Now that the semester is coming to an end, I can look in retrospect and say that "if I'm not ready now I probably never will be". I say that because since I have been in the graduate Language and Literacy program, I have read about an ample amount of theories on Second Language Acquisition and literacy, but this is the first semester in which I actually learned techniques of how to put those theories into practice. This semester the class covered an array of topics from teaching the steps of interpreting poetry to how to create thought provoking prompts. Betsy Roschach did an excellent job in putting us in the shoes of teachers and that in return made me feel like one on several occasions. After reviewing my notes, I can conclude that I am definitely ready to start teaching.
It was a wonderful semester and I will add several texts to my pedagogy library, so that I can refer to them when I need information about such topics as literacy, reading comprehension or teaching composition. I learned from this class that if I have something to do, the only way to get it done will be by doing it. This must be the reason why we were asked to produce so many group assignments on our own. I'm very grateful for the lessons on implementation. The professor deserves a round of applause!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
My Conviction of The Five Paragraph Essay
When I started college, I was introduced to the five paragraph essay by a professor who I now see as my mentor. It made so much sense to me to explicate what I am tying to convey in three distinct yet succinct paragraphs. After attending graduate classes, I realized that there are several ways to compose an essay and I deduce that the City University uses the five paragraph theme because it as helpful for the professors to grade as it is effortless for some students to compose.
This semester I read a few essays such as "The Five Paragraph Essay", "My Five Paragraph Theme Theme" that where not in favor of this method of composing essays. The issue that I had with the latter essay is the fact that the author went out of his way to ridicule this system, yet he offered no alternative method of teaching students how to organize their essays in a lucid manner in which the professor can comprehend the points that were being made. The entire article was satirical to the point where I wondered if the writer has ever taught any ELL.
The third essay that I read in reference to the five paragraph essay was "Traci's 44 List of Five Paragraph Essays" which I found to be brilliant. Unlike the other two essays, she did not even attempt to lampoon the system that is currently being used in Universities across the country. Instead she created ten fabulous theme prompts for writing original five paragraph essays. Cultural competence is a major asset when teaching students how to write and think in a new language. The traditional five paragraph essay is a wonderful way to teach foreign students the rules of writing a clear well organized essay. For the critics that disagree with this notion, I would like to ask them a single question. If you were learning to speak, read, listen, and write in a language that had a totally different alphabet system, would you want a system as clean cut and feasible as the five paragraph essay, or would you want various other techniques that might confuse you?" Empathy is the key to understanding and understanding is greater than knowledge!!!
This semester I read a few essays such as "The Five Paragraph Essay", "My Five Paragraph Theme Theme" that where not in favor of this method of composing essays. The issue that I had with the latter essay is the fact that the author went out of his way to ridicule this system, yet he offered no alternative method of teaching students how to organize their essays in a lucid manner in which the professor can comprehend the points that were being made. The entire article was satirical to the point where I wondered if the writer has ever taught any ELL.
The third essay that I read in reference to the five paragraph essay was "Traci's 44 List of Five Paragraph Essays" which I found to be brilliant. Unlike the other two essays, she did not even attempt to lampoon the system that is currently being used in Universities across the country. Instead she created ten fabulous theme prompts for writing original five paragraph essays. Cultural competence is a major asset when teaching students how to write and think in a new language. The traditional five paragraph essay is a wonderful way to teach foreign students the rules of writing a clear well organized essay. For the critics that disagree with this notion, I would like to ask them a single question. If you were learning to speak, read, listen, and write in a language that had a totally different alphabet system, would you want a system as clean cut and feasible as the five paragraph essay, or would you want various other techniques that might confuse you?" Empathy is the key to understanding and understanding is greater than knowledge!!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
My Interview with Dr. Gladys Carro
The semester is grinding to a halt, and I realized that, regardless of the readings, and the classroom implementation of various pedagogical concepts (which I'm sure will be very contributory to my future practice), I was still moderately apprehensive about entering a classroom of my own. So, I decided that if I really wanted to do something, I should learn from someone who excelled in that field. That idea lead me to interview one of my favorite professors in the CCNY English department.
The interview that I conducted was with Dr. Gladys Carro. being that the meeting was someone impromptu, I decided not to quote her directly because it was ore of a discourse than a traditional interview. The main question that I asked her was "what advice can you give a budding adjunct?" She explained to me that the only way to learn how to do something is by practicing. I then asked her what I should do if I feel inundated with a classroom full of students who are not grasping the material. She smiled and told me to focus on my main goal which is to make sure that their papers are comprehensible.She explained that if I can understand what they are writing, that I can easily introduce the more complicated features of the English language.
The interview that I conducted was with Dr. Gladys Carro. being that the meeting was someone impromptu, I decided not to quote her directly because it was ore of a discourse than a traditional interview. The main question that I asked her was "what advice can you give a budding adjunct?" She explained to me that the only way to learn how to do something is by practicing. I then asked her what I should do if I feel inundated with a classroom full of students who are not grasping the material. She smiled and told me to focus on my main goal which is to make sure that their papers are comprehensible.She explained that if I can understand what they are writing, that I can easily introduce the more complicated features of the English language.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Rhetorical Modes
I was elated when I learned that there were modes of writing other than the commonly used argument, cause and effect, comparison contrast, and description essays. When I started LaGuardia Community College, I remember not even hearing of any of those essays, or even caring that they existed. I must also confess that I was a recluse who did not care about telling any professor what I thought about my life or about any ancient text. When I transfered my economics credits to CCNY and decided to become an English major, I learned that expression of any type is a form of therapy and that writing was the best way to record how I felt about any given topic at any given time. A few weeks ago when we were assigned to read about these rhetorical modes, I was introduced to the Classification, Extended definition, Exemplification, Narration, and Narration modes and I began thinking of how many possibilities I will have when the time comes for me to start writing prompts for my students in the future.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers by Nancy Sommers
***FRUITS***
"Two representative models are Gordon Rohman's suggestion that the composing process moves from prewriting to writing to rewriting and James Britton's model of the writing process as a series of stages described in metaphors of linear growth, conception--incubation--production."(378)
"What is impossible in speech is revision: like the example Barthes gives revision in speech is afterthought. In the same way each stage of the linear must be exclusive or else it becomes trivial and counterproductive to refer to these junctures as stages"(379)
"Writing has spacial and temporal features not apparent in speech-- words are recorded in space and fixed in time --which is why writing is susceptable to reordering and later addition. Such features make possible the dissonance that both provokes revision and promises from itself, new meaning."(386)
"For the experienced writers the heaviest concentration of changes is on the sentence level,and the changes are predominantly by addition and deletion"(386)
"Two representative models are Gordon Rohman's suggestion that the composing process moves from prewriting to writing to rewriting and James Britton's model of the writing process as a series of stages described in metaphors of linear growth, conception--incubation--production."(378)
"What is impossible in speech is revision: like the example Barthes gives revision in speech is afterthought. In the same way each stage of the linear must be exclusive or else it becomes trivial and counterproductive to refer to these junctures as stages"(379)
"Writing has spacial and temporal features not apparent in speech-- words are recorded in space and fixed in time --which is why writing is susceptable to reordering and later addition. Such features make possible the dissonance that both provokes revision and promises from itself, new meaning."(386)
"For the experienced writers the heaviest concentration of changes is on the sentence level,and the changes are predominantly by addition and deletion"(386)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Understanding Composing by Sondra Perl
***FRUITS***
Steps to Retrospective Structuring
"1) The most visible recurring feature or backward movement involves re-reading little bits of discourse. Few writers I have seen write for long periods of time without returning to what is already written down on the page." (364)
"2) The second recurring feature is some key word or item called up bythe topic. Writers consistently return to their notion of the topic throughout the process of writing."(364)
"3) There is a third background movement in writing, one that is not so easy to document. It is not easy because the move itself cannot immediately be identified with words. The move draws on sense experience, and can be observed if on pays close attention to what happens when writers pause and seem to listen or otherwise react to what is inside of them."(364)
Steps to Projective Structuring
"1) Although projective structuring is only one part of the composing process, many writers act as if it is the whole process. These writers focus on what they think other want them to write rather than looking to see what it is that they want to write."(368)
"2) Many writers reduce projective structuring to a series of rules or criteria for evaluating finished discourse. These writers ask 'Is what I'm doing correct?' and does it confirm the rules that I've been taught?"()
Steps to Retrospective Structuring
"1) The most visible recurring feature or backward movement involves re-reading little bits of discourse. Few writers I have seen write for long periods of time without returning to what is already written down on the page." (364)
"2) The second recurring feature is some key word or item called up bythe topic. Writers consistently return to their notion of the topic throughout the process of writing."(364)
"3) There is a third background movement in writing, one that is not so easy to document. It is not easy because the move itself cannot immediately be identified with words. The move draws on sense experience, and can be observed if on pays close attention to what happens when writers pause and seem to listen or otherwise react to what is inside of them."(364)
Steps to Projective Structuring
"1) Although projective structuring is only one part of the composing process, many writers act as if it is the whole process. These writers focus on what they think other want them to write rather than looking to see what it is that they want to write."(368)
"2) Many writers reduce projective structuring to a series of rules or criteria for evaluating finished discourse. These writers ask 'Is what I'm doing correct?' and does it confirm the rules that I've been taught?"()
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Collaborative Learning and the "Conversation of Mankind" by Kenneth A. Bruffee
***FRUITS***
"collaborative learning is discussed sometimes as a process that constitutes fields or disciplines of study and sometimes as a pedagogical tool that works in teaching composition and literature. The former discussion, often highly theoretical, usually manages to keep at bay the more troublesome and problematic aspects of collaborative learning."(636)
**WEEDS**
None.
