Literacy has definitely changed over the years. With more and more people having new technology available to them (text messaging, instant messaging, games, cell phones, PDA and the like); our ways of reading and writing have changed. Let’s look at text messaging. Kids are getting cell phones at younger ages and they are texting all the time. In a text, people use acronyms and break down words into syllables. For example, here are some words that change when we text- l8r (later), TTFN (Ta Ta for now), BTW (By the Way), HIG (How’s it Going) and OMG (Oh My God) to name a few. Check out http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm for more fun acronyms. Kids are more into cell phone use and blogging then we ever were in our youth.
People also take part in Myspace, facebook and eHarmoney to name a few websites. These sites promote blogging and make use of broken language. Some times people do not even type, they state their emotions by inserting smilies! Younger and younger children are making use of internet and all the changes that come with it. They are able to speak and express themselves in new and different ways.
For example, in the high school I once attended, they now make it mandatory for incoming students to have a laptop and be proficient in Word programs and publishing programs. When I was there, everything was done on pencil and paper. I know when I was working in a public grammar school l3 years ago; computer and internet practices were taught starting in first grade!
I embrace these new literacy’s. They still teach children to speak and sound out letters. It puts a creative twist on the English language. Its creative and children still learn the correct ways to speak and write in school. It’s more like children are learning a language for themselves. Even adults caught onto the craze and are aware of the new ways of writing and communicating. In a fast past world, we shorten our words and need faster ways of communicating. I think we just need to accept it and make sure children learn the correct English language when in school.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
NCLB
The No Child Left Behind Act serves as the foundation for increasing student proficiency. Some of the ways the NCLB aims at improving student achievement are through accountability, high-quality teachers, and parent involvement. The NCLB policy was set up so that ALL children have an opportunity to receive an education. Whether they come from low-income families or have learning disabilities, the State wants to make sure all kids are educated equally. This means that the same teaching requirements and opportunities are available to everyone.
Even though the NCLB Act is making many advances in education, there are some disputes. Are the goals reasonable? The NCLB Act tries to unify the diversity that is present within schools. It helps all those who speak different languages and come from different cultures to come together to work towards a common goal. However, some children go home to parents who do not speak the same language as that at school. These children then must balance there language according to where they are. Maybe learning reading may be harder for them because they are un-teaching themselves grammar and phonics from their own language. Hence the decrease in reading scores is due to their environment. Maybe they go home to parents who cannot read, this makes it more difficult learn reading skills. It also may take longer for different children to learn a certain subject area. NCLB wants all children to be the same, when in theory it is impossible to compare children from different backgrounds.
NCLB focuses on parent involvement as well. But what happens when a parent does not want to get involved? Parents may think that teachers are babysitters. They want to drop off and pick up kids and not worry about what happened in between. Although most parents report that they want to be partners in their children’s education, usually those parents with more formal educations will only follow theirs child’s success throughout the grades. I believe the NCLB Act needs to think of more aggressive ways to reach out to parents.
NCLB is based on standardized test scores and closing the achieve gaps in New Jersey schools. Reading is very important in this policy and starts at an early age. However, I feel that with NCLB books are read to get answers, not for enjoyment. Teachers teach children information they need to know to past a test, not to understand. The state is more concerned with raising the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) and comparing children throughout the states. I personally do not think standardize test accurately measure a student’s progress. They just serve as a means of showing statistical data for their beliefs. I personally feel that NCLB needs a lot of reforms.
Even though the NCLB Act is making many advances in education, there are some disputes. Are the goals reasonable? The NCLB Act tries to unify the diversity that is present within schools. It helps all those who speak different languages and come from different cultures to come together to work towards a common goal. However, some children go home to parents who do not speak the same language as that at school. These children then must balance there language according to where they are. Maybe learning reading may be harder for them because they are un-teaching themselves grammar and phonics from their own language. Hence the decrease in reading scores is due to their environment. Maybe they go home to parents who cannot read, this makes it more difficult learn reading skills. It also may take longer for different children to learn a certain subject area. NCLB wants all children to be the same, when in theory it is impossible to compare children from different backgrounds.
