Group items tagged

(week 9: Jason Caputo and Ericka Posey) This article is accessible via jstor from the link above and can also be searched from the title via UMUC library. This article discusses research on online communities and the interaction between L2 (language learners) with L1 (native) speakers. It examines the benefits of participation in these communities as part of the learning experience. The research in the article supports the use of authentic experiences, even online, as a driver of language acquisition and student motivation to improve. Authentic experiences like those found online fill a gap in typical learning environments by giving cultural and linguistic context to communication. Though you may not teach a language or be able to include online communities directly into your course material, this article highlights the need to expand your instruction outside the four walls of your classroom. Provide opportunities for learning and assessment that reflect student interests and real world situations. The more student interests are taken into account, the greater their passion for learning. The more reflective of real world experiences, the deeper the learning experience. Thorne, S. L., Black, R. W., & Sykes, J. M. (2009). Second Language Use, Socialization, and Learning in Internet Interest Communities and Online Gaming. The Modern Language Journal, 93, 802-821. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00974.x

While a bit long (10 pages, including the reference list), this article provides ideas and strategies to help students with learning differences (LD) be more successful in Spanish classrooms. It references recent brain research and also reminds readers that students with LD do not have diminished intellectual capacity. The first part of the article gives background on LD, latter sections give suggestions about things Spanish teachers can do to help their students with LD be more successful in their classes.

(Week 8: Margarita, Erika, Frances) Article originally posted in Diigo. An additional source is here: http://www.academypublication.com/ojs/index.php/tpls/article/view/tpls0502225234/64 This article describes "multi-sensory approaches" and the kind of instructional strategies, informed by brain-based research, that can help students with learning disabilities succeed in learning Spanish or another second language. The article focuses on how to create meaningful inclusion and skill building in Spanish courses through general accommodations, existing resources, and learning strategies. The article also references the relative lack of scholarly research on this topic and how that negatively impacts wider knowledge of ways to help students with learning disabilities learn a foreign language. This article was of interest to our group because the SMART goal is directly tied to improving the performance of special education students in Spanish class. In some schools, special education students are often pulled from language classes to get reading support, so implementing strategies that might keep the students in language class are of interest to the Spanish teachers. While several of the strategies discussed were already known, there were a couple that reinforced practices that have already been implemented as a result of our group's data action plan and at least one new idea that our practicing teacher would like to try. Reference Tolbert, J. B., Killu, K., & Lazarus, B. D. (2015). A framework for supporting students with learning disabilities in Spanish courses: connecting learning characteristics and instructional methods. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(2), 225-234. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0502.01

(I tried to edit my previous comment with some corrected info, but the changes wouldn't stick, so I am just reposting again) (Week 8: Margarita, Erika, Frances) The original link for this article was to a standalone PDF link. An additional source is here: http://www.academypublication.com/ojs/index.php/tpls/article/view/tpls0502225234/64 Students with learning disabilities commonly either avoided or have been discouraged from taking World Language classes. This article describes "multi-sensory approaches" and the kind of instructional strategies, informed by brain-based research, that can help students with learning disabilities succeed in learning Spanish or another second language. The article focuses on how to create meaningful inclusion and skill building in Spanish courses through general accommodations, existing resources, and learning strategies. The article also references the relative lack of scholarly research on this topic and how that negatively impacts wider knowledge of ways to help students with learning disabilities learn a foreign language. This article was of interest to our group because the SMART goal is directly tied to improving the performance of special education students in Spanish class. The goal of the world languages department is for every student to learn one of the languages taught, yet that is not always possible since special education students who are not meeting the reading goals are frequently pulled from language classes to get reading support. Implementing strategies and other instructional moves that might keep the students in language class, are of interest to the teachers. While several of the multisensory strategies discussed were already known, there were a couple that reinforced practices that have already been implemented as a result of our gr

Group 3: Erika Eason, Margarita Lugo, Frances Parker Week 8: This journal article is accessible through the link given above by accessing the UMUC library. Description: Students with learning disabilities commonly either avoided or have been discouraged from taking World Language classes. This article describes "multi-sensory approaches" and the kind of instructional strategies, informed by brain-based research, that can help students with learning disabilities succeed in learning Spanish or another second language. The article focuses on how to create meaningful inclusion and skill building in Spanish courses through general accommodations, existing resources, and learning strategies. The article also references the relative lack of scholarly research on this topic and how that negatively impacts wider knowledge of ways to help students with learning disabilities learn a foreign language. This article was of interest to our group because the SMART goal is directly tied to improving the performance of special education students in Spanish class. The goal of the world languages department is for every student to learn one of the languages taught, yet that is not always possible since special education students who are not meeting the reading goals are frequently pulled from language classes to get reading support. Implementing strategies and other instructional moves that might keep the students in language class, are of interest to the teachers. While several of the multisensory strategies discussed were already known, there were a couple that reinforced practices that have already been implemented as a result of our group's data action plan and at least one new idea that our practicing teacher would like to try. This article would be particularly useful for Spanish teachers who are learning to differentiate their instruction and assessment for the first time and who need ideas about how to involve more Citation: Tolbert, J. B.,

