blog 6 chapter 7

            Teaching vocabulary is often underestimated. Some teachers do not make the time to make sure that students truly understand the meaning of words. Honestly, I do not think that I really had any teachers in school that helped me figure out what words meant. I like to learn and I read a lot and so that is how I learned the meanings of many vocabulary words. Unfortunately, most students do not know how to learn the meaning of words on their own. So, they must be taught. Instructors must teach students strategies for learning words independently. Students must be given the strategies that they can understand and use them on their own.
            The word exercise in chapter 7 called Context Plus seems to be a pretty good exercise. I think I could use this exercise to help my students understand some historical concepts in the lesson. It certainly could not be used on every word because it would take too long. However, if I chose the right word, it could be an effective exercise. I don’t really like the idea of a word wall but I do like the idea of students making alphabetical lists of history words in their notebook. This way they are learning to organize the words and they will have the words with them when they are reading independently outside of the classroom.
            In one of my ESL classes I learned about an assessment or exercise called the Cloze test. Chapter 7 introduces an activity similar to the cloze test. It is a paragraph that has a few words missing in the passage. The students have to use their prior knowledge and the context of the passage to fill in the correct word for each missing blank. I think this exercise can be very helpful for students. It allows them to practice different reading skills and word comprehension. The students need to use the text to determine the correct missing word. It can be very successful in an ESL classroom as well as in a history classroom.

Blog 5

            I have always been a good student but I admit that I did not learn very much in high school. I learned what I needed to receive A’s in all of my classes but I do not remember half of it now. The concept of truly understanding is what chapter 4 discusses. The activity that the woman did with the students in the high school was amazing. I agree that the best way for students to learn is to get them emotionally involved in the topic. Students need to be able to relate and connect with a particular event especially in a history class.
            It is important to teach students how to critically think about the text and material that they are reading. They should be taught how to reread important sentences, instead of the entire chapter. It wasn’t until I was a college student that I began developing effective reading strategies. I will not make my students wait that long; I will teach them the strategies to remember what they are reading. It’s important that students learn to recognize and connect the new information with their schemata. Also, they need to be asking themselves questions while they are reading the text so that they can develop a deeper understanding of the text. When reading long chapters or passages, it is important that the students learn how to decipher what is important and what is not as important. Lastly, students need to try to make an emotion connection with the information. They need to use their imagination and their feelings. People think history is boring, and honestly, it can be if you study it incorrectly. That is why it is essential that students make connections between their own lives and the material being read.
            I agree that teachers should take more time in teaching certain concepts in class. Often times it feels like things are being taught so quickly and it is rushed. History can become very complicated if the students do not understand the concepts and cause and effect. Teachers should take their time in teaching these subjects so that students have the time to understand and to connect with the topic. Allow time for the students to walk in other historical figures’ shoes. It is very difficult to learn when you feel that time is running out. Teachers should also discover how the students learn and understand best so that students can practice those methods.

Blog #4

It is important for English teachers to pay attention to the Young Adult books that are popular these days. This way, they could incorporate those types of books in the curriculum. I will probably not be an English literature teacher but what I remember from High school is that teachers did not really have an opinion about the books the students read. There were certain popular books that students were required to read. The only thing the teacher might be allowed to do is inform the students of new and interesting Young Adult books and the students could be able to read it in their spare time. The chapter was interesting because it gave me more insight in the books of this generation. Books and shows have certainly changed and they do reflect our society.
            The topic of school shootings is very difficult for me to handle. I have prayed for guidance in this area and I still wonder what my role as a teacher is when it comes to school shootings. Are we supposed to talk about that issue with our students? What are the correct things to say? Those are all questions I struggle with. In chapter 6, Lesesne briefly explains that there are now books that discuss school shootings. Often times, bullying was the cause of a shooting and so it would be wise for teachers to explain the hurt and terror that can come from bullying. However, our world has become so corrupt that schools shootings are not always related to school bullying anymore. Since there is such a vast selection of books that are being published, we should monitor or censor books that are inappropriate for those students. Books, as well as the media, are very persuading and influential. This is why we need to protect our students.
            Burk provided many different strategies to incorporate reading into the classroom. If I become an ESL teacher then I will certainly set aside time to have sustained silent reading. I like that students are able to bring their own books to read. In a history classroom I will not have time for my students to read anything they want. I could make them read a history book, however, that is not always so fun for all the students. In any classroom, it is important that the teacher makes it a comfortable learning environment. I think it is vital that students are able to discuss what they are learning or have just read. This way, students are able to critically think about the information that they read. I have never done this in my history classes in high school. Instead, I learned about the importance of this in my college history and ESL classes. I will use this skill even if I teach in a middle school. It is always helpful to talk about the reading material. Students who understand it can talk and express their opinions and this will also help those students that did not understand the reading.

