Zambia Video

Zambia Video

Journal Entry #14

1. What was the most interesting idea you encountered as you read the chapter?

"There are three types of design that reap large rewards in the new capitalism: the ability to design new identities, affinity spaces, and networks. These three types are all deeply interrelated (Gee 2000–1). In turn, people who are adept at taking on new identities, adept at using and interacting within affinity spaces, and are well connected in networks will flourish."

Gee, James Paul (2012-10-02). Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling (Literacies) (p. 88). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition. 

2. What connections can you make between Gee's critique and Sir Ken Robinsons' critique of traditional schooling?
Gee's critique and Sir Ken Robinsons' critique of traditional schooling have the same premise. Basically public school is not fostering the arts and creative thinking in the way that it should. Both men make the point that children are not given the opportunity to flourish creatively but instead children seem to lose that creative drive they have when they are very small. 

3. How did this book change or support your understanding of good teaching?

This book has really caused me to consider new ideas when it comes to teaching. I felt like I had a good foundation of a teaching philosophy when I started and this book has just enhanced and added to my belief system. It is important to remember that each child is a unique individual and their creative talents should be utilized in the classroom as much as possible. Not only that, but they should have options and be given freedom when it comes to some things. Their abilities need to be showcased. I now understand (on a deeper level) there is more to teaching than anyone person can discover. 

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools Kill Creativity Response

I really enjoyed this video. The message throughout was one that is very real and very thought provoking.

Three things we agree with: 

• Creativity is just as important as literacy
• Intelligence is determined by a wide variety of different factors 
• We nee to rethink the fundamentals of how we teach children. Every child learns differently and we need to see them for the hope that they are. 

Two ideas that surprise you:

• We stigmatize mistakes. We are scaring people out of their creativity.
• Everywhere on earth in every public school system the arts are of the least importance. 

One thing we disagree with: 

• 
  

Chapter 6: Affinity Spaces

1. Give an example of a "community of practice" in which you are currently participating in.

I am apart of a group at my church called cuisine queens. This groups meet the first Monday of every month and we learn something new (a new food, a new way to cook something, a new place to buy foods, the importance of organic produce, etc.) and then we cook together! Oh, we of course eat the food we prepare as well. We are learning together and having a lot of fun. This is a community of practice I am apart of.

2.Why is the term "community" better defined in relation to spaces rather than groups of people?

The term "community" is better defined in relation to spaces rather than groups of people because referring to spaces as "groups of people" is generalizing that all of those people have the same purpose for being in that space. 

3. What is a "generator"? What is it's counterpart in school?

A generator is the content or the "something" that the space is about. For example, the counterpart in school would be the textbooks. 

4. What is a "content organizer"? What is it's counterpart in school?
The content organizer is how the content is organized. The counterpart in school would be lesson plans or units. 

5. What is a "portal"? What is it's counterpart in school?

A portal is anything that gives access to the content and to ways of interacting with that content, by oneself or with other people. The counterpart in school is, in college, blackboard. 

6. What do people have an "affinity" for in an "affinity space"? How does this inform your understanding of good teaching?

People in an "affinity space" have a common endeavor, not race, class, gender, or disability, is primary. This informs my understanding of good teaching because although my students will all come from different contexts and backgrounds they are all there for the primary reason--or a common endeavor--that is to learn. 

7. How do "affinity spaces" support inclusive classrooms? Choose two characteristics below to make connections between "affinity spaces" and inclusive classrooms.

1. A Sense of Community - An inclusive school is a school where every child is respected as part of the school community, and where each child is encouraged to learn and achieve as much as possible. In order to achieve that sense of belonging for each child, many schools have found that fostering a sense of community is of primary importance.

2. A Common Vision - A shared vision that sees each child as a respected member of the community brings a common goal and connectedness to every participant—parent, administrator, school staff, or student. Sharing a common vision produces a strong community sense and interconnectedness.

3. Problem Solving Teams - Teams comprised of significant participants in every child’s program are formed to make decisions concerning how a student’s individual needs may be met. Problem-solving teams determine the type and extent of special education adaptations and services needed for each child and develop the implementation plan for inclusive policies for each child. In this way, each child benefits from the expertise of many members of the school community, each of whom provides a specific perspective on the individual needs of that child. Typically, teams consist of principal, special education teacher, regular education teacher, counselor, parent, paraprofessional and specific resource people.

4. Parents as Partners - A significant addition observed in inclusive schools is the solid
inclusion of parents as full members of the school team. Recognizing the valid perspective
of parents, addressing their concerns and dreams for their child, and incorporating their wishes into the educational plan are all aspects of a successful problem-solving team.