With all the areas that children are taught in school, the author feels that while trying work at the achievement gap we should look at the engagement gap. The eagerness that children have a young age needs to be maintained. Hands-on learning should be implemented into the lesson.

This is a great article focusing on engagement in the classroom! It discusses the necessity of hands on learning to maintain students interest. This is important for students of all academic levels. Hands on learning not only engages students because they are "doing", they also are developing critical thinking skills. As a special education teacher, I know that in order to assist my students in learning, I need to keep their attention and provide them with interesting, hands on learning.

I love this article! I have always been a strong believer in hands on learning and I love that they call it an engagement gap! Students get bored when a teacher gets up and lectures them all day. They need to be engaged! The activities need to be purposeful and have a specific meaning but a teacher can make just about any topic engaging just by getting the kids moving and interacting. I 100% agree that students retain information longer when they are engaged and enjoying what they are learning.

The study compares students (grade 4) that received traditional instruction to those who received computer assisted instruction (CAI) with traditional instruction for basic math facts. The results show that daily CAI positively effects student math achievement. This study is interesting in that students received 10 minutes of CAI to achieve these results.

The study described in this article is very interesting because it relates to our group's Exploratory Question. We are trying to see if computer practice one or twice a week correlates to progress in students' mastering their addition and subtraction facts. As shown in the article, computer assisted instruction had a positive impact on the students' fluency of basic math facts.

This interview provides research that supports an instructional gap based on gender. It mentions how and why girls are outperforming boys academically. The interviewees suggest ways to address the gender gap.

This article definitely examined many factors that could be a cause of an instructional gap, including gender. As I read through the interview, it discussed topics such as "Is it a problem that so few men are teachers? and Is single-sec education a viable strategy for addressing the problem"? My school has discussed creating an all-males 8th grade class, but without seeing proven data that this is in the best interest of the student/school, I don't think I could support this strategy. Great article on gender gaps and how it is effecting our educational system.

Rather interesting article. I work at an all boys school and it is very rewarding to see these young men excel in academics. We also study the male brain and customized our lessons to reach the male brain. Some customization used are brain breaks, water, multimedia and music and many others. Great article

Chapter 6 of this book by Pérsida Himmele and William Himmele focuses on Total Participation Techniques that move. Of particular interest to my data team is the section of this chapter on Bounce Cards. This strategy can help all students feel confident and comfortable participating in a group discussion. I think it can be especially helpful to world language teachers looking to encourage students to discuss academic topics in the target language. (Week 9)

This article addresses the impact of praise on students. It is most often considered motivational and effective, but depending on its use, can do more harm than good. Willingham writes of several stipulations for effective praise. It should be sincere and spontaneous, earned, and focus on process, not ability. Several studies are described to demonstrate a link between praise and motivation. It can produce greater interest in an activity, which may be quickly lost if praise is no longer present. As students mature, they are more likely to consider the implications of praise. If it is given for a menial task, or a task in which the student has not done quality work, they tend to feel that the teacher requires or expects less of them, which speaks to their perception of potential personal success. Willingham writes, "by not criticizing substandard work, the teacher implicitly says, "i believe that you are not capable of anything better". The effects of praise are also affected by student resilience. If a student believes that his current ability can not be improved, then a failure to solicit praise is corroboration of his lack of intelligence. A student who believes abilities can be strengthened, may see it as a sign that he should keep working. In considering how motivation impacts assessment grades, we must keep in mind that it is possible for motivation to transcend the activity itself. Praise and other teacher interactions can play an important role in shaping the learning attitudes of students as well.

This is an AWESOME article for our group! Motivation is a key element in our exploratory question and praise can play an important role. What I found interesting is that praise can be good or bad for student motivation purely based on how and when it is used. Some of the situations were fairly obvious, such as being sincere with the praise especially with the older kids. I know my students know when they put forth effort so it would be damaging to praise them when they have not. The element that I found to be surprising was the suggestion to complement the "process, not ability." I have been guilty of praising finished products rather than how the work was done.

