12/17/2017 HOW DOES COMMON CORE STANDARDS INFLUENCE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ?Read NowHOW DOES COMMON CORE STANDARDS INFLUENCE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ?
September 27, 2016EditCommon Core Standards Helen Lee Module 2 Activity 1 The Culture of Schooling Staci Stocklos Focus: How does Common Core Standards Influence National and International Organizations? As of 21st Century, the US public schools have adopted Common Core State Standards as their national education standards. According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Common Core Standards is nothing but higher educational courses for every student in math, social studies, science, and English. Alex Stuckey, a St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer, says, “The Common Core standards — which have been adopted by at least 45 states, including Missouri — are meant to ensure students across the United States learn the same skills (1).” The Common Core Standards is to help the US students to achieve higher levels of educational courses in public schools. It helps the US students, regardless of their locations in the US, to get the equal higher education. One interesting fact about the standards is that there is a national exam called Smarter Balanced Assessment. According to Smarter Balanced Assessment Organization, this assessment is to support student learning in English and math through online. This assessment also examines students’ achievement progress with a customized test questions and supports for English Language Learners and students with disabilities. The central fact about this evaluation is that it contains many problem-solving tasks to measure students’ critical thinking skills to help the students become better US citizens in real life situations. In addition, the National Education Association determined that they have developed and implemented the Common Core Standards. One of the biggest concerns of National Board Certified teachers was the English language abilities and mathematic skills out of all the four core subjects in the school. Therefore, some teachers suggested for flexibilities to modify the lessons across the states. In the other hand, The Washington Post have focused its intention that Common Core Standards contains problems in the current public school education system. Valerie Strauss suggests that there are eight questions into these new standards. For example, Strauss discussed the quality and static strategies and lack of considerations of individual needs were brought up in the article. Despite the fact that Common Core is such a hot topic to the educators and parents today, it is important to update the pros and cons about the standard. Other countries like Korea or China started to pay more attention to the Common Core Standards. These countries have not begun to consider Common Core; yet, it is a hot topic for other nations’ educators. To conclude, I have learned that Taiwan ‘s education policy is very similar to the US public schools’ policies. For example, Ministry of Education in Taiwan focuses on students’ liabilities, life skills, and innovative strategies as their future objectives. These plans were slightly similar to the US public schools. However, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan reported that their students’ math and science scores were one of the highest among in Asian countries. Probably this is the reason why Taiwanese educators are not pushing their students too much on math and science skills than the US Common Core Standards. Works Cited Educational System. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=15742&CtNode=11434&mp=1 NEA’s Involvement in the Common Core State Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.nea.org/home/46665.htm Numbers, B. T. (n.d.). What is Smarter Balanced? – Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.smarterbalanced.org/about/ Strauss, V. (n.d.). Eight problems with Common Core Standards. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/eight-problems-with-common-core-standards/2012/08/21/821b300a-e4e7-11e1-8f62-58260e3940a0_blog.html Stuckey, A. (2016). Public Weighs in on Common Core replacement standards. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/public-weighs-in-on-common-core-replacement-standards/article_7d1ba635-ad86-5f95-b9af-f6e54f97df87.html
0 Comments
MOBILE LEARNING
July 1, 2017Why should a teacher be prepared to allow or require students to use mobile devices to achieve learning objectives? Teachers should always be prepared to allow or require students to use mobile devices to achieve 21st Century Skills. We are living in a digital era, where most of the people know how to “surf” the internet. Mobile devices like Ipad, smartphones, and computers have been in the education for a long time. Students should be prepared to technical devices in learning. 2. Create a list of guiding principles or best practices based on your approach. Do not refer to specific apps. Guiding Principles
References Prensky, M. (2005, December 02). Shaping Tech for the Classroom. Retrieved July 06, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt-shaping-tech-for-classroom Jeopardy! mobile game launches on iOS, Android. (n.d.). Retrieved July 06, 2017, from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/05/18/jeopardy-mobile-game-launches-on-ios-android.htm Posts about Mobile Learning on Evolution21. (n.d.). Retrieved July 06, 2017, from https://e21team.wordpress.com/tag/mobile-learning/ TEACHER EVALUATION?