NCLB focuses on parent involvement as well. But what happens when a parent does not want to get involved? Parents may think that teachers are babysitters. They want to drop off and pick up kids and not worry about what happened in between. Although most parents report that they want to be partners in their children’s education, usually those parents with more formal educations will only follow theirs child’s success throughout the grades. I believe the NCLB Act needs to think of more aggressive ways to reach out to parents.
NCLB is based on standardized test scores and closing the achieve gaps in New Jersey schools. Reading is very important in this policy and starts at an early age. However, I feel that with NCLB books are read to get answers, not for enjoyment. Teachers teach children information they need to know to past a test, not to understand. The state is more concerned with raising the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) and comparing children throughout the states. I personally do not think standardize test accurately measure a student’s progress. They just serve as a means of showing statistical data for their beliefs. I personally feel that NCLB needs a lot of reforms.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Assessment
As Routman states, “Assessment must promote learning, not just measure it” (p. 559). He mentions how students should learn to self assess their work and create portfolios of works they are proud of. In theory this is great when children can complete assignments that they deem as satisfactory. If every student was a perfect child with a desire to learn it would be easy to assess. However, there are some cases where a child may not be proud of anything they do or not care about school. Teachers need to take into consideration that students may think everything they do is pointless or on the other hand they may think everything they do is perfect when it is not.
I feel assessment tools are a sound way to have evidence of your reasoning. However, many parents may try to contradict you. They may feel they were wrongly assessed and that the teacher is biased of the child. After assessing children in pre-k for two years, I have realized that it is hard to tell a parent that their child is not ready for kindergarten. No parent wants to see or hear that their child is not up educational expectations.
Assessment is important in order to monitor student development. It helps a teacher have on record a student progress. A teacher should measure a child’s ability and/or shortcomings. The problem comes when you have a child who is behind in their abilities and parents who do not care. I have a child in my class who needed improvement in many areas and the mother never came to meet me or review the assessment. When I schedule meetings, she tried to send the nanny or have me just send home paperwork. It made me feel, as a teacher, that I did all this work for nothing. Yes I have a file and can show future teachers the child’s abilities, but its time consuming. Especially at such an early age, like pre-k, the standards are pushing them so hard to learn complex things early on. Some children I feel just need more time to grasp concepts while standards make it seem like the child is incapable. Assessment is something that every teacher needs to do and should do efficiently to have proof of readiness. Assessments also help a teacher learn about their teaching. Maybe the children are not understanding something because of they way you teach the material. Assessment can lead to changes they way you teach so you can improve a student’s ability.
I feel assessment tools are a sound way to have evidence of your reasoning. However, many parents may try to contradict you. They may feel they were wrongly assessed and that the teacher is biased of the child. After assessing children in pre-k for two years, I have realized that it is hard to tell a parent that their child is not ready for kindergarten. No parent wants to see or hear that their child is not up educational expectations.
Assessment is important in order to monitor student development. It helps a teacher have on record a student progress. A teacher should measure a child’s ability and/or shortcomings. The problem comes when you have a child who is behind in their abilities and parents who do not care. I have a child in my class who needed improvement in many areas and the mother never came to meet me or review the assessment. When I schedule meetings, she tried to send the nanny or have me just send home paperwork. It made me feel, as a teacher, that I did all this work for nothing. Yes I have a file and can show future teachers the child’s abilities, but its time consuming. Especially at such an early age, like pre-k, the standards are pushing them so hard to learn complex things early on. Some children I feel just need more time to grasp concepts while standards make it seem like the child is incapable. Assessment is something that every teacher needs to do and should do efficiently to have proof of readiness. Assessments also help a teacher learn about their teaching. Maybe the children are not understanding something because of they way you teach the material. Assessment can lead to changes they way you teach so you can improve a student’s ability.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
thoughts on TIP readings
Moving along in the Lenses on Reading book, I have noticed that there are many theories out their in relation to learning. Some theories are very similar while others are very contradicting. The book looks at theories (models) in a way in which t simplify and break down theories into categories or those closely related to each other. The book is a great aid in breaking down you own beliefs and seeing where your views fit in. Even though you are a may be a behaviorist, it is always good to understand the concepts behind other theories. No one theory is right or wrong, it is up to you to read and reflect on you own teaching practices.