Blog #3

            Chapter 3 is interesting but it does not interest me too much. I realize that students are living in a different world that teachers grew up in. Language is learned and communicated through digital methods now and so students enjoy using video games and other forms of technology. Students should still read books and students still have a responsibility to learn in the classroom.
            On the other hand, chapter 16 was fascinating to me. Ever since I have been an education major, I have been concerned about students’ reading progress. I realize that I will have students in my class who could be reading three or four levels below their grade reading level. That is very discouraging to me because then it will be impossible for those students to read and comprehend the material in the History books that we are supposed to be reading for that level. Chapter 16 discusses this problem and it offers advice that I appreciated. I think it is important to incorporate authentic literacy and literary that is relevant to the students. The students need to be able to connect and relate to the things they have to read otherwise they will not read it at all.
            Another problem that students have is that they do not always try anymore. Frankly, many students are lazy and they are not expected to work hard for things anymore. They might try to work hard but if they feel like they cannot do it, then they will give up. They do this because they feel dumb and so they no longer try. As teachers, we need to believe in those students that are underachieving in school. We cannot give up on them. We need to use techniques that will help students comprehend the text that they are reading. Students will never be able to connect and care about a subject if they cannot understand it. It is so important for teachers to help fill in the missing information and give them sufficient prior knowledge so that students can understand things completely. I mentor a student in reading every Monday and Wednesday and she was having difficulties understanding the book. Finally, I began asking her if she understood what certain words meant and half of the words she was not familiar with. I was happy to explain the words to her and after I did, she could summarize the chapter perfectly.  I simply had to provide her with some extra knowledge about words and this helped her understand the entire book. We need to help our students get to their reading level by encouraging them and allowing them to read material that is suitable for their current reading level.

Blog 2 Ch10

            Since the world is changing, teachers need to be altering and changing the assignments that the students complete in class. Teachers must teach them different skills that the students will need in this “Flat” world. I agree with Jim Burke’s opinion that analogical reasoning should be taught to students. Analogical reasoning is when one is able to see the relationship between completely different things. He explains that teachers can teach this skill to their students by giving assignments where students are required to compare and contrast different things in order to discover a deeper meaning and understanding of a certain concept or idea. As a future history teacher or ESL teacher, I think that analogical reasoning is a very important skill to possess. I could apply it fairly easily in my history classroom because I could simply have my students compare and contrast different historical figures or even different political thoughts. For an ESL classroom it is important for students to understand the American culture if they just moved here from another country. I could have my students compare and contrast the United States to their homeland (or a country they find interesting if the U.S. is their homeland). It is good that I realize that students need these special skills in today’s society.
             There are many other skills that students should be learning. Unfortunately, I will not be able to alter my lesson plans enough to contribute all of those skills into a History or ESL classroom. I think that technology should be used more inside of the classroom. However, requiring students to use a lot of technology outside of the classroom could be difficult since I could be in a classroom where students do not have the means to that technology. I refuse to single students out in that way and making them feel uncomfortable. Another problem with changing the curriculum for a “flat” world is that teachers are graded by how their students perform on assessments. I will try to alter things a little bit for this changing world. However, if I want to keep my job, I also have to teach the students the information and things that will be on the assessments. I think that teachers find themselves stuck in the middle of those two important things and hopefully there will be a way to contribute both in a curriculum and lesson.  

Blog 1 Chapter 1 Beers

In Chapter 1, Kylene Beers brought up some very interesting points. The twenty-first century is very different from any other time period, especially when it comes to the educational system. In schools, it seems that the only thing that administrators are concerned about is the adequate yearly progress and state assessments. This is due to the No Child Left Behind Act. However, I think focusing on just test results is not good for students. It is very discouraging that the state government solely looks at test grades to determine how smart someone is. The story about Derek is important to remember because there are certainly a lot of students who are dealing with a lot of pressures and difficult times at home. School administrators need to pay attention to other needs of students besides their educational one. If a student is starving and has to take care of siblings, then how are they supposed to care and do well in school or on tests? Unfortunately they can’t and that’s the problem. When teachers have students similar to Derek they should stay positive and concentrate on the student’s improvements. Positive reinforcement is detrimental to the student's success. Also, it is vital that teachers collaborate and work together. This way, they are able to get to know students better and they can focus on the students’ needs. Also, in this century I think it is important for students to connect and become involved in their own learning. I am a Social Science Education Major and in my future history class I would love for my students to read about a historical event. However, I think it would be wise for the students to read about something historical that they are interested in. I will decide on a specific time period and then the students would chose to read about ANYTHING in that time period as long as it is school appropriate. (I would have to approve the topic before they read it.) I think that would be a good assignment because students would have a say in their homework and they would have more intrinsic motivation to do it. Overall, I found the chapter very interesting and I agreed with Beer’s opinions.

Introduction of myself

My name is Kimberly Powers and I am a Social Science Education major. Last year I added English as a second language as my minor. I was born in Sacramento, California and I have a twin brother. I also have an older brother and a younger brother. When I was a baby, my family and I moved to the Netherlands. My mom is Dutch and her entire side of the family lives in the Netherlands. While we lived there for ten years, my dad worked for his doctorate in the New Testament. When he completed his PhD, we moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. I am excited for Spring Break on March 1st, because I will be going on a mission trip with a team from Olivet to Cuba. I have studied Cuba a lot in my history classes and so I am thrilled and feel blessed to go there and meet the Cuban people. I am also excited for this reading in content areas class because I think it is vital for students to read and I know that it will change their lives tremendously when they do.