***BASKET***
This was the article that Peter Hawkes responded to, I feel just as interested in this article as I was in Hawkes'. The most effective method of teaching students grammar, is teaching them how to recognize their own errors.
"collaborative learning is discussed sometimes as a process that constitutes fields or disciplines of study and sometimes as a pedagogical tool that works in teaching composition and literature. The former discussion, often highly theoretical, usually manages to keep at bay the more troublesome and problematic aspects of collaborative learning."(636)
**WEEDS**
None.
***BASKET***
This was the article that Peter Hawkes responded to, I feel just as interested in this article as I was in Hawkes'. The most effective method of teaching students grammar, is teaching them how to recognize their own errors.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Collaborative Learning and American Literature By Peter Hawkes
***FRUITS***
"Only two things are necessary for collaborative learning-- a group and a task. Because a good task is difficult to design much of what I say will be about task development"(140)
" When i say collaborative learning I mean any method of small group work similar to the one advocated by Kenneth Bruffee (1985), where groups of five students work on the same learning task and then report the findings through a group recorder to the class. "(140)
"Few advocates claim that collaborative learning is more effective than the lecture in presenting the 'facts' -- the historical background, terminology and critical principles - that inform a discipline and that every teacher feels obliged to cover."(141)
" Of course, students need guidance in understanding the debate before they attempt to join it. Therefore my next step is to write (or rewrite) lectures, which among other things build towards the issue of the novel's ending."(142)
***WEEDS***
The one problem that I have with this essay is the fact that it would be virtually impossible for students to cover all of the grammatical features that stump them in one semester, without dedicating the class solely to grammar alone.
***BASKET***
This reading reminds me of the Joyce article on metawriting. This is an effective method of making students aware of the problems that they are making. Perhaps I can have students break up into small groups and research the topics that give students the most difficulties such as subject verb agreement, articles, number, verb conjugation etc...
"Only two things are necessary for collaborative learning-- a group and a task. Because a good task is difficult to design much of what I say will be about task development"(140)
" When i say collaborative learning I mean any method of small group work similar to the one advocated by Kenneth Bruffee (1985), where groups of five students work on the same learning task and then report the findings through a group recorder to the class. "(140)
"Few advocates claim that collaborative learning is more effective than the lecture in presenting the 'facts' -- the historical background, terminology and critical principles - that inform a discipline and that every teacher feels obliged to cover."(141)
" Of course, students need guidance in understanding the debate before they attempt to join it. Therefore my next step is to write (or rewrite) lectures, which among other things build towards the issue of the novel's ending."(142)
***WEEDS***
The one problem that I have with this essay is the fact that it would be virtually impossible for students to cover all of the grammatical features that stump them in one semester, without dedicating the class solely to grammar alone.
***BASKET***
This reading reminds me of the Joyce article on metawriting. This is an effective method of making students aware of the problems that they are making. Perhaps I can have students break up into small groups and research the topics that give students the most difficulties such as subject verb agreement, articles, number, verb conjugation etc...
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
When Older Students Can't Read by Louisa C. Moats
***FRUITS***
"If students receive instruction in phonological and alphabetic skills and learn to apply that knowledge to decoding words, they are very likely to succeed at reading."(36)
"when an individual's reading comprehension is more impaired than his or her listening comprehension, inaccurate and slow word recognition is the most likely cause."(37)
"Very poor readers must have their phonological skills strengthened because their inability to identify speech sounds erodes spelling, word recognition, and vocabulary development. For less severely impaired readers, educators must often target text reading fluency."(37)
"If students do not know the words they are reading, they must expand their vocabularies and learn a repertoire of comprehension strategies."(37)
"Language-deficient children often miss the subtle differences in speech sounds that distinguish words from on another--for example, pacific/specific; gold/goal; fresh/flesh; anecdote/antidote."(37)
"Phonological awareness, decoding, spelling, grammar, and other language skills can be taught as a linguistics course in which instructors use such adult language as phoneme deletion and morphemic structure. "(38)
"Great texts such as fables, poems, oral histories, and adapted classics promote student engagement. Even if students are working on word recognition, they will benefit from daily opportunities to discuss meaningful material"(39)
**WEEDS**
None
***BASKET***
This reading will be especially helpful with helping students to learn about sentence structure. I will try to apply everything into my lesson planning.
"If students receive instruction in phonological and alphabetic skills and learn to apply that knowledge to decoding words, they are very likely to succeed at reading."(36)
"when an individual's reading comprehension is more impaired than his or her listening comprehension, inaccurate and slow word recognition is the most likely cause."(37)
"Very poor readers must have their phonological skills strengthened because their inability to identify speech sounds erodes spelling, word recognition, and vocabulary development. For less severely impaired readers, educators must often target text reading fluency."(37)
"If students do not know the words they are reading, they must expand their vocabularies and learn a repertoire of comprehension strategies."(37)
"Language-deficient children often miss the subtle differences in speech sounds that distinguish words from on another--for example, pacific/specific; gold/goal; fresh/flesh; anecdote/antidote."(37)
"Phonological awareness, decoding, spelling, grammar, and other language skills can be taught as a linguistics course in which instructors use such adult language as phoneme deletion and morphemic structure. "(38)
"Great texts such as fables, poems, oral histories, and adapted classics promote student engagement. Even if students are working on word recognition, they will benefit from daily opportunities to discuss meaningful material"(39)
**WEEDS**
None
***BASKET***
This reading will be especially helpful with helping students to learn about sentence structure. I will try to apply everything into my lesson planning.
Monday, November 8, 2010
On the Use of Metawriting to Learn Grammar and Mechanics by Douglas James Joyce
***FRUITS***
"We have bought into the concept of writing to learn, yet we do not ask our students to write about those very topics that cause us so much frustration: grammar and mechanics. I am convinced that writing about writing-Metawriting- may be the single most effective tool we can use to assist our students in grammar and mechanics as they learn to compose formal academic essays. "(24)
This article discusses one effective method of teaching grammar without the traditional trite and tedious explicit in class drills. By asking students to research those grammatical errors that frequently occur, the professor is essentially asking them to look in the mirror with their thinking caps on.
***WEEDS***
None
***BASKET***
Everything!
"We have bought into the concept of writing to learn, yet we do not ask our students to write about those very topics that cause us so much frustration: grammar and mechanics. I am convinced that writing about writing-Metawriting- may be the single most effective tool we can use to assist our students in grammar and mechanics as they learn to compose formal academic essays. "(24)
This article discusses one effective method of teaching grammar without the traditional trite and tedious explicit in class drills. By asking students to research those grammatical errors that frequently occur, the professor is essentially asking them to look in the mirror with their thinking caps on.
***WEEDS***
None
***BASKET***
Everything!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Results Of Last Month's Syntax Search
Last month, I ventured out on an academic expedition in which I searched for techniques for helping my students to improve their sentence structures. After searching for weeks, I realized that there is no preordained way to teach sentence structure. I must admit that my ambivalence has me torn between relief and displeasure. The feeling of relief derives from the fact that I finally have a solution to the problem and the I am slightly disappointed due to the fact that I do not have an easier solution to present to my students.
