As with doing most things for the first time, I was a little apprehensive going into this lesson. For the most part the literature circle went well. I presented the folktale lesson to my 4th grade class. I chose folktales from China, Mali, and the Tlingit Indians of Alaska. The students really enjoyed the books and completing the pre-reading, during reading, and post reading activities. The discussions were great. The students were not shy about responding to the discussion questions, especially those that dealt with them being the main characters and what they would have done differently. They are still asking when will we do it again.
The literature circle required more time than I had allotted for, but other than that things went smoothly. Because I now know how much time is needed for the various sections of the lesson, I will change the amount of time I give to complete the lesson. Other than that, there is not anything else I would change at this juncture; however I am looking forward to using it with my older students.
I think this technique is appropriate for second language learners as long as the appropriate literature is used for the language learners. I would suggest that other ESL professionals who are considering implementing literature circles choose literature that will engage students, foster meaningful discussions, and offer content area knowledge.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ethnographic Reflection
I found this observation to be very enlightening in terms of how the student reacts to others and where the student feels most comfortable. I chose this student because of the perceived lack of reaction to and interaction with others in our ESL classroom. I had hoped to better understand the student after this observation and through the one on one interaction. This ethnographic study gave me the opportunity to observe the student in a different environment and foster a better understanding of who he really is. The observation went well and was very beneficial.
As a result of this fieldwork, I learned that this student has been being himself in our classroom, very timid. A noticeable difference was that he does offer some interaction with others our classroom and very little to those in his regular classroom. This shows me that he feels comfortable in our classroom. One of my most important goals is to make my ESL classroom a welcoming and safe place. This study shows that I have succeeded in that.
Ethnographic studies in the classroom are of great value. They allow the educator to discover who students are, what they are bringing to the classroom and their learning, and how to help these students succeed in learning. They give the educator the opportunity to step outside of their usual roles of being instructor and facilitator and to become the observer of and sounding board to students.
The information gained from this study will assist this student's future teachers meet his needs by allowing them to create learning opportunities that involve less cooperative and group activities and more individual student learning projects. This study also shows how important the classroom environment is to this student's learning. A safe and welcoming environment is crucial to this student's success in the classroom.
As a result of this fieldwork, I learned that this student has been being himself in our classroom, very timid. A noticeable difference was that he does offer some interaction with others our classroom and very little to those in his regular classroom. This shows me that he feels comfortable in our classroom. One of my most important goals is to make my ESL classroom a welcoming and safe place. This study shows that I have succeeded in that.
Ethnographic studies in the classroom are of great value. They allow the educator to discover who students are, what they are bringing to the classroom and their learning, and how to help these students succeed in learning. They give the educator the opportunity to step outside of their usual roles of being instructor and facilitator and to become the observer of and sounding board to students.
The information gained from this study will assist this student's future teachers meet his needs by allowing them to create learning opportunities that involve less cooperative and group activities and more individual student learning projects. This study also shows how important the classroom environment is to this student's learning. A safe and welcoming environment is crucial to this student's success in the classroom.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thoughts on Action Research
My action research was based on center use with older elementary school children (grades 4 and 5). This is my first year working with older ESL students. I previously only worked with Pre-K -2nd graders. A specified program is used with the older students that incorporates reading, writing, listening, and drawing. It has been a bit challenging holding the students attention and I thought the use of centers for these activities would allow for more student engagement and an increase in student learning.
I found that the art and writing centers had a positive effect on student engagement and learning. When at these centers the students showed an increased amount of creativity in their work. They were able to discuss what they had created and written and tell how it went along with the lessons. They were excited and enjoyed what they were doing. Conversely, the reading and listening centers had a negative effect on student engagement and showed little evidence of learning. Students were off task more frequently at these centers and were unable to answer most questions about or discuss what the material covered. Some students saw the time spent at these centers as "free time."