As a teacher, you have your own beliefs which will show through in your teaching practices, especially in the area of reading and comprehension. Your beliefs probably fall into one of theorists. As an educator, you should be aware of how other people believe people learn. It can be confusing and mind boggling, however, there are many theories out their which may be good to incorporate in your classroom.
As time progresses, theories may be altered due to new information or studies done on the topic. It is important to stay up to date on new information in learning processes.
Being that all students do not learn the say way, it is important to now others way people learn. As a teacher you have your own way of learning and understanding. However, you must relate to your students and try new practices in the classroom. Some may like the social learning while others are more introverted in the way the choice to comprehend information.
I think this a good book for sorting all the theories. It takes theories and simplifies them in a way you can use them in the classroom. It offers you new visions on learning and how thoughts and language are processed. It is excellent collection of research theories and practices.
As a teacher, you have your own beliefs which will show through in your teaching practices, especially in the area of reading and comprehension. Your beliefs probably fall into one of theorists. As an educator, you should be aware of how other people believe people learn. It can be confusing and mind boggling, however, there are many theories out their which may be good to incorporate in your classroom.
As time progresses, theories may be altered due to new information or studies done on the topic. It is important to stay up to date on new information in learning processes.
Being that all students do not learn the say way, it is important to now others way people learn. As a teacher you have your own way of learning and understanding. However, you must relate to your students and try new practices in the classroom. Some may like the social learning while others are more introverted in the way the choice to comprehend information.
I think this a good book for sorting all the theories. It takes theories and simplifies them in a way you can use them in the classroom. It offers you new visions on learning and how thoughts and language are processed. It is excellent collection of research theories and practices.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Language acquistion
I believe children acquire language through modeling others. They will hear how the people around them speak and want to communicate as well. Therefore, they repeat things they hear and through trial and error learn language. People will correct them or applaud when a children acquires the language. Reading I believe will come after the child has an understanding of words and language. They will have the drive to use words correctly in order to communicate what they need.
I agree with the articles that language is most easily learned during the crucial periods of life, 2-7 years old. It is much easier for a child to catch on to a language used in their environment. When growing up, children are surrounded by a particular language and dialect which makes learning a language very easy. Since everything is so new there is plenty of desire to learn the language.
This goes along with the Nativist theory. In this theory, it is believed children are born with innate abilities to acquire their first language. Just like a child learns to walk, they too can learn the language because if is human nature. As people get older I do agree that it may be more difficult to learn another language. Being that adults already have a foundation it is hard to un-teach ones current understanding of their own language. For example in learning Spanish, one must first un-teach how they understand grammar and re-teach themselves to think of language differently.
In terms of reading and language acquisition, I believe that one must first hear a language in order to speak it. If one reads they may read words incorrectly or not translate pronunciations correctly. I know for myself, learning a second language was very hard. Reading and speaking the language were two completely different things. Speaking fast and putting adjectives after nouns was so foreign. I believe that as people get older, they are comfortable with their current understanding of language and find it harder to learn other languages. In conclusion if one reads the language incorrectly, it can translate to later problems in speaking the language.
I agree with the articles that language is most easily learned during the crucial periods of life, 2-7 years old. It is much easier for a child to catch on to a language used in their environment. When growing up, children are surrounded by a particular language and dialect which makes learning a language very easy. Since everything is so new there is plenty of desire to learn the language.
This goes along with the Nativist theory. In this theory, it is believed children are born with innate abilities to acquire their first language. Just like a child learns to walk, they too can learn the language because if is human nature. As people get older I do agree that it may be more difficult to learn another language. Being that adults already have a foundation it is hard to un-teach ones current understanding of their own language. For example in learning Spanish, one must first un-teach how they understand grammar and re-teach themselves to think of language differently.