The remedy for the syntactic structure is simple. The most effective way to improve a student's writing skills is to help them with reading comprehension. First of all because, the only way to deal with the nuances that come with the teaching of prepositions, articles and diction is to make the students read the way native speakers of English use them. There are many inconsistencies that even Doctorate Professors of English consider to be convoluted. So, by teaching them to become efficient readers, I will also be teaching them to enhance their lexical skills, map syntactic patterns, and to juxtapose the differences between the rules of writing in their languages and in English.
The remedy for the syntactic structure is simple. The most effective way to improve a student's writing skills is to help them with reading comprehension. First of all because, the only way to deal with the nuances that come with the teaching of prepositions, articles and diction is to make the students read the way native speakers of English use them. There are many inconsistencies that even Doctorate Professors of English consider to be convoluted. So, by teaching them to become efficient readers, I will also be teaching them to enhance their lexical skills, map syntactic patterns, and to juxtapose the differences between the rules of writing in their languages and in English.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Whose Job Is It To Teach English?
I have been fortunate enough to have been working for the CCNY Writing Center for the last four semesters. The reason why this experience is so felicitous for me is because, as a tutor I feel as though I am a hybrid between a student and a professor. From the student perspective, I empathize with having to work assiduously to meet deadlines, research topics from hours to weeks, stay up all night writing papers, and work tenaciously to satisfy all of the professors expectations (if not exceed them). On the other side of the spectrum, I can relate to the professors because it is my job to look at the students assignments and decide what I have enough time to teach them in fifty minutes. Time is always of essence in those ephemeral sessions, this is why my regular students must make numerous appointments throughout the week, so that they can correct their papers with my help, and receive instruction on how to express themselves proficiently by using the grammatical rules of the English language.
When I talk to my associates who are adjunct professors, some of them tell me how hard it is to teach grammar within a short one hour interval, therefore if the students want to learn grammar they must go to the writing center to get help. Other professors tell me that native speakers of English should have been taught grammar in grade school and it is not their job to teach it, so they sentence the students to the writing center and demand a receipt as evidence of their attendance. Simultaneously, when I went to visit my old high school teachers, they explained that grammar should be taught in elementary. Although I have not had the opportunity to visit any elementary schools, this inane cycle of irresponsibility makes it clearly indicative that the elementary schools will accuse someone else for school children NOT learning grammar (perhaps Sesame Street).
There is a psychological term called the Diffusion of Responsibility, which can be described in a succinct example such as this one; a group of individuals witnessing an accident and each person expecting another person to help the victim. Instead of standing up and doing what is right to allay the situation everyone feels as if he or she is not responsible and points the finger to someone else to save the day. When I see a student who is taking 200 or 300 level English classes, but can barley write a comprehensible sentence, I feel very melancholic for the student that the public school system has failed him. All I can do is try my best. When I start teaching, perhaps I will try to sneak mini grammar tips into my lesson planning. Most importantly when professors complain about how poor their students are in writing, those words must enter my ears as a pungent cacophony that becomes scrambled in my brain before it processes. I should not listen to such negativity because learning should be fun and if my students are not learning, I must work harder or get some help.
When I talk to my associates who are adjunct professors, some of them tell me how hard it is to teach grammar within a short one hour interval, therefore if the students want to learn grammar they must go to the writing center to get help. Other professors tell me that native speakers of English should have been taught grammar in grade school and it is not their job to teach it, so they sentence the students to the writing center and demand a receipt as evidence of their attendance. Simultaneously, when I went to visit my old high school teachers, they explained that grammar should be taught in elementary. Although I have not had the opportunity to visit any elementary schools, this inane cycle of irresponsibility makes it clearly indicative that the elementary schools will accuse someone else for school children NOT learning grammar (perhaps Sesame Street).
There is a psychological term called the Diffusion of Responsibility, which can be described in a succinct example such as this one; a group of individuals witnessing an accident and each person expecting another person to help the victim. Instead of standing up and doing what is right to allay the situation everyone feels as if he or she is not responsible and points the finger to someone else to save the day. When I see a student who is taking 200 or 300 level English classes, but can barley write a comprehensible sentence, I feel very melancholic for the student that the public school system has failed him. All I can do is try my best. When I start teaching, perhaps I will try to sneak mini grammar tips into my lesson planning. Most importantly when professors complain about how poor their students are in writing, those words must enter my ears as a pungent cacophony that becomes scrambled in my brain before it processes. I should not listen to such negativity because learning should be fun and if my students are not learning, I must work harder or get some help.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Searching For Inspiration
One of the most important aspects in pursuing any goal is motivation. In addition to the mental alacrity that is requisite for teachers to suddenly modify lesson plans in order to aid struggling students, an effective educator must always have the enthusiasm that will enable her to galvanize her students in an attempt to attain the goals that were set for the day, week, month and semester. So, if it is the teacher's responsibility to motivate the students, the conundrum is, whose job is it to inspire the teacher?
When life takes its toll and leaves us feeling lethargic and apathetic, should we carry this contagious raincloud of insipid fog into our classroom with us? If so, the only inevitable result would be a hurricane of bromidic proportions, in which the students are contaminated with the same boredom, or lured to sleep by our lack luster lessons that lay out as lullabies (if this occurs we'd better not penalize them for snoring louder than we speak)! What then should we do to make the classroom experience enjoyable for ourselves and for our students?
The first thing I did was make a list of some of the funnest classes that I have ever taken, in CCNY and in my life. For the record, the CCNY professors that topped my fun list were; Brandon Judell, Dr Hamilton, Dr Leondopolos, David Unger and of course Dr Mikao Kaku. The next step will be for me to set up meetings with them and the other teachers from the prior schools in which I attended. Next I will amalgamate their ideas into a guide that will grow on a constant basis as a reminder of my promise to give every serious( not all of them are studious) student my time and attention for the entire semester that we are merged. I am also in the process of making a list of the greatest teachers of all time with Confucius topping the list and researching their philosophies on education. To be continued....
When life takes its toll and leaves us feeling lethargic and apathetic, should we carry this contagious raincloud of insipid fog into our classroom with us? If so, the only inevitable result would be a hurricane of bromidic proportions, in which the students are contaminated with the same boredom, or lured to sleep by our lack luster lessons that lay out as lullabies (if this occurs we'd better not penalize them for snoring louder than we speak)! What then should we do to make the classroom experience enjoyable for ourselves and for our students?
The first thing I did was make a list of some of the funnest classes that I have ever taken, in CCNY and in my life. For the record, the CCNY professors that topped my fun list were; Brandon Judell, Dr Hamilton, Dr Leondopolos, David Unger and of course Dr Mikao Kaku. The next step will be for me to set up meetings with them and the other teachers from the prior schools in which I attended. Next I will amalgamate their ideas into a guide that will grow on a constant basis as a reminder of my promise to give every serious( not all of them are studious) student my time and attention for the entire semester that we are merged. I am also in the process of making a list of the greatest teachers of all time with Confucius topping the list and researching their philosophies on education. To be continued....
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Transition: Levitating From A Student To A Teacher
I wonder, is moving from a student to a teacher really a levitation? I make this inquiry simply because I give credence to the notion that both reading and writing are transactional phenomena that require the efforts of both the producers and the recipients, to create the event of awareness. For example Li Bai might have written an anthology of Chinese literature, but every reader will approach the book with his or her own experience that will give the readings new meanings that are generated from the readers background knowledge. With this being said, I always thought of a classroom as symbiotic realm in which students and the teacher can interact to achieve one goal: making the world a better place. The teachers job is to take her knowledge of the subject and use her skills not only to "recite" the material (as many teachers and college instructors do), but to plan lessons with efficacy that will motivate students to want to attain their full scholastic potential. In return students will ascend academically from grade school, to middle school, to high school, to college and beyond. After college, it is inevitable that students will enter the workforce and pursue careers that will be beneficial to society. This is the reason why I see the class as a team and the teacher as the coach of that team. If a diligent student is not able to grasp the material by the end of the semester, the teacher should share the shame and consider the possibility that he is simply a walking tape recorder. There are too many educators that are teaching for fiscal gain instead of teaching students what they need to know in order to move up in society. This is the reason why I must delve deep into the theories and methodologies of pedagogy and train myself to be effective in my field, for the right reasons.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Self Awareness: The Most Substantial Tool in Teaching
As a budding educator, I have learned a plethora of useful theories of pedagogy, affective methodologies of implementing those theories into classroom curricula and I've even journeyed through the mind of a student and conducted research on the three styles of learning: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, as well as the Multiple Intelligences Theory which states that students have one or more of eight different talents that experienced teachers can utilize in order to facilitate the learning process. The theory states that every student is intrinsically gifted with; verbal linguistic, bodily kinesthetic, musical rhythmic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, logical mathematical, natural or visual spacial intelligence, that would allow him/her to easily grasp concepts that might have seemed to have been convoluted prior to the awakening of their slumbered learning skills.