I must say that action research is very interesting. As I read about it before hand, I was not sure that it would actually work. Some things sound really good on paper but do not actually work. For me, I found that this did work in my classroom. It raised questions that, if answered by doing more action research in my classroom, I believe will help my classroom to become one where learning is achieved. Having participated in it, I can see this type of research as beneficial and would suggest to those who have not yet tried it to do so.
I found that the art and writing centers had a positive effect on student engagement and learning. When at these centers the students showed an increased amount of creativity in their work. They were able to discuss what they had created and written and tell how it went along with the lessons. They were excited and enjoyed what they were doing. Conversely, the reading and listening centers had a negative effect on student engagement and showed little evidence of learning. Students were off task more frequently at these centers and were unable to answer most questions about or discuss what the material covered. Some students saw the time spent at these centers as "free time."
I must say that action research is very interesting. As I read about it before hand, I was not sure that it would actually work. Some things sound really good on paper but do not actually work. For me, I found that this did work in my classroom. It raised questions that, if answered by doing more action research in my classroom, I believe will help my classroom to become one where learning is achieved. Having participated in it, I can see this type of research as beneficial and would suggest to those who have not yet tried it to do so.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Fieldnote Blog Entry #2
Teaching Issues:
A major issue in my classroom is the program that we use and the amount of time, or lack there of, to present it. It is a good program but it is designed for a 90 minute block. We do not have that much time. I feel like we are not giving the students what they need because of this. I think it may be more beneficial to students to design our own lessons around the actual time frame in which we have students. Grouping students can also difficult. With varying levels of students, I sometimes struggle with how to group them. Teaching ESL in general can be difficult because of the lack of support. Some people in education really have no idea of the importance of this program and it shows in the decisions that they make.
Second Language Acquisition:
In the classroom, I set aside the first few minutes to talk with my students. I ask them how their day has been, if they enjoyed lunch, or what they did the night before. In this, I may introduce vocabulary or build on prior knowledge. This serves as an icebreaker. They are comfortable and more willing to participate in the lesson after doing this. However, I do set a time limit so that the students know when it is time to do"real work." This works well with my students. If I have a substitute I leave specific dialogs for him or her to use with students.
Ethnographic Perspective:
I have found that to meet the needs of my students I must try to understand who they are, what they like, and how they feel. I have students who were born in the United States and yet speak little English. Some of my students are as American as me in everything but the language that they speak. I incorporate cultures from around the world in order to give my students more of a globalized view of the world. We now live in a global community and our ELLs should take part in it.
A major issue in my classroom is the program that we use and the amount of time, or lack there of, to present it. It is a good program but it is designed for a 90 minute block. We do not have that much time. I feel like we are not giving the students what they need because of this. I think it may be more beneficial to students to design our own lessons around the actual time frame in which we have students. Grouping students can also difficult. With varying levels of students, I sometimes struggle with how to group them. Teaching ESL in general can be difficult because of the lack of support. Some people in education really have no idea of the importance of this program and it shows in the decisions that they make.
Second Language Acquisition:
In the classroom, I set aside the first few minutes to talk with my students. I ask them how their day has been, if they enjoyed lunch, or what they did the night before. In this, I may introduce vocabulary or build on prior knowledge. This serves as an icebreaker. They are comfortable and more willing to participate in the lesson after doing this. However, I do set a time limit so that the students know when it is time to do"real work." This works well with my students. If I have a substitute I leave specific dialogs for him or her to use with students.
Ethnographic Perspective:
I have found that to meet the needs of my students I must try to understand who they are, what they like, and how they feel. I have students who were born in the United States and yet speak little English. Some of my students are as American as me in everything but the language that they speak. I incorporate cultures from around the world in order to give my students more of a globalized view of the world. We now live in a global community and our ELLs should take part in it.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Dual Existence
Upon initial reading of the topic of this post, I had a hard time trying to remember a particular instance in which I had observed the dual existence. I wondered why this seemed more challenging than the posts before. I have come to the conclusion that it is not that I have not witnessed such a thing but that it is so commonplace that I did not view it as anything other than the norm. To me this says a great deal about how I personally view what is happening around me and how my life is being affected by immigrants. In essence, the only direct contact that I really have with any immigrants are those in my classroom and their parents. Outside of that, there is none unless we take into account those who are in service professions and with that the cycle continues. Reading chapter eight brought a glimpse of the reality that we live in in Middle Tennessee and most other places where immigrants reside.
