of evaluating, I believe that you put the best of your best into a portfolio. You can then reflect on what you've learned and your parents can see your accomplishments. I agree with the book that it is a great tool for the next year's teacher to see where you started and where you are entering the new class.
I do believe that a teacher's experience and knowledge can be great tool in the assesment of their students. It's when the experience and/or knowledge is not there that I have a problem because it becomes a judgement call. One of my first experiences with a teacher's assessment came when my daughter was in 2nd grade with a 1st year teacher and I was told that she may have a reading problem and I might want to consider testing. I was floored because my daughter loved to read and seemed advanced to me. I asked her first grade teacher if she had seen any kind of problem, she told me absolutely not and said she would observe the reading class, her assessment was my daughter was bored with the readings and for me to allow her to read ahead of her class. This worked but had I listened to the first assessment I would have made her go through all unnecessary testing. I also see how college students fill out the evaluations of professors, and all I can do is hope that these do not count for much. A professor who did not show up for half of his classes & gave assignments that no one did but gave easy A's rated higher than the professor who made you work for your grade and made sure you got something out of the class. The book used the assessment tool of pluses and a wish which I again think a teacher would have to take with a grain of salt because there is always going to be someone that is negative.
Friday, July 6, 2007
TIP Chapters 5, 6 & 7
In Chapter 5 Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development is discussed, this theory was not new to me because it has been discussed in quite a few of my classes. The next theory was maturation, I can see how they came up with it and then I wanted to totally disregard it, until I remembered one of my own experiences while helping to toilet train a student. When we tried to force it on him he had no interest at all and it became a daily struggle where the mention of the bathroom brought on a tantrum, once we stopped and waited a few months until we thought he might be ready, it was so easy we were stunned. Thinking of this made it clear to me that when differentiated instruction is needed we should be open to all theories. The Theory of Literacy Development and Family Literacy Theory are two that I completely agree with, just thinking of my own reading experiences, I would say my love of reading stems from watching my mother read either to herself or to us and then mimicking what she did until I had taught myself to read and then as I got older my mother encouraged me by sharing all of her books with me. I then did the same with my daughter and she now shares our love of reading. Stage Models of Reading and Emergent Literacy Theory are two theories that as a lower grade teacher of student’s of special needs I am sure I will refer to for guidance.
In Chapter 6 we discuss the key concept of social interaction; it is the focal point of all the theories discussed. I have observed a friend’s 1st grade reading class and loved the way she made reading a social activity. She first had each child pick two books; they then read them and discussed them with a partner. She then had them relate the book to their real life experiences and asked other s to share. She had all of the students interacting, this lesson allowed them to bring their own social circle into the classroom whether it was a family experience or something that was going on in their community. It allowed them to relate to what they knew.
Chapter 7 was a lot to grasp, I reread it twice and still do not know if I’ve truly comprehended everything I was supposed too, but the chapter summary did help. The one problem I do have with this book is that when you try to comprehend the theories and the technical aspects of them, and then read at the end of the chapter that they are outdated and you only need to know the central components for the new methods that are used. I do not know about everyone else but this tends to make me lose interest in what I’m reading and that is why I’ve come to rely on the summary for this chapter. This explains the stages and the models in a compact way, that I did not have trouble relating too.
In Chapter 6 we discuss the key concept of social interaction; it is the focal point of all the theories discussed. I have observed a friend’s 1st grade reading class and loved the way she made reading a social activity. She first had each child pick two books; they then read them and discussed them with a partner. She then had them relate the book to their real life experiences and asked other s to share. She had all of the students interacting, this lesson allowed them to bring their own social circle into the classroom whether it was a family experience or something that was going on in their community. It allowed them to relate to what they knew.
Chapter 7 was a lot to grasp, I reread it twice and still do not know if I’ve truly comprehended everything I was supposed too, but the chapter summary did help. The one problem I do have with this book is that when you try to comprehend the theories and the technical aspects of them, and then read at the end of the chapter that they are outdated and you only need to know the central components for the new methods that are used. I do not know about everyone else but this tends to make me lose interest in what I’m reading and that is why I’ve come to rely on the summary for this chapter. This explains the stages and the models in a compact way, that I did not have trouble relating too.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Language Acquisition
How do children acquire language, I guess it depends on who you ask and since you asked me, I think it’s a combination of nature and nurture. I believe that children are born with the capabilities needed to acquire language and when you combine that with the modeling they experience every day, their language develops. I agree with the articles that we read that there is a critical period for language acquisition and that if we miss that period, a child may never be able to fully grasp language. That being said I also believe that if we teach more than one language during that same period, the child will grasp the language being taught. This was never more evident to me than when my high school Italian teacher told us that her daughter at age six spoke five languages fluently. She explained that from birth her and her husband had modeled the languages to their child, and they had a whole plan that by the time she reached high school she would be able to speak at least ten languages fluently. She brought her to class and we soon learned that she knew much more than us high school students who were completely struggling trying to acquire one new language.