All of this knowledge will be very conducive in my teaching practice, however, the most formidable discipline that I have ever studied, is discipline itself! Who am I? Why do I want to teach? And most importantly, what are my weaknesses? Reverting to my background in economics, I conducted a SWOT(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) Analysis on myself and was faced with a reality that was conspicuous, yet frequently neglected. The biggest problem that I currently grapple with is procrastination, and instead of procrastinating to find a solution for the procrastination, I "abruptly" went on a treasure hunt in pursuit of a remedy for this pestilence. My journey led me to a book called Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy which offers an array of superlative advice on subduing the deliberate deferment of important tasks.
***FRUITS***
All of this knowledge will be very conducive in my teaching practice, however, the most formidable discipline that I have ever studied, is discipline itself! Who am I? Why do I want to teach? And most importantly, what are my weaknesses? Reverting to my background in economics, I conducted a SWOT(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) Analysis on myself and was faced with a reality that was conspicuous, yet frequently neglected. The biggest problem that I currently grapple with is procrastination, and instead of procrastinating to find a solution for the procrastination, I "abruptly" went on a treasure hunt in pursuit of a remedy for this pestilence. My journey led me to a book called Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy which offers an array of superlative advice on subduing the deliberate deferment of important tasks.
***FRUITS***
- "Decide exactly what you want to accomplish in each area of your life"(7)
- "Plan every day in advance"(13)
- "Apply the Pareto Principle also known as the 80/20 rule to everything"in other words if you have 10 things on your daily itinerary, two of those tasks will result to more than the rest of the items put together, so procrastinating will in essence lead to shortcomings. Also you (I) should resist the temptation of finishing the easiest tasks first. Eating a frog means accomplishing a feat that is not easy, but doing it because it will get me closer to where I need to be. (20)
- "Long term thinking often improves short term decision making"(27)
- Go back to the basics of A,B,C's "The power of this technique lies in its simplicity..."An A item is defined as something that is very important, something you must do or else face serious consequences etc....(32)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Twelve Easy Ways to Make Learning to Read Difficult.....by Frank Smith
In this essay, Smith ascertains the famous platitude that "a man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all". I say this because, his twelve rules for reading teachers are the methods that my teachers used to teach me how to read ever since I have been in this country. He admits that those prevalent methodologies are not as helpful as the masses may believe. This shows me that if I want to be an effective teacher, I must be flexible and willing to learn new techniques in order to make certain that my students get as much as they can from my lessons.
When Smith states that the one difficult rule for making learning to read easy is to "make reading easy"I automatically knew that I was going to have to reassess everything that I was taught in the past about chunking, phonics, word association etc... By focusing one the one difficult way to make it easy, teachers can help students to conquer their academic fears by teaching them that fear is actually nothing more than False evidence Appearing Real!
When Smith states that the one difficult rule for making learning to read easy is to "make reading easy"I automatically knew that I was going to have to reassess everything that I was taught in the past about chunking, phonics, word association etc... By focusing one the one difficult way to make it easy, teachers can help students to conquer their academic fears by teaching them that fear is actually nothing more than False evidence Appearing Real!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Syntax Search II
After discussing the research available on my teaching inquiry topic with Betsy, I learned that the best thing that I could do to to help students with syntax, is to help them with second language acquisition in general. Last semester I took course in SLA in which I learned about a plethora of different theorists that contributed to the field of TESOL. In the dichotomous debate about which theorists make more sense between the cognitive theorists and the behaviorists, I discerned that the behaviorists have a much more palpable approach because a student can be drilled on grammar all day long, but if she does not study what she learns with experienced interlocutors she will never be able to put it into useful practice through collaborative dialogues. For this reason, I decided that instead of focusing on sentence structure, I should focus on semantics and reading comprehension because the more a student knows, the more she is able to write about.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Writing Without Teachers by Peter Elbow
This book was very interesting due to the fact that it contrasted everything that I ever learned about the writing process. It is difficult for a reader to discern which information from a text is most feasible in real life situations, so I took it upon myself to test Elbow's theory of free writing in order to "grow" ideas and then later editing as a method of "cooking" the paper by amalgamating all of the fertile ideas.
I tested this idea by asking my private students to free write for 10 minutes about the topic that they had to write about. Later I asked them to underline all of the key words and those were the key items used to create topic sentences. This process worked so effectively that I used it to write my own personal statement. I would ardently recommend it to any student who thinks that he or she is suffering from a case of writer's block, or those that simply hate to write.
I tested this idea by asking my private students to free write for 10 minutes about the topic that they had to write about. Later I asked them to underline all of the key words and those were the key items used to create topic sentences. This process worked so effectively that I used it to write my own personal statement. I would ardently recommend it to any student who thinks that he or she is suffering from a case of writer's block, or those that simply hate to write.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 9
Chapter 9
**FRUITS**
"Reading teachers do more than measure comprehension. With direct explicit instruction that demonstrates what good readers do, struggling readers can be taught how to comprehend the text better."(108)
"Strategies overlap. I don't neglect one that has been previously taught when I begin a new one, and I don't continue focusing on one that students have mastered."(109)
**WEEDS**
The main problem that I had with this book was that certain ideas were constantly repeated from chapter to chapter. After finishing the book, I realized that it was done for a reason. She repeated herself because the students in her class are not the only learners that she has to educate. She spells her strategies out and she gives examples and models of everything that she does so that we can teach our students in the same way that we were taught.
**BASKET**
This whole book is a keeper. Regardless of how bad the economy gets I will never sell this book because I can constantly refer to it and possibly build my own effective strategies that may be based on her principals and techniques.
**FRUITS**
"Reading teachers do more than measure comprehension. With direct explicit instruction that demonstrates what good readers do, struggling readers can be taught how to comprehend the text better."(108)
"Strategies overlap. I don't neglect one that has been previously taught when I begin a new one, and I don't continue focusing on one that students have mastered."(109)
**WEEDS**
The main problem that I had with this book was that certain ideas were constantly repeated from chapter to chapter. After finishing the book, I realized that it was done for a reason. She repeated herself because the students in her class are not the only learners that she has to educate. She spells her strategies out and she gives examples and models of everything that she does so that we can teach our students in the same way that we were taught.
**BASKET**
This whole book is a keeper. Regardless of how bad the economy gets I will never sell this book because I can constantly refer to it and possibly build my own effective strategies that may be based on her principals and techniques.
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 8
Chapter 8
**FRUITS**
-"When teaching the what, don't forget the how."(98)
-When Kristi makes a wild outlandish inference about the ending of the class reading, Tovani tells her"as you get older, people won't take you seriously if your opinions aren't based on the facts. You can't just say anything and expect people to agree with you."(98)
-"In order to infer, readers must lift up the words and go beneath them." (100)
**WEEDS**
Very important chapter. No weeds here!
**BASKET**
"When teachers use phrases like read between the lines, make an inference, draw a conclusion, think harder, they are not showing students how to infer, they are merely telling them to infer." (99) I have to remember this when I start teaching.
"Distinguish the differences between opinion and inference.Provide examples and point out that sometimes opinions are based on facts but not always."(104)
**FRUITS**
-"When teaching the what, don't forget the how."(98)
-When Kristi makes a wild outlandish inference about the ending of the class reading, Tovani tells her"as you get older, people won't take you seriously if your opinions aren't based on the facts. You can't just say anything and expect people to agree with you."(98)
-"In order to infer, readers must lift up the words and go beneath them." (100)
**WEEDS**
Very important chapter. No weeds here!
**BASKET**
"When teachers use phrases like read between the lines, make an inference, draw a conclusion, think harder, they are not showing students how to infer, they are merely telling them to infer." (99) I have to remember this when I start teaching.