Last week I was at a park with family and friends. In the other pavilion there was a group of Hispanics. They had cases and cases of water, Gatorade, and the like. I noticed that many men, old and young alike, began to show up in soccer clothes. For the first in the many years of my coming to this same park, I saw that there were soccer goals. The field was mostly dirt. They proceeded to play a very organized, real game of soccer, referees and all. We watched, even choosing teams to cheer for and had a great time because I really enjoy the game. My children have played soccer for many years and Murfreesboro has a great soccer complex. In all the years that they have played, there has never been one Hispanic player on their teams. I have seen some Hispanic players on teams but they are a very small minority. Why would they settle for this mediocre place to play the sport they love when they could be afforded the same amenities as others in the city? Because of the dual existence.
I think teachers can help dissolve the dual existence by not only informing students about the different activities, curricular and extracurricular, but by also encouraging them to participate. It goes beyond the classroom as well. We must reach out to the parents of our students and show them that we really care about them and their children. It is difficult to get the children into different things when they are getting no support from home.
Last week I was at a park with family and friends. In the other pavilion there was a group of Hispanics. They had cases and cases of water, Gatorade, and the like. I noticed that many men, old and young alike, began to show up in soccer clothes. For the first in the many years of my coming to this same park, I saw that there were soccer goals. The field was mostly dirt. They proceeded to play a very organized, real game of soccer, referees and all. We watched, even choosing teams to cheer for and had a great time because I really enjoy the game. My children have played soccer for many years and Murfreesboro has a great soccer complex. In all the years that they have played, there has never been one Hispanic player on their teams. I have seen some Hispanic players on teams but they are a very small minority. Why would they settle for this mediocre place to play the sport they love when they could be afforded the same amenities as others in the city? Because of the dual existence.
I think teachers can help dissolve the dual existence by not only informing students about the different activities, curricular and extracurricular, but by also encouraging them to participate. It goes beyond the classroom as well. We must reach out to the parents of our students and show them that we really care about them and their children. It is difficult to get the children into different things when they are getting no support from home.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Betrayal & Abandonment
In this blog that concerns betrayal and abandonment, I would first like to address the issue of the crab mentality. I have often heard of and unfortunately have even been the victim of this manner of thinking in the African-American community. I had no idea that this disease also infected others. Far from attempting to create yet another negative stereotype and in no way condoning the havoc that having a crab mentality can wreak on individuals and groups, it is good to know that it is not just a "black thing."
Now, on to the issue at hand. I think the case of Hector Seemann is the worst of the two. It is obviously very stressful for those who are attempting to and in most cases succeeding in making better lives for their families in the US, and in Mexico as well, to make the ultimate decision of returning to their Mexican homes or staying in the US and building upon their new found lives and homes. They have not abandoned their home land as they have continued to poor money into their villages for various projects. I think for the immigrants it is those who stayed in Mexico, for whatever reason, that somehow try to shame them into feeling as though they have abandoned their villages and Mexico. They have worked hard and should be able to enjoy the fruit of their labor without felling guilty about it, whether in Mexico or in the US.
It is far worse to stay in a place that you feel has totally abandoned you and where your dreams have died. This is Hector. He has nothing to hold on to but the bitterness of never having seen his dreams fulfilled. He is stuck where he is with no hopes of ever leaving.This is of course by choice, but when abandonment and bitterness are all you've had to hold on to for so many years, they are assuredly hard to let go of.
Now, on to the issue at hand. I think the case of Hector Seemann is the worst of the two. It is obviously very stressful for those who are attempting to and in most cases succeeding in making better lives for their families in the US, and in Mexico as well, to make the ultimate decision of returning to their Mexican homes or staying in the US and building upon their new found lives and homes. They have not abandoned their home land as they have continued to poor money into their villages for various projects. I think for the immigrants it is those who stayed in Mexico, for whatever reason, that somehow try to shame them into feeling as though they have abandoned their villages and Mexico. They have worked hard and should be able to enjoy the fruit of their labor without felling guilty about it, whether in Mexico or in the US.