5. Teachers as Partners - Teachers are finding increased collegiality and a reduction in the sense of isolation through partnering as co-teachers. Teaming by regular education and
special education teachers provides classes with the expertise of not just one, but two
teachers. In these situations, teachers learn from each other, gaining inspiration and
finding solutions to problems they had difficulty solving alone.

6. Paraprofessionals as Partners - Paraprofessionals play an equally significant role by providing continuity and support for students, staff, and families. Insightful perspective in planning and consistent service delivery are two of the vital parts paraprofessionals play on the problem-solving team.

7. Students as Problem Solvers - Successful inclusive schools involve students as partners in the school community. As students are allowed a greater participation in the community, they become more responsible and effective in the inclusive process. Common among inclusive schools is the use of students as:

a. peer mediators - students trained to help resolve disputes among other students.
b. peer tutoring - students help other students learn and review material.
c. cross-age tutoring - older students helping younger students.
d. cooperative learning - teams of students problem solving and working together.
e. buddy systems - two children who agree to help each other; may be made up of any two children, regardless of educational status, who want to help each other.

8. Community Members as Partners - Community involvement has been increased through the use of volunteers to mentor students, provide tutoring and support, and support staff in varied and unique ways that enhance the diversity of the student body.

9. Using a Common Language - A sense of community is created by establishing a common language without the use of intellectual and confusing terms, so that all participants can equally understand.

10. Time for Planning - Inclusive practices require additional planning time and scheduling for collaboration. For inclusion to be effective, the increased time for planning must play a significant role.

11. Bringing Services to the Student - Considerable success is being experienced by schools that provide services in the classroom for children with special needs. Regular teachers are exposed to the specialized techniques resource teachers employ, and students do not miss general instruction or disrupt the cohesiveness of the class.

12. Flexible Scheduling - A major challenge is how to manage instructional time in the most efficient way, not only to teach the curriculum but also to build a sense of community. Each successful incusive school devised various methods to increase flexibility to meet the diverse needs of the school population.

13. Co-Teaching - All teaching partnerships require collaboration, compromise, and extensive communication. General education and special education teachers bring knowledge and skills to teaching. When paired together, these teachers pool their expertise. Generally, regular teachers have in-depth knowledge concerning specific curriculum or subject area, whereas special education teachers know how to modify and break down curriculum and how to adapt methodologies to meet the needs of individual children. When general education and special education teachers are placed in a situation where they can work together, they have more to offer the students and each other.

Affinity spaces support inclusive classroom practices because the primary and secondary components of an affinity space are what inclusive classroom practices encompasses. Which is that first teachers must understand that all students can learn and are there to learn no matter their learning ability or their background. Second, the child's background should not be a factor when considering the child's ability (like stated before) but rather his/her background should accompany the learning. A sense of community as well as common vision are both common goals within the affinity space of school and this is what a successful inclusive classroom looks like. 

8. How are traditional classroom different from Affinity Spaces?

Traditional classrooms categorize students by their abilities. Classrooms should be filled with students who work and learn together while implementing values like helping one another to reach a common goal. 

Assessment

What is formative assessment?

Help the teacher when determining whether or not the goals and objectives are being met for each student. This type of assessment is meant to be done during instruction, throughout a unit. 

What is the CENTRAL purpose of formative assessment?

The purpose of a formative assessment is to help the teacher and student see if they are understanding the outlined goals and objectives. Help students see how closely their own work matches a given goal, and this, in turn, enables them to understand and monitor their own learning.   

Connect a best practice in formative assessment to one research-based strategy.

During use of a research-based strategy like simulations and games, the teacher can formatively assess their  students by having a checklist with criteria listed. As the student displays knowledge of the criteria the teacher can place a check by their name to indicate they have met the desired criteria. 

Give an example of how a specific assessment can be used formatively and summatively.

Exit slips are great as a formative assessment because they can be done at the end of a lesson to check for student understanding. It is quick and helpful way to assess whether or not the students are ready to move forward with instruction. 

Rubrics can be used to assess larger projects at the end of a unit plan, this would be considered a summative assessment. This is considered summative because the project is culminating and is an opportunity for the student to display all knowledge gained throughout the unit plan.

Give an example from your field placement related to formative assessment and timing.

I had the opportunity to read a story aloud to my kindergarten clinical class and while I read the story I assessed their knowledge of whether or not they understand what a rhyming word sounded like. I did this by telling the students they were rhyming detectives. They were to get out their detective fingers out and when they heard two words that rhyming, they were to place their finger on their nose. This way, I could look out to see who heard the words. 

What are some strategies to help formative assessment be more effective when providing students with feedback?