"Distinguish the differences between opinion and inference.Provide examples and point out that sometimes opinions are based on facts but not always."(104)
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 7
Chapter 7
**FRUITS**
I agree with her about the fact that students should try to take responsibility for "learning", instead of blaming others for what they do not comprehend. The sweetest fruits in this section were picked from the section where she suggested that the students:
1. Interact with the text
2. Motivate themselves to read
3. Clarify information in the text
4. Infer beyond the literal meaning
Although I feel as though these fruits have already been eaten.
**WEEDS**
As I was reading this chapter I thought about the TEOSL/TEFL certification course that I took in Oxford seminars this summer. The instructor spoke to us about "teacher speak" and the importance of repetition. With that being said, I'm hoping that this is what Tovani is attempting to do in this chapter (repeat everything that she said in other chapters) because at this point some of her tips are becoming a bit bromidic to me (seriously)! But, if that is what she intended, it's all good.
** BASKET**
I will re-pick the fruits that I plucked from this chapter (and a few others) and in my basket I will add the teaching point #4 from page 95, which is "Teach students that answers to their questions can be found in three places: in the text, in their head, and in another source. Give examples of each." Initially, I thought this chapter wreaked with repetitious advice, but this nugget of wisdom that I added to the basket, is one of the best tips that she offers in the entire book. I appreciate the way she exonerates herself from being deemed as corny. Nice move Chris! :D
**FRUITS**
I agree with her about the fact that students should try to take responsibility for "learning", instead of blaming others for what they do not comprehend. The sweetest fruits in this section were picked from the section where she suggested that the students:
1. Interact with the text
2. Motivate themselves to read
3. Clarify information in the text
4. Infer beyond the literal meaning
Although I feel as though these fruits have already been eaten.
**WEEDS**
As I was reading this chapter I thought about the TEOSL/TEFL certification course that I took in Oxford seminars this summer. The instructor spoke to us about "teacher speak" and the importance of repetition. With that being said, I'm hoping that this is what Tovani is attempting to do in this chapter (repeat everything that she said in other chapters) because at this point some of her tips are becoming a bit bromidic to me (seriously)! But, if that is what she intended, it's all good.
** BASKET**
I will re-pick the fruits that I plucked from this chapter (and a few others) and in my basket I will add the teaching point #4 from page 95, which is "Teach students that answers to their questions can be found in three places: in the text, in their head, and in another source. Give examples of each." Initially, I thought this chapter wreaked with repetitious advice, but this nugget of wisdom that I added to the basket, is one of the best tips that she offers in the entire book. I appreciate the way she exonerates herself from being deemed as corny. Nice move Chris! :D
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 6
Chapter 6
**FRUITS**
-When her students complain about not having any background knowledge about a text, I love it when she says "there are many topics they will have to read that didn't occur during the last fifteen years. It's time to call on the information that they do have."(71) Then she introduces these eight steps:
1. Relate to characters
2.Visualize (which was mentioned in some of the other techniques)
3. Avoid boredom
4. Pay attention
5. Listen to others
6. Read actively (also mentioned previously)
7. Remember what they read
8. Ask questions. Questions often lead to inferences.
**WEEDS**
No weeds for me. This is actually one of the most important chapters because when students feel as though they can relate to a topic they they tend to delve deeper into it and extrapolate more meaning than they would have if the topic is boring or unfamiliar. This reminds me of my passion for SOCIOLOGY. I love the discipline so much that I spelled it in capital letters for no apparent reason. But when I read about it I get goosebumps and by mind starts to play a three way ping pong match between each of the three paradigms, as I try to conceptualize what theorists from each sect would say about certain societal issues.
**BASKET**
Everything goes in the basket! I refuse to surpass the word minimum but I will also take the tips that she offers from pages 76-78. Good stuff!
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 5
Chapter 5
**FRUITS**
I love her fix up strategies which include:
*Making connection between themselves and the text
*Making Predictions
*Stopping and thinking about what they already read
*Asking themselves questions and trying to answer them (also mentioned in chap 4)
*Reflecting in writing what they already read
*Visualization
*Using print conventions
*Retelling what they already read
*Noticing patterns in text structure
*Adjusting their reading rates: slower or faster according to levels of comprehension
**WEEDS**
I have to honestly say that Tovani is on a roll here. I mean the purpose of me doing a weeds section is so I can reflect on what I am confused about or to take a second or third look at what I disagree with. So far this is the fifth chapter and I only recall reporting weeds once. Again, I have no weeds for this chapter it's an easy read and it might become my reading comprehension bible when I start working. This is some seriously good stuff!
**BASKET**
The fruits are coming with me and also, I would like to pick up the methods that she uses to decipher unknown words:
1. Looking at the structure of the word try to search for any familiar roots and pre or suffixes.
2. Using the glossary if one is available
3. Reading the words around the unknown word and trying to substitute the strange word for another word that might also make sense
4. Write the word down on the sticky note. The next day in class ask the teacher. I think I'll have to rescind from my statement about the weeds. Since we are living in the information era, the same internet that allows students to watch a Lady Gaga video fifty times in a row, can also allow them to google any word on earth and get the meaning of it. I also suggest that my students invest in a digital dictionary so that they can gain access to meanings of difficult words regardless of where they are. But, she still did a great job compiling this list so I will not actually dump this idea in the weeds batch.
**FRUITS**
I love her fix up strategies which include:
*Making connection between themselves and the text
*Making Predictions
*Stopping and thinking about what they already read
*Asking themselves questions and trying to answer them (also mentioned in chap 4)
*Reflecting in writing what they already read
*Visualization
*Using print conventions
*Retelling what they already read
*Noticing patterns in text structure
*Adjusting their reading rates: slower or faster according to levels of comprehension
**WEEDS**
I have to honestly say that Tovani is on a roll here. I mean the purpose of me doing a weeds section is so I can reflect on what I am confused about or to take a second or third look at what I disagree with. So far this is the fifth chapter and I only recall reporting weeds once. Again, I have no weeds for this chapter it's an easy read and it might become my reading comprehension bible when I start working. This is some seriously good stuff!
**BASKET**
The fruits are coming with me and also, I would like to pick up the methods that she uses to decipher unknown words:
1. Looking at the structure of the word try to search for any familiar roots and pre or suffixes.
2. Using the glossary if one is available
3. Reading the words around the unknown word and trying to substitute the strange word for another word that might also make sense
4. Write the word down on the sticky note. The next day in class ask the teacher. I think I'll have to rescind from my statement about the weeds. Since we are living in the information era, the same internet that allows students to watch a Lady Gaga video fifty times in a row, can also allow them to google any word on earth and get the meaning of it. I also suggest that my students invest in a digital dictionary so that they can gain access to meanings of difficult words regardless of where they are. But, she still did a great job compiling this list so I will not actually dump this idea in the weeds batch.
I read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 4
Chapter 4
**FRUITS**
In this chapter Tovani talks about the six signals that she tells her students to look for when they read.
1. The voice that interacts with the text and the one that does not.
2. Good readers have a video recorder playing in their heads as they read. If it shuts off there is a problem.
3. If the students mind wanders off that means they're losing interest (or they have ADD, but that's another topic). They should be aware of this so that they can catch themselves.
4. The reader forgets everything that he read.
5. Asking questions about the text and then answering them.
6. The reader is vaguely able to recall a character, but unable to recall when she was introduced.
**WEEDS**
None.
**BASKET**
One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is when she describes her fathers coaching of baseball. The way he questions every thought during every step of the batting process is how I must question my students thought process as they read. Are you confused? About what? The answers to those questions will facilitate the way I differentiate my lesson plans to adapt to advanced, average and struggling students (so help me God).
**FRUITS**
In this chapter Tovani talks about the six signals that she tells her students to look for when they read.
1. The voice that interacts with the text and the one that does not.
2. Good readers have a video recorder playing in their heads as they read. If it shuts off there is a problem.
3. If the students mind wanders off that means they're losing interest (or they have ADD, but that's another topic). They should be aware of this so that they can catch themselves.
4. The reader forgets everything that he read.
5. Asking questions about the text and then answering them.
6. The reader is vaguely able to recall a character, but unable to recall when she was introduced.
**WEEDS**
None.