I believe that language acquisition and reading go hand and hand. I know that my daughter could repeat a story back to me word for word or know that I was skipping words long before she could actually read it. She would then point to the words as I read them aloud which eventually lead to her becoming familiar with the sounds of letters. Which is a great example of how she used the language she had already acquired to assist her in learning to read.
I believe that language acquisition and reading go hand and hand. I know that my daughter could repeat a story back to me word for word or know that I was skipping words long before she could actually read it. She would then point to the words as I read them aloud which eventually lead to her becoming familiar with the sounds of letters. Which is a great example of how she used the language she had already acquired to assist her in learning to read.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The First Readings
I read through the articles last night and thought about what I got from them about reading and literacy, the first thing would be some terms were defined and I was able to relate them to my own experiences. I have worked with both Ortho-Gillingham and Reading Recovery, the article from wikipedia, let me know that one is a phonics based program and one is whole language based program. It now gives me a clearer picture of what they are.
The second and most important thing I have taken from the readins is that there are no clear definitions on what literacy is and how reading should be taught, there are many different opinions, strategies and theories out there and we should learn alot about them in order to differentiate our instruction for our students. I could not believe what I was reading in the article "Silencing Teachers...", we hear all the time about schools teaching to the test, this school took it to the limit with their scripted reading program. The article also showed how when you have parents in the community that speak out the program may be altered but in the poorer areas where that is not likely to happen, the students fall even further behind with programs that are not tailored to them, it's like a vicious cycle.
This brings us to some of the key issues I found in the articles, such as "What is Literacy?" It can be defined in so many ways, does it or should it include modern technology, can it ever be the same in all countries? Should it be the same? I though alot about this, when doing a search on my ancestors, I found the census for my grandfather and was surprised to see in the column where it said reads and writes, the NO column was checked. I had my whole life heard what an intelligent man he was always questioning and debating current events. Does this mean that because he couldn't read a whole newspaper he was illiterate or was he literate because he could read enough to be able to comprehend a story without knowing every word.
The other key issues that grabbed my attention are differentiating instruction and how to teach. I put these two together because I do not think there is one way to teach to all students and we will all have to differentiate for our students. What happens when a school district adopts and implements only one programs to the students who just don't get it? As teachers what can we do? I think this is an issue that we do not hear enough about.
Finally, what I'm wondering most about is how I will guide my students interest into a love of reading. I will be teaching somewhere in the K-5 range, is it okay at an interview to ask about the reading program and differianting instruction? Or can I find out how much teacher input is used in program selections?
The second and most important thing I have taken from the readins is that there are no clear definitions on what literacy is and how reading should be taught, there are many different opinions, strategies and theories out there and we should learn alot about them in order to differentiate our instruction for our students. I could not believe what I was reading in the article "Silencing Teachers...", we hear all the time about schools teaching to the test, this school took it to the limit with their scripted reading program. The article also showed how when you have parents in the community that speak out the program may be altered but in the poorer areas where that is not likely to happen, the students fall even further behind with programs that are not tailored to them, it's like a vicious cycle.
This brings us to some of the key issues I found in the articles, such as "What is Literacy?" It can be defined in so many ways, does it or should it include modern technology, can it ever be the same in all countries? Should it be the same? I though alot about this, when doing a search on my ancestors, I found the census for my grandfather and was surprised to see in the column where it said reads and writes, the NO column was checked. I had my whole life heard what an intelligent man he was always questioning and debating current events. Does this mean that because he couldn't read a whole newspaper he was illiterate or was he literate because he could read enough to be able to comprehend a story without knowing every word.
The other key issues that grabbed my attention are differentiating instruction and how to teach. I put these two together because I do not think there is one way to teach to all students and we will all have to differentiate for our students. What happens when a school district adopts and implements only one programs to the students who just don't get it? As teachers what can we do? I think this is an issue that we do not hear enough about.
Finally, what I'm wondering most about is how I will guide my students interest into a love of reading. I will be teaching somewhere in the K-5 range, is it okay at an interview to ask about the reading program and differianting instruction? Or can I find out how much teacher input is used in program selections?
Monday, June 25, 2007
Intro
Hi, I'm Rosemarie. My motto has always been Live-Love-Laugh and hopefully I can remember that during this class!
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