An explanation of the process called "wireframing," used by web designers to sketch out the framwork of their sites before they begin to code them.  Useful to all who are interested in developing their web-design skills.

Thanks for sharing. I've been looking for tools like these. I'll definitely be revisiting this.

This is a post by Grant Wiggins in which he provides a synopsis of 15 year's worth of reading strategies research-what works and what doesn't work-and then his key take-aways are. This is a very interesting and 'meaty' read. This article as well as the preceding and final post could serve as the foundation for a PLC text-based seminar discussion on reading strategies with the goal to improve our students transfer of these skills to novel texts.

Week 8: In our Data Action meeting we discussed intructional strategies involving simulation and games. This article explain some advantages and fears for educators implementing games into their lesson plans. Matthew Farber Social Studies Teacher, Ed Tech Leadership EdD Candidate, Author In the fall of 2014, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (a nonprofit founded by Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney) assessed the impact of the gaming in school settings.

Initially, I was very hesitant to buy into learning through online games. I know that children today spend so much time in front of screens, and I didn't want to contribute to this obsession (for some children it does border on that). I did see that BrainPop, a site which I use frequently, introduced GameUp and Spotify. I figured if BrainPop was okay with gaming for learning, then I had to give it a try. Well, my students will now beg for BrainPop and will do evey activity, quiz and graphic organizer associated with a lesson in order to get to sortify. What a great tool. I am now a firm believer.

I too see the benefits of using these online games within instruction. The games provide students with a means of engagement that we often struggle to provide students. With the growth of technology, students are becoming more in-tune with new technology and are using it more often at home. By connecting technology to instruction, we are able to meet them in the middle. There are so many tools available online that it's a shame not to use them!

(Week 8: Javon and Kim) I found this article on UMUC in the online Library. Traditionally, classrooms are not assessment-centered focus. Most often students take an assessment after learning specific content, but in an assessment-centered learning environment, the teacher and students have a road map for learning and is more positive. Author and Professor, Steven L. Turner, PhD., raises an article on creating an assessment-centered learning classroom. He does this by presenting PILOT -an acronym for an assessment strategy. PILOT Assessment Strategy P- Preassessment The purpose of Preassessment is to evaluate a student's knowledge about a particular subject that will be taught. Turner suggesting asking a series of questions to gain this information (i.e. "What is the student's current knowledge about this unit", "What students are interested in this topic?" etc.). Preassessment surfaces student thinking and information that helpful for teachers and those designing curriculum and assessments. I-Identify student strengths and areas of need (readiness) Identifying the areas where students are strong enables them to be more engaged in the topic. Students are also able to self-assess to identify where they presently are, become aware of their challenged areas, and what it will take for their progress. L-link differentiated classroom learning experiences to district standards and learning goals Linking the classroom learning experience to standards and benchmark testing have proven to be successful. Curriculum that links with the Common Core Standards - what students in K-12 should learn in language arts and math, strengthens foundational knowledge for students. O-offer multiple in-class assessment opportunities Offering multiple assessment methods allows the student to take control of their learning while putting them in the "driver's seat." Although this step could be time consuming it shows the student that the instructor cares and is conc

WEEK 7 - Chris Baugher, Patricia Bankins and Alison Burns - First reading. "This paper investigates how pre-service teacher education can provide a strong literacy foundation for content area teachers. Pre-service teachers emphasized their growing awareness of how literacy strategies can enhance student learning in their specific subject areas." (Orr, Kukner and Timmons, 2014)

This article gives an interesting insight to content area literacy and infusing literacy into science and math classes. I was particularly interested in the different ways the sample teachers incorporate literacy strategies into their teaching. They talk of expanding notions of what learning and assessment can look like in science and math. Teachers must have a solid content knowledge themselves to be able to express "the most useful forms of representation of those [topics to be taught in the subject area and] ideas, the most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations-in a word, the ways of representing and formulating the subject that make it comprehensible to others. (Schulman, 1986, p. 9)

The article supports this week's activity and Willigham's video on content knowledge improving reading skill. The first section in 'content area literacy" says it all: "Content area literacy is the ability to acquire understandings of, and think critically about, new content in a discipline using reading, writing and multiple other forms..." (Draper, 2002; Heller & Greenleaf, 2007; Kane, 2011; McKenna & Robinson, 1990) The article as a whole supports and builds upon the importance of not only literacy but also what assessments could look like and what they should reflect. Lastly, "[b]ecause literacy is important in all subject areas, content area teachers can plat a significant role in their students' literacy development" (Alger, 2007, 2009; Draper, 2002; Lind, 2008, Heller & Greenleaf, 2007). Before students can learn the material, we as teachers must become familiar and competent enough in the content to not only explain the ideas but to show them and relate them to the students' lives and prior knowledge.