**BASKET**
One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is when she describes her fathers coaching of baseball. The way he questions every thought during every step of the batting process is how I must question my students thought process as they read. Are you confused? About what? The answers to those questions will facilitate the way I differentiate my lesson plans to adapt to advanced, average and struggling students (so help me God).
Thursday, October 14, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 3
Chapter 3
**WEEDS**
"Mental modeling is an even better way way to help students understand the text. When teachers make invisible mental process visible, they arm young readers with powerful weapons." (27)
Steps to thinking out loud:
1. Select a short piece of text
2. Foresee difficulty
3. Read the text out loud and stop to share your thinking
4. Point out the words in the text that trigger your thinking
"Good readers are flexible in their thinking and use different strategies for different types of reading. Good readers perceive reading as something they will do for their entire life, not just to pass a class." (35)
**WEEDS**
None!
**BASKET**
I know for certain that mental modeling works because on 10/6/10 the class was asked to pair off into groups of two and model the steps that we used to comprehend the meaning of our chosen poems. I learned a lot from my classmates and I am convinced that if I did this for a secondary school class, they wold be able to develop their reading comprehension skills.
**WEEDS**
"Mental modeling is an even better way way to help students understand the text. When teachers make invisible mental process visible, they arm young readers with powerful weapons." (27)
Steps to thinking out loud:
1. Select a short piece of text
2. Foresee difficulty
3. Read the text out loud and stop to share your thinking
4. Point out the words in the text that trigger your thinking
"Good readers are flexible in their thinking and use different strategies for different types of reading. Good readers perceive reading as something they will do for their entire life, not just to pass a class." (35)
**WEEDS**
None!
**BASKET**
I know for certain that mental modeling works because on 10/6/10 the class was asked to pair off into groups of two and model the steps that we used to comprehend the meaning of our chosen poems. I learned a lot from my classmates and I am convinced that if I did this for a secondary school class, they wold be able to develop their reading comprehension skills.
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 2
Chapter 2
**FRUITS**
I thought it was brilliant for her to have the important Book and Literary Histories for two reasons. First of all she gets to see what her students are comfortable with reading and secondly, she eliminates the anxieties that most students have with reading by showing every student that everyone has a book that is important to him or her.
"Many students aren't reading at home, and they aren't understanding what they are reading in school. The material students encounter in secondary school is complicated and not just understood by "reading the words". (14)
When asked how she passed her classes without reading, a student named lisa stated "I sit in the back of the class and wait for the smart kids to answer all of the questions....If none of them talk the teacher gives us the answer"(14)
"Six cueing systems that readers use to understand text. Graphophonic, Lexical, Syntactic, Semantic, Schematic and Pragmatic." (18)
**WEEDS**
I would not say that there were too many weeds in this chapter, but I would say that as someone who wants to become a secondary school teacher I was alarmed yet enlightened when I heard about how many students expected the teachers to feed the information to them.
**BASKET**
I know now how important it is to learn what levels each of my students are on. This will help me to design programs for them that they can maximize their learning from. It would be a fruitless feat for me to try to teach my class about Shakespeare if they are on a second or third grade level.
I must find creative ways to implement the six cuing systems into my reading comprehension sessions!
**FRUITS**
I thought it was brilliant for her to have the important Book and Literary Histories for two reasons. First of all she gets to see what her students are comfortable with reading and secondly, she eliminates the anxieties that most students have with reading by showing every student that everyone has a book that is important to him or her.
"Many students aren't reading at home, and they aren't understanding what they are reading in school. The material students encounter in secondary school is complicated and not just understood by "reading the words". (14)
When asked how she passed her classes without reading, a student named lisa stated "I sit in the back of the class and wait for the smart kids to answer all of the questions....If none of them talk the teacher gives us the answer"(14)
"Six cueing systems that readers use to understand text. Graphophonic, Lexical, Syntactic, Semantic, Schematic and Pragmatic." (18)
**WEEDS**
I would not say that there were too many weeds in this chapter, but I would say that as someone who wants to become a secondary school teacher I was alarmed yet enlightened when I heard about how many students expected the teachers to feed the information to them.
**BASKET**
I know now how important it is to learn what levels each of my students are on. This will help me to design programs for them that they can maximize their learning from. It would be a fruitless feat for me to try to teach my class about Shakespeare if they are on a second or third grade level.
I must find creative ways to implement the six cuing systems into my reading comprehension sessions!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 1
Chapter 1
**FRIUTS**
I love the way she opens up to the class about how she used to fake read and create bogus book reports. I realized from this chapter that for a teacher to gain the trust of her students, she must create an environment where everyone feels totally comfortable.
"When you are trying to learn how to do something, do you ask something, do you ask some who doesn't know how to do it for help? Not waiting for a response I continue. Probably not."(6) his is how she introduces the concept of copying the habits of good readers.
" An activity I use to bring out the literacy histories of my students is the important book and literacy histories form. I ask students to recall a book that has had an impact on their life..."(9)
**WEEDS**
The only problem that I had with this chapter was the fact that I think she divulged too much personal information. Depending on the maturity level and conduct of her students, being so open so early in the semester could have an adverse affect. However, she accomplished her goal to get them to speak up so I guess it was not so bad after all.
**BASKET**
I would like to use the important book and literacy literacy histories form. I noticed that our professor gave us an assignment similar to this in our first day of class. It got everyone to talk about how they started writing and I enjoyed it very much.
**FRIUTS**
I love the way she opens up to the class about how she used to fake read and create bogus book reports. I realized from this chapter that for a teacher to gain the trust of her students, she must create an environment where everyone feels totally comfortable.
"When you are trying to learn how to do something, do you ask something, do you ask some who doesn't know how to do it for help? Not waiting for a response I continue. Probably not."(6) his is how she introduces the concept of copying the habits of good readers.
" An activity I use to bring out the literacy histories of my students is the important book and literacy histories form. I ask students to recall a book that has had an impact on their life..."(9)
**WEEDS**
The only problem that I had with this chapter was the fact that I think she divulged too much personal information. Depending on the maturity level and conduct of her students, being so open so early in the semester could have an adverse affect. However, she accomplished her goal to get them to speak up so I guess it was not so bad after all.
**BASKET**
I would like to use the important book and literacy literacy histories form. I noticed that our professor gave us an assignment similar to this in our first day of class. It got everyone to talk about how they started writing and I enjoyed it very much.
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Syntax Search
This month I will embark on an academic journey that I will call "The Syntax Search". To me this is the most difficult subject in in English composition. When ELLs come into The Writing Center for help, they have the most horrified looks on their faces. Although I know that writing in a foreign language can be a stressful task, it is my job to smile and say something like "aw don't worry, I'll show you a couple of brainstorming games and then we'll work on the structure, it'll be fun." In all reality I might be thinking something like da*n how in the world can I take this student from zero to at least twenty-five.
I tell myself and my students that essays are only a bunch of paragraphs, paragraphs are only a bunch of sentences, sentences are only a bunch of words and words are only a bunch of letters. But as I suggested in my Teacher Inquiry Proposal talk is cheap! If it is so easy to turn letters onto words and words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs etc... why haven't I written a bestseller to teach it to millions of students who are struggling with the English language? Is necessity not the mother of invention? The truth is that it is not as easy as it seems to create a blueprint for every type of sentence using the parts of speech in which students can plug their words into and construct clear sentences. I don't even know if what I conceptualize is possible but I know that this month I will do extensive research to see what I can come up with. If you come across any resources please let me know. Thanks
I tell myself and my students that essays are only a bunch of paragraphs, paragraphs are only a bunch of sentences, sentences are only a bunch of words and words are only a bunch of letters. But as I suggested in my Teacher Inquiry Proposal talk is cheap! If it is so easy to turn letters onto words and words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs etc... why haven't I written a bestseller to teach it to millions of students who are struggling with the English language? Is necessity not the mother of invention? The truth is that it is not as easy as it seems to create a blueprint for every type of sentence using the parts of speech in which students can plug their words into and construct clear sentences. I don't even know if what I conceptualize is possible but I know that this month I will do extensive research to see what I can come up with. If you come across any resources please let me know. Thanks
Is The Simple Sentence Really So Simple?
My topic for the Teacher Inquiry Project is syntax. I have no problem with correcting papers and telling students what they are doing wrong, but I am currently on a journey to find a blueprint for exemplary sentences that can show students the formula for putting every word in its proper place. Many of my students come in and they do not even know what a clause is. After I explain to them the difference between simple (I love him), compound(I hove him and I love his dog) etc... they all shake their heads as if they understand me vividly. As soon as I send them home to analyze a short article in the AM New York or Metro newspapers, I realize that definitions of terms are not enough.
