Group items tagged

Group Works ("a pattern language for bringing life to meetings and other gatherings") has created a deck of cards, where each of the 91 cards describes one "theme" [my term] that they feel makes up the pattern language. 

An interesting way to present the individual items that make up their pattern language. These cards are available as a deck, as a PDF, and soon as a mobile app.

"Abstract The use of design patterns is now well established as an approach within the field of software systems as well as within the field of architecture. An initial effort was made to harness patterns as a tool for elaborating the design of the elements of personal learning environments as part of the University of Bolton's Personal Learning Environment project; however, this earlier effort had a number of limitations that prompted a revisit to the pattern language documented here. In particular, the initial patterns, while functionally useful, lacked some of the moral and generative qualities that are the essential qualities of an effective pattern language. This paper presents a revised pattern language focused around two primary categories, learning networks, and personal learning tools."

Based on the 1977 book about architecture, A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction, and three subsequent volumes, this website expands upon the ideas of architectural pattern, looking at community, but also at computer patterns. "A Child's History of Pattern Language" (first click on the pattern link) attempts to make these ideas even more accessible.

While on the surface, architectural patterns have little to do with pedagogy patterns, the underlying ideas here seem very similar to those of GSCC. Also interesting to see how they've built them out on the web.

Created by Cheryl Carter (n.d.). as part of the Southern LINCS database. From the database's home page, LINCS is "a national electronic information and communication system for adult literacy." The lesson's stated objective is to help learners understand "registers of language,...distinguish between different registers...and utilize these registers for more effective communication." This lesson is based on Ruby Payne's work.

TO'C taught a full lesson on language registers, week 13, semester 4.

on the Testing Center, York College - The City University of New York. Five scoring categories: 1. "Critical Response to the Writing Task and Text" 2."Development of Writer's Ideas": 3. Structure of the Response" 4. "Language Use: Sentences and Word Choice" 5. "Language Use: Grammar, Usage, Mechanics"

Published by Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) in 1974, this document "includes the resolution on language adopted by members of CCCC in April 1974; the background statement explaining and supporting that resolution; and the bibliography that gives sources of some of the ideas presented in the background statement...."

Google Books excerpt of Language, literacy, and learning in educational practice: a reader by Stierer and Maybin, see pp 45-58. This excerpt includes Vygotsky's work on proximal development. Also known as Vykotsky.

Patrick Bahls in The WAC Journal, Vol 20, Nov 2009. Bahls, a professor at UNC-Asheville, writes of the success he's had with a poetry assignment for his pre-calc and calculus students. He cites that much of one's success with math (especially advanced math) comes from confidence and finds the "language" of math to be both cumbersome and outdated for most students. The examples of student poetry (and their reactions to the assignment) are also provided as evidence.

This is a really interesting article, and the poetry is both thoughtful and creative. I wonder what both math and writing faculty think of this idea. Has anyone tried something similar in their classrooms? Great cites (and nice poem) on math anxiety. -- Stephanie

By Constance Weaver, prepared for the Michigan English Language Arts Framework project, 1995. In C. Weaver, L. Gillmeister-Krause, & G. Vento-Zogby, Creating Support for Effective Literacy Education (Heinemann, 1996). May be copied.

The thread (Editing, GULP!) referenced the work of Braddock and Hillocks on grammar. This factsheet nicely summarizes their arguments, as well as others who have followed a similar path.

By Leila Christenbury (2006), Third Edition, Boynton-Cook/Heinemann, Portsmouth.

R.A. requested article from this book on Questioning Circles.

By Rebecca Wheeler, published in Doubletake/Points of Entry, spring 2006. Looks at how to use the idea of "codeswitch" to differentiate between formal (standard) and informal English, rather than teaching students that their (informal) language is "wrong." With bibliography.

Young, Vershawn Ashanti. Published in College Composition and Communication. 55.4 (2004): 693-715. The author looks at the differences between black and white language. This page from the CCC Online Archive includes an abstract, works citing, and works cited.

By Malcolm X and Alex Haley, published by Penguin, 2007, copyright 1965.

Mentioned in Choice Event: Imitation (RA). "...Malcolm X's language learning based on reading and copying the dictionary while in prison."

Part of Annenberg Learner, each series listed here has a selection of videos available for download. Topics range from surveys of American and World literatures, to teaching students to work with artifacts, to developing writers. Grade ranges vary by series. Production of these videos is supported by the Annenberg Foundation.

By Lisa Linn Kanae, Saneohe, HI: Tinfish, 2001(?)

A website, developed by the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary, devoted to saving words that are rarely used and therefore risk losing a place in the dictionary.

By Theresa Perry and Lisa D. Delpit. Beacon Press, 1998.

By Debra Ferreday; Vivien Hodgson; Chris Jones; published in Studies in Continuing Education, Vol 28 (3), November 2006, pp. 223-239. A case study of a networked management learning course in higher education, this paper looks at dialogue and identity.

This fun site, one vision of a social media-enabled dictionary, offers not just definitions of words (from a variety of sources), but also contextual references, and the ability to tag and/or build a community around a given word. It's quite hard to describe; I recommend clicking through a few words as they float by on the home page.