In order to increase the achievement levels of minorities and low income students, there are three components that are the focus: high standards, a rigorous curriculum, and effective educators.

This post hits home, as I see it at my Title I school. Students struggle but even the students passing AP classes and Honors courses, yet when they see the SAT's or the ACT's. Last year, my school's valedictorian only got a 1000 on the SAT and did not get to attend her first choice. We, as a school, and larger, we as educators need to ensure that we are doing everything we can to get these students to get past whatever challenges exist outside of the school and have strict standards that need to be met.

This a great resource for every teacher.

This article makes a very good argument for incorporating e-mail into the classroom to improve student writing. The author explains how students are often bored with traditional writing assignments and editing/revising sessions using Microsoft Word (even though this is technology, it is less interactive). The author explains how having a second party on the other end of the email who will be reading their work encourages students to carefully proofread and make edits/revisions as necessary on their own before sending the e-mails. Students were also more interesting in the authentic writing tasks that e-mail communication allowed (such as writing to professionals in their fields of study/interest and receiving real responses). The author gives a plethora of ideas for utilizing e-mail to improve student writing in various content classes, including Language Arts, Math, Foreign Language, and Social Studies. Kristine and I found this article and are hoping to work in this strategy/component into our Data Action Plan (although we previously did not list it as a strategy to help with our SMART goals). WEEK 7

This article summarizes how one school used a blended differentiated curriculum to reduce the achievemnt gap between poor and wealthy students. What I found interesting about this approach is that the authors said, "That engagement in learning is enhanced when students' interests and choices are considered." This is a different approach to how some schools use differentiation and the change didn't happened over night. The school made a lot of adjustments, including re-writing the curriculum and setting specific learning objectives. However, they were successful because they saw an improvement in student achievement.

This article shows that through reflective teaching and coaching, diverse struggling readers can beneficiate from different strategies and will help to close instructional gaps.

I like the ideas presented here, they elaborate on the need for ELL students to have word association and phonetic instruction to further their understanding of content. This is particularly stressed in the elementary grades, however having a teaching coach for ELL learners in the higher grades could assist students that did not have phonetic instruction in the lower grades. One particular item of interest was the comment made that data results from assessment is not analyzed until later in the year and as a result does not benefit the students that took the assessment. Due to this the author stresses the need for collaboration of the teaching team to identify skills and strategies needed and subsequently develop ways to address the skill or strategy needed that will enhance learning.

Week 7 This reading is discussing the use of rewards in teaching and education. It discusses the effects on motivation and if the behavior being rewarded will continue if the reward is removed. Depending on how you interpret this article, you can use rewards in the most effective way to change the targeted behavior or remind yourself that that you can aid students in discovering self motivation by rewarding them with praise.

Teachers often offer rewards for good work, but Willingham speaks of their potential dangers. Rewards must be used with care, only if necessary, for a specific reason, not as a constant. In an attempt to encourage desired behaviors, they could produce the opposite effect if an expected reward is outside of reach. Rewarding a student for the act of producing rather than for producing a quality product, can also lead to lack of motivation and interest in learning. The system can also backfire is the offered incentive is not a desired reward. Though it seems intuitive and effective short term to offer rewards, this article presents some great points for the thoughtful educator in pointing out that rewards can be used effectively, but may also be more trouble than they are worth.

I like the idea presented in the article that grades can be construed as rewards for students. At first I sort of rolled my eyes (internally) at the idea, but the way the article described rewards actually made it meaningful to me. The article says that rewards (when used) should be "Desirable, Certain, and Prompt" to be effective. For grades to motivate students, they should be desirable (i.e. the intrinsic reward of good grades should already be ingrained), the grades need to be Certain (that is, the students need to have clear ideas of what it takes to earn an "A" or "B" etc) and must be Prompt (students tend to fail to see the correlation between effort and grades if they are given feedback on work days or weeks after the assignment is performed). The idea of promptness really stood out to me because contractually, I am required to update grades for students every 2 weeks. I always found that to be woefully inadequate for students to learn from their assessed work. I want students to be able to learn from mistakes they make on their assignments, but often seeing a grade value weeks after the attempt is made is similar to the 'ice cream' example in the article. Having a grade with feedback a day after they make an attempt will make the student feel more 'attached' to that grade and be more likely to fix it. For a graded assignment that was done long ago, students may see it as a more detached product and less likely to care about making corrections.