In one session, a student was working with me (on an extra assignment outside of her FIQWS class) and I asked her to write 5 simple, 5compound and 5complex sentences and explain to me the subject and predicate in each. She confused a simple sentence with a complex sentence because the simple sentence had a relative clause that referred back to the subject. Because I did not explain relative clauses to her I realized that the simple sentence might not be as easy as I thought it was. I'm taking it upon my self to use this assignment to study every type of sentence that can possibly be constructed. I have been speaking English for most of my life and I personally feel humbled when I cannot find the verbiage to tell my students exactly what to do to become better writers. Oh well that's why I'm in grad school....to learn-lol-
In one session, a student was working with me (on an extra assignment outside of her FIQWS class) and I asked her to write 5 simple, 5compound and 5complex sentences and explain to me the subject and predicate in each. She confused a simple sentence with a complex sentence because the simple sentence had a relative clause that referred back to the subject. Because I did not explain relative clauses to her I realized that the simple sentence might not be as easy as I thought it was. I'm taking it upon my self to use this assignment to study every type of sentence that can possibly be constructed. I have been speaking English for most of my life and I personally feel humbled when I cannot find the verbiage to tell my students exactly what to do to become better writers. Oh well that's why I'm in grad school....to learn-lol-
Class Review 9/28/10
This class was very interesting to me because for the first time I learned about inkshedding. Prior to this class I never heard about it and I think it can certainly help students to share their ideas knowing that they are protected by their anonymity. I found Reader-Response Criticism: From Formalism to Post-Structuralism by Jane Tompkins to be a bit cryptic. The reason for this is that she suggested that the reader should forget who he/she is and simply imbibe the text and let it take him or her away to a magical land in which the writer intended for all of the readers to go. The problem with that notion is that reading in my opinion is an interactive experience between the reader and the text and without background knowledge that the reader contributes to the interaction, the text is nothing but a bunch of words that have no meaning to anyone other that the writer itself.
I enjoyed the assignment because I learned that I was not the only one that had a hard time trying to make sense out of the reading. Also the professor created an environment where the students got the opportunity to see the reading from different perspectives. This would be an excellent assignment when students have difficult topics such as politics or religion to discuss. Students can be free to say whatever they wish and will not have to worry about being chastised for their ideas.
I enjoyed the assignment because I learned that I was not the only one that had a hard time trying to make sense out of the reading. Also the professor created an environment where the students got the opportunity to see the reading from different perspectives. This would be an excellent assignment when students have difficult topics such as politics or religion to discuss. Students can be free to say whatever they wish and will not have to worry about being chastised for their ideas.
What Should Colleges Teach? By Stanley Fish
In this article Fish basically grabs a microphone and yells out "HELLO WORLD THERE'S AN ELEPHANT ON THE TABLE!!! ENGLISH CLASSES SHOULD TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO WRITE." Fish makes so much sense to me because so many students come into college, not only as ELLs but also as students who did not receive extensive grammar drills in grade school. These students get to their classes and they cannot put a basic sentence together. As a result, the professor says that he/she does not have enough time to teach grammar in the class because the "issues" have to be discussed. The next thing you know the tutors in the writing center are pulling their hairs out trying to show students the meanings of all of the corrections that the professor tattooed all over their papers.
**FRUITS**
"Instead, the students spent much of their time discussing novels, movies, TV shows and essays on a variety of hot-button issues-- racism, sexism, immigration, globalization. These artifacts and topics are surely worthy of serious study, but they should have received it in courses that bore their name, if only as a matter of truth in advertising.
**WEEDS**
None. I wish there was a way for new teachers in training to read these articles.
**BASKET**
Although my first goal is to teach abroad, I do see myself teaching ESL in the future and I must make sure that regardless of what the reading is about, I MUST make time to discuss grammatical subjects such as time, number, and the parts of speech.
**FRUITS**
"Instead, the students spent much of their time discussing novels, movies, TV shows and essays on a variety of hot-button issues-- racism, sexism, immigration, globalization. These artifacts and topics are surely worthy of serious study, but they should have received it in courses that bore their name, if only as a matter of truth in advertising.
**WEEDS**
None. I wish there was a way for new teachers in training to read these articles.
**BASKET**
Although my first goal is to teach abroad, I do see myself teaching ESL in the future and I must make sure that regardless of what the reading is about, I MUST make time to discuss grammatical subjects such as time, number, and the parts of speech.
"This Wooden Shack Place": The Logic of an Unconventional Reading by Glynda Hull and Mike Rose
**FRUITS** After reading this article I realized that, if a student does not interpret the text the way I expect him/her to, it might not be because he/she does not understand. It may simply be that the student's mind is shaped by cultural experiences or socio-economic factors that might modify the lenses from which that particular student views the world.
**WEEDS** The only flaw that I saw with this article was the fact that in a real class, if a teacher spends as much time trying to probe into one student's mind, it might take away from the time that he/she could be teaching more substantial topics. More emphasis should be placed on teaching the students how to write properly instead of how well of the family of the character is.
**BASKET** If a professor had a TA it might be acceptable for the helper to interrogate the student to make sure that he understands the material fully. So if I TA before I teach, I would like to help the students who I feel are struggling with the meaning of the text.
**WEEDS** The only flaw that I saw with this article was the fact that in a real class, if a teacher spends as much time trying to probe into one student's mind, it might take away from the time that he/she could be teaching more substantial topics. More emphasis should be placed on teaching the students how to write properly instead of how well of the family of the character is.
**BASKET** If a professor had a TA it might be acceptable for the helper to interrogate the student to make sure that he understands the material fully. So if I TA before I teach, I would like to help the students who I feel are struggling with the meaning of the text.
When And How Did I Learn To Write A Paragraph?
The question was asked in our 9/21/10 class. We were supposed to go home and think about the question and then write about it in our blogs. For the last two weeks, I have let this question marinate in my mind and to answer the question I would have to say that I learned to write by practicing the jargon of the field that I am writing for, and then mapping the structures of what I intended on composing. In other words I became interested in poetry because I was a self proclaimed poet/songwriter, so to get better I read such poets as Giovanni, Angelou, Baraka and Dunbar because I felt as though they related to me the most. After reading their works and studying the structure, I started using my own words and putting my own experiences into the same amount of stanzas and before I knew what iambic meters were I counted syllables so that I would have a similar flow with the great lyrical gods and godesees that I emulated so much.
As far as writing music video treatments, I fell in love with a PA(Production Assistant) for Classic Concept Productions who simply got tired of running errands and taking orders, so when he decided to develop his own film reel, I volunteered to write all of his treatments for him. Elated with the idea, he dug up dozens of old music video treatments that won contracts. Some were used by his former boss Lionel C. Martin aka The Vid Kid, Paul Hunter, Hype Williams (before they became the biggest directors in the urban film industry, they both started at Classic Concepts) and I started studying the formats. At first I sucked so bad, but as I started reading about film production I became more familiar with the jargon and started winning contracts for FishGrease Films. Yes that was the name, don't look at me I didn't come up with it-lol-.
By the time I got to LaGuardia Community College, I knew that I was a persuasive writer because I wrote treatments for a living, but when I realized how many types of college papers there were I became a bit frightened that I would not be able to deliver the results that were expected of me. Even though the papers that I handed in received passing grades, I thought I would have to be a better writer if I wanted to ever levitate myself to become a movie script writer. A month into my second semester at LaGCC, I started making regular appointments at the writing center and a tutor by the name of Marie helped me to write clear sentences and paragraphs. Once I started getting better grades I started tutoring my French African brothers and sisters (from the African Club) in English and that act was the catalyst that made me fall in love with English as a discipline.
As far as writing music video treatments, I fell in love with a PA(Production Assistant) for Classic Concept Productions who simply got tired of running errands and taking orders, so when he decided to develop his own film reel, I volunteered to write all of his treatments for him. Elated with the idea, he dug up dozens of old music video treatments that won contracts. Some were used by his former boss Lionel C. Martin aka The Vid Kid, Paul Hunter, Hype Williams (before they became the biggest directors in the urban film industry, they both started at Classic Concepts) and I started studying the formats. At first I sucked so bad, but as I started reading about film production I became more familiar with the jargon and started winning contracts for FishGrease Films. Yes that was the name, don't look at me I didn't come up with it-lol-.