In terms of reading and language acquisition, I believe that one must first hear a language in order to speak it. If one reads they may read words incorrectly or not translate pronunciations correctly. I know for myself, learning a second language was very hard. Reading and speaking the language were two completely different things. Speaking fast and putting adjectives after nouns was so foreign. I believe that as people get older, they are comfortable with their current understanding of language and find it harder to learn other languages. In conclusion if one reads the language incorrectly, it can translate to later problems in speaking the language.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Essential questions assessment
After reading these three articles, defining literacy can be a very difficult thing. Nowadays, it encompasses so many skills, not like in the past. Just because some countries are less literate then others it does not mean they do not have the ability to learn. . Maybe their lifestyles revolve around oral communication and understanding. Perhaps their lifestyle requires no written text at all.
Another area of interest after reading these articles comes from me questioning how literacy is taught in the classroom. It is true that with NCLB, every child should have the same opportunity to learn and develop. However, this is not always the case. In many classes, there are teachers who are not allowed to deviate from the curriculum. In these classrooms, students are just learning the letters and sounds (characters) the teachers give them at a fast past. If children are not given opportunities to develop at their own level or in their own way, then reading can become a hardship on them. One would think that urban school settings would be more open to new ways of teaching literacy being that their literacy scores are proficiently lower then suburban scores (Wikipeida).
In the Greatest Art for the Littlest Readers article, people are working to step out of the box of tradition reading and writing skills. They are moving towards a way to join the arts and literature. Using children’s art work and combining two mediums s a great way to get kid’s interested in reading and at their own level. Children’s art work should be explored and tapped into for understanding a child’s skills. Who’s really to say which teaching ethic is better?
I question how is it that some schools embrace diverse reading curriculums while others have to stick to what their departments deem successful practice? If people are finding correlations between other medias and literacy, why not deviate from the norm and experiment with new ways of reading, writing, and the like? I believe there are endless ways to connect to a child and their reading ability. I also agree that teachers should not be silent about what they believe in. Teachers are the one in the classroom and their voices need to be head because they know what works. Tapping into other forms of literacy may be a great way for children to developmental grow.
Another area of interest after reading these articles comes from me questioning how literacy is taught in the classroom. It is true that with NCLB, every child should have the same opportunity to learn and develop. However, this is not always the case. In many classes, there are teachers who are not allowed to deviate from the curriculum. In these classrooms, students are just learning the letters and sounds (characters) the teachers give them at a fast past. If children are not given opportunities to develop at their own level or in their own way, then reading can become a hardship on them. One would think that urban school settings would be more open to new ways of teaching literacy being that their literacy scores are proficiently lower then suburban scores (Wikipeida).
In the Greatest Art for the Littlest Readers article, people are working to step out of the box of tradition reading and writing skills. They are moving towards a way to join the arts and literature. Using children’s art work and combining two mediums s a great way to get kid’s interested in reading and at their own level. Children’s art work should be explored and tapped into for understanding a child’s skills. Who’s really to say which teaching ethic is better?
I question how is it that some schools embrace diverse reading curriculums while others have to stick to what their departments deem successful practice? If people are finding correlations between other medias and literacy, why not deviate from the norm and experiment with new ways of reading, writing, and the like? I believe there are endless ways to connect to a child and their reading ability. I also agree that teachers should not be silent about what they believe in. Teachers are the one in the classroom and their voices need to be head because they know what works. Tapping into other forms of literacy may be a great way for children to developmental grow.
Monday, June 25, 2007
About Me
Hi,
My name is Lauren. I am Pre-K Teacher in Wyckoff. If i am not working on assignments for this class, you can find me in Belmar @ the beach.
My name is Lauren. I am Pre-K Teacher in Wyckoff. If i am not working on assignments for this class, you can find me in Belmar @ the beach.
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