It is far worse to stay in a place that you feel has totally abandoned you and where your dreams have died. This is Hector. He has nothing to hold on to but the bitterness of never having seen his dreams fulfilled. He is stuck where he is with no hopes of ever leaving.This is of course by choice, but when abandonment and bitterness are all you've had to hold on to for so many years, they are assuredly hard to let go of.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Velvet Art and Ridicule
Velvet Art
I must say that I have never seen a Velvet Jesus or Velvet Elvis, but the Dogs Playing Poker was one I often saw. Maybe my neighbors owned the Dogs Playing Poker because they were not at all religious and the music of Elvis was not their music of choice. I can remember the excitement of knowing that I was going to their house because I wanted to see that picture. It mesmerized me and I loved it. Remembering how this one painting made me feel, I can easily understand how the popularity of and the demand for this form of art grew as quickly as it did. With the explosive demand for velvet paintings, the artists not only found an income that would sustain them along with their families, but one that would let them enjoy a lifestyle that they could only dream of before. This may have been good for the artists had they known how to handle it. Given the areas that these paintings originated in, I can see how many of these artists could succumb to various temptations that left them dead or penniless. For many of the artists, velvet painting was more than just a way to make money. They took pride in the art of velvet painting. I think Chuy Moran was one of those artists. More than painting to make a living, I think Chuy went back to painting because he was an artist. It is my belief that if people would take a more vested interest in the areas in which they enter to contract and complete their business, many of the pitfalls which trap the locals who provide the labor could be avoided. Being taught and given the opportunity to do the right things concerning their families, their money, and their futures would be of great benefit not only to the local communities but to the global community.
Ridicule
I would hope to curtail this by creating a multicultural classroom. However, we do live in the real world and there will be times when students are made fun of, even with a tolerant classroom environment. It would greatly depend on the student as to the immediate response I would give. Some students need the re-assurance that it is perfectly acceptable to have and observe such a tradition while others would be encouraged with a simple smile from the teacher. I would, in order to further familiarize students with the tradition, plan a lesson in which that particular tradition could be explained and examined by the students.
I must say that I have never seen a Velvet Jesus or Velvet Elvis, but the Dogs Playing Poker was one I often saw. Maybe my neighbors owned the Dogs Playing Poker because they were not at all religious and the music of Elvis was not their music of choice. I can remember the excitement of knowing that I was going to their house because I wanted to see that picture. It mesmerized me and I loved it. Remembering how this one painting made me feel, I can easily understand how the popularity of and the demand for this form of art grew as quickly as it did. With the explosive demand for velvet paintings, the artists not only found an income that would sustain them along with their families, but one that would let them enjoy a lifestyle that they could only dream of before. This may have been good for the artists had they known how to handle it. Given the areas that these paintings originated in, I can see how many of these artists could succumb to various temptations that left them dead or penniless. For many of the artists, velvet painting was more than just a way to make money. They took pride in the art of velvet painting. I think Chuy Moran was one of those artists. More than painting to make a living, I think Chuy went back to painting because he was an artist. It is my belief that if people would take a more vested interest in the areas in which they enter to contract and complete their business, many of the pitfalls which trap the locals who provide the labor could be avoided. Being taught and given the opportunity to do the right things concerning their families, their money, and their futures would be of great benefit not only to the local communities but to the global community.
Ridicule
I would hope to curtail this by creating a multicultural classroom. However, we do live in the real world and there will be times when students are made fun of, even with a tolerant classroom environment. It would greatly depend on the student as to the immediate response I would give. Some students need the re-assurance that it is perfectly acceptable to have and observe such a tradition while others would be encouraged with a simple smile from the teacher. I would, in order to further familiarize students with the tradition, plan a lesson in which that particular tradition could be explained and examined by the students.
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