By the time I got to LaGuardia Community College, I knew that I was a persuasive writer because I wrote treatments for a living, but when I realized how many types of college papers there were I became a bit frightened that I would not be able to deliver the results that were expected of me. Even though the papers that I handed in received passing grades, I thought I would have to be a better writer if I wanted to ever levitate myself to become a movie script writer. A month into my second semester at LaGCC, I started making regular appointments at the writing center and a tutor by the name of Marie helped me to write clear sentences and paragraphs. Once I started getting better grades I started tutoring my French African brothers and sisters (from the African Club) in English and that act was the catalyst that made me fall in love with English as a discipline.
Monday, September 20, 2010
"A Lesson Cycle for Teaching Expository Reading and Writing" by Jose Montelongo et al
This article was very conducive due to the fact that it did not only offer criticisms and theories. The writers actually display tables and graphic organizers that teachers can use to help the students in general and the same they can be used in differentiation to assist those who are struggling. The first table they depict is the different types of text structures and corresponding examples. They analyze the structures of generalization, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, as well as problem and solution paragraphs. They also offer a four part lesson cycle where they guide students through the writing stages of reading and learning new vocabulary words, understanding the five paragraph structures that were previously mentioned, a modified sentence completion activity and rewriting the text. The writers also created a sample experimental schedule for one week and showed reports of how the students grades improved after the implementation of these methods.
*FRUITS*
The fruits were all of the tables, charts and the graphic organizer that were mentioned in the synopsis above.
*WEEDS*
How can a college professor can take time out of a tight syllabus to pay attention to students that are falling behind. Would the other students be wrong to complain if such an instance occurred?
I'm also curious to know whether or not a syllabus can be modified for the purpose of differentiation.
*BASKET*
Everything from this reading is going in my basket. I took an Education course this summer and I learned that there are numerous resources online for school teachers. I'll dedicate the remnant of this month to see if such resources exist for college professors as well.
*FRUITS*
The fruits were all of the tables, charts and the graphic organizer that were mentioned in the synopsis above.
*WEEDS*
How can a college professor can take time out of a tight syllabus to pay attention to students that are falling behind. Would the other students be wrong to complain if such an instance occurred?
I'm also curious to know whether or not a syllabus can be modified for the purpose of differentiation.
*BASKET*
Everything from this reading is going in my basket. I took an Education course this summer and I learned that there are numerous resources online for school teachers. I'll dedicate the remnant of this month to see if such resources exist for college professors as well.
"Literacy, Identity, Imagination, Flight" by Keith Gilyard
Let me start off by saying wow! I never thought I would come across a reading where an English professor would reference W.E.B. Du Bois, Paul Laurence Dunbar, James Brown and Jay-Z in the same text. It is apparent that Mr. Gilyard is a highly educated man of color who is well respected in the world of academia but from the method in which he fluctuates his vernacular from formal/standard English to a more colloquial tone, makes it clearly indicative that he is trying to permeate his message into the minds of the young aspiring educators such as myself. The moral of the story is that it is a blessing to society for young people to go to college and obtain a bachelors degree, but it could be a curse to ones own soul if he/she earns that degree and loses 360 degrees of who she/he was before attending the first class. In a nut shell he's telling his audience yeah I got my education, you know what I'm saying? But I ain't catch amnesia. Son!-lol-
*FRUITS*
Dr. Martin Luther King chose to "subordinate certain other imaginative pursuits, such as leisurely study and contemplation of music and literature, to the taxing demands of the civil rights movement. And I thought of how often that kind of tradeoff has been made, how people have set aside particular and perhaps preferred flights of fancy because they have become absorbed in pressing matters that often have weighed them down and have not seemed very fanciful at all." (260-261)
"For example what I comprehend about structuralism and post structuralism is due to James Brown. On his recording There Was a Time, Brown opens by singing/stating that There was a dance, hah/ there was a time, hah/when I used to dance, hah. Let's examine this. The dance is the structure, the pattern of rythmic movements. For Brown to repeat the movements establishes a certain meaning inside a particular system of signification."(265)
"......students need to comprehend as completely as possible how discourse operates, which means understanding how the dominant or most powerful discourse serves to regulate and reproduce patterns of privilege."(266)
"Even as the view of language and learning I have been describing prompts us to develop courses that are broadly inviting with respect to linguistic and cultural differences, that encourage students to contribute through their writing to fuller accounts of the world....."(267)
*WEEDS* None.
*BASKET*
Frankly, this article had more fruits than a supermarket produce section. It appeals to me so much because I was the ghetto youth who was once recluse because I was afraid that people would find out that my family was struggling financially. If I teach in the inner-city chances are my students will be faced with the same insatiable urges to be mute. Maybe from ignorance maybe from shame. I must teach my students that their stories are relevant regardless of what they are going through in life. I have to find creative ways of celebrating diversity as well as adversity. It's not where they are it is where they are going that counts.
*FRUITS*
Dr. Martin Luther King chose to "subordinate certain other imaginative pursuits, such as leisurely study and contemplation of music and literature, to the taxing demands of the civil rights movement. And I thought of how often that kind of tradeoff has been made, how people have set aside particular and perhaps preferred flights of fancy because they have become absorbed in pressing matters that often have weighed them down and have not seemed very fanciful at all." (260-261)
"For example what I comprehend about structuralism and post structuralism is due to James Brown. On his recording There Was a Time, Brown opens by singing/stating that There was a dance, hah/ there was a time, hah/when I used to dance, hah. Let's examine this. The dance is the structure, the pattern of rythmic movements. For Brown to repeat the movements establishes a certain meaning inside a particular system of signification."(265)
"......students need to comprehend as completely as possible how discourse operates, which means understanding how the dominant or most powerful discourse serves to regulate and reproduce patterns of privilege."(266)
"Even as the view of language and learning I have been describing prompts us to develop courses that are broadly inviting with respect to linguistic and cultural differences, that encourage students to contribute through their writing to fuller accounts of the world....."(267)
*WEEDS* None.
*BASKET*
Frankly, this article had more fruits than a supermarket produce section. It appeals to me so much because I was the ghetto youth who was once recluse because I was afraid that people would find out that my family was struggling financially. If I teach in the inner-city chances are my students will be faced with the same insatiable urges to be mute. Maybe from ignorance maybe from shame. I must teach my students that their stories are relevant regardless of what they are going through in life. I have to find creative ways of celebrating diversity as well as adversity. It's not where they are it is where they are going that counts.
A place where a budding teacher can grow.
I chose to name this Blog The Pedagogy Garden, because in the world of education I consider myself to be a seed that can one day cultivate into an experienced educator. Since I started public school circa the early eighties, I have been blessed to have encountered a few teachers that used their gifts of teaching to motivate their students to go on mass treasure hunts to find their own passions. I hope to do the same thing for my students, but before I teach, I must be taught.
The purpose of this blog is to analyze the readings that I am given in this Intro to Teaching Writing and Literature course and to invite my classmates to respond to the opinions that I post, as I hope to do for them on their blogs. I plan on introducing each reading with a succinct summary and then pulling out three main parts from each of them. The first part would be the "fruits" or the words of wisdom that I found to be the most poignant throughout the text. The next part would be the "weeds" or the points in which I found to be cryptic or ideas that I disagree with. The last part would be the "basket" which I will fill with the fruits that I plan on taking into the real world with me when I start teaching. This is where you come in. If you have any ideas as to how I can implement any fruits into my lessons please share your advice. I'm looking forward to having a fun semester with you all. Let's do it!
The purpose of this blog is to analyze the readings that I am given in this Intro to Teaching Writing and Literature course and to invite my classmates to respond to the opinions that I post, as I hope to do for them on their blogs. I plan on introducing each reading with a succinct summary and then pulling out three main parts from each of them. The first part would be the "fruits" or the words of wisdom that I found to be the most poignant throughout the text. The next part would be the "weeds" or the points in which I found to be cryptic or ideas that I disagree with. The last part would be the "basket" which I will fill with the fruits that I plan on taking into the real world with me when I start teaching. This is where you come in. If you have any ideas as to how I can implement any fruits into my lessons please share your advice. I'm looking forward to having a fun semester with you all. Let's do it!
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