Holding teacher/student conferences and giving the student an opportunity to see how they were assessed and whether they have improved or not. It is also helpful for the student to have the opportunity to ask questions and know exactly what they need to work on. 

Name two advantages to high quality formative assessment.

Students will feel more motivated by high quality formative assessment because they will hold themselves at a higher accountability. The teacher will set higher expectations through formative assessments and the students will realize that and be even more intrinsically motivated. Also, an advantage for the teacher is they will be able to see which students need more help on a specific content area or content objective. 

What are some challenges to implementing high quality formative assessment?

Implementing high quality formative assessment can be difficult because it may be hard to find the time to do this while instructing. It is also difficult (sometimes) to find a formative assessment that effectively assesses the student on the objective. Some students may be harder to assess than others because of learning exceptionalities, so that is something to consider when planning assessments. It can also be challenging to find a variety of assessments.

Double Entry Journal #11: Chapter 4

Chapter 4:Simulations and Bodies

1. What does the author mean when he says, "Learning doesn't work well when learners are forced to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West." 

The author is referring to the idea that children need to be good, quiet little learners all seated in their seats. This mindset also believes that the child should leave their cultural experiences and their home context outside of the school. The reality is, the children need to be encouraged to share their wealth of knowledge through movement while sharing their cultural experiences. Each student's context should be brought into the classroom and celebrated. 

2. According to the author, what is the best way to acquire a large vocabulary?

To experience the "worlds" to which the words in their vocabulary refer. Students mustn't just hear the written definition of a word but they must see, feel, touch, what that word is. Experiences help shape minds and deepen understandings. 

3. What gives a word a specific meaning? 

Words have different and specific meanings in different situations where they are used and in different specialist domains that recruit them. A word can have a different meaning based on the context in which it is used. 

4. What does the term "off the hook" mean in each of these sentences?

a. My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present.
she doesn't have to buy a wedding present. 

b. Them shoes are off the hook dog.
really cool 

c. Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!!

so crazy 

4. According to the author what is the"work" of childhood? Do you agree?

The author makes the point that "work" for students is role-play. 

5.Why is NOT reading the instruction for how to play a game before playing a game a wise decision?

It gives the opportunity for creativity and learn from mistakes. It teaches that sometimes it's ok to not have strict step-by-step rules. Self discovery is important for learning and it fosters creativity and thinking for yourself.

6. Does knowing the general or literal meaning of a word lead to strong reading skills?

7. What does the author mean by the terms "identity" and "game". Give an example of 3 "identities" or "games" you play?

8. According to the author what is good learning?

9. How does understanding that being able to build a mental model and simulations of a real-word experience is closely tied  to comprehending written and oral language support of change the way you think children should learn in school?

10. Why is peer to peer interaction so important for the language development of young children? How does knowing this support or change the way you think children should learn in school?

Children interact differently with a peer, they are more likely to adopt new experiences and cultual perspective if they are interacting and learning from their peers. 

Double Entry Journal #10

Chapter 3: Language and Identity At Home

1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?
The text states that "social practices" or the ways in which oral and written language are used when people do things together is a practice that aligns with school and home. The text then continues by giving an example of a young reader, Jennie, who understands a lot about literacy without the ability to read. While at home she already understands the concept of a beginning, middle, and end, she uses sympathetic fallacy functions, grasps lots of literacy sorts of repetition and parallelism. The interesting about this is that Jennie has picked up all of these from being read to at home but all of it aligns very much with academics. 

2. What are the features of Leona's specialized form of language?
Leona's specialized form of language is using a form of language that has poetic qualities. She speaks with an African American vernacular. Leona groups her lines into stanzas wherein each line tends to have a parallel structure with other lines in the stanza and to match them in content, just as Biblical poetry, the narratives of many oral cultures do. Leona's stanzas are very often four lines long, though they are sometimes two lines long. There is a clear patterning technic that she uses. 

3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?

When teachers do organize a time for students to share their personal stories, if they are not structured in a step-by-step events or facts organized around one topic expressed with no poetry or emotion, it is considered ramblings.

4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).

Snow makes the point that the gap between white and African American (of low economic status) student achievement has steadily stayed the same, however studies show that the mean score for students in the fall semester of first grade was at appoximately the 44th percentile and by the spring of third grade, this difference had expanded significantly. Children living in high-poverty areas tend to fall further behind, regardless of their initial reading skill level.

5. What other factors besides early skills training will make or break good readers?
Ensuring that people feel like they belong to and are valued and accepted part of the social group within which their learning takes place. 

6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?
Students feel alienated because the teacher makes the child's "way with words" seem insignificant. The teacher may only use what they know in the classroom and ignores anything that contradicts that. The student may not understand the this way with words and also fail to see how it applies or relates to their own life.