February 18, 2017 Activity 3: Teacher EvaluationUnit 4: Student and Teacher Evaluations Module 6: Student Assessments By: Helen Lee Teachers are generally evaluated on an annual basis at a minimum by administrators in their schools. In some school districts, teacher unions or organizations have negotiated that these evaluations be conducted by other teachers.Some school districts adopt or adapt national teacher evaluation systems such as the Danielson Framework. Other school districts develop their own evaluation instruments. Focus: Taiwanese Teacher Evaluation System vs. US Teacher Evaluation System First, US Teacher Evaluation System counts many core values into their evaluation criteria. According to Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC): Model Core Teaching Standard, they have a teaching model that counts toward the teacher evaluation. Standard #1: Learner Development Standard #2: Learning Differences. Standard #3: Learning Environments. Standard #4: Content Knowledge. Standard #5: Application of Content. Standard #6: Assessment. Standard #7: Planning for Instruction. Standard #8: Instructional Strategies. Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration. Taiwanese Teacher Evaluation System has some core values, too. According to Bi Shyan Yun, a teacher evaluator researcher, evaluation system has only four different components. These components are evaluated 2 times a year. The score is based on Elementary Education. 1.Self-Evaluation Ratings
Conclusion Defining and measuring effectiveness in the classroom is both challenging and complex, which makes teachers’ role in this process all the more important. The Association recognizes that no system will be perfect and that no measurement will be exact in all circumstances and for all teachers. Although Taiwan has a slightly different grading system, I prefer both of the teacher evaluation grading system. I think it is good to have a self-evaluation criteria because some observers don’t have an eye to catch good qualities of “teaching” or methods. Works Cited Teacher Development and Evaluation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2017, from http://www.aft.org/position/teacher-development-and-evaluation M6U4A3 Teacher Evaluation-A Resource Guide.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2017, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYfzjQoASL_eGdtNFdsbXRIRDQ/view Evaluation Teaching Effectiveness in Taiwan’s EFL Conte.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2017, TYPES AND PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT
January 29, 2017Edit Activity 3: High Stakes AssessmentsUnit 1: Types and Purposes of Assessment Module 6: Student Assessments By: Helen Lee The implications of high stakes assessments on teachers and students are vast. In most schools, student learning is measured on an annual basis. Many schools in the US have adopted assessments that are created for the Common Core and Advanced Placement (AP).International schools often use AP, the Cambridge system, and/or assessments created for International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula (among others). The results of these tests are often used to determine whether students should be promoted to the next grade and/or graduate from high school. Assessments are also used to place students in levels of RTI when they need extra support. Understanding the implications of high-stakess assessments for teachers and students is necessary in supporting student learning and working with them to achieve at high levels. In this activity, you will research the impact of high stakes assessments in the context of your school/state or country and subject/grade level and compare them with those in another school/state or country. Focus: Taiwan’s Elementary Students take GEPT test when they become 5th and 6th grade. GEPT scores are determined for ESL learners’ English fluency. It is the popular high-stake assessment that most of the Taiwanese students study starting from 5th or 6th grade and all the way to high school. In high school, they start to study TOEIC and TOEFL to enter a college in Taiwan. ABOUT GEPTThe General English Proficiency Test (GEPT), developed and administered by the LTTC, targets English learners at all levels in Taiwan. This test corresponds to Taiwan’s English education framework, meets the specific needs of English learners in Taiwan for self-assessment, and provides institutions or schools with a reference for evaluating the English proficiency levels of their job applicants, employees, or students. The GEPT promotes a balanced English learning process, covering the four language skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking with the goal of improving the general English proficiency level of Taiwanese learners. Since its launch, the GEPT has reliably tested the English proficiency of over 5.1 million test-takers. The test is not only administered at over 100 different venues in Taiwan’s major cities, but also on the outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, thus allowing test-takers to choose the test location most convenient for them. The GEPT has generated positive washback effects on English learning and teaching in Taiwan and resulted in increased emphasis on communication skills and the nurturing of speaking and listening skills. Acknowledging the excellence of the GEPT, more than 300 junior high schools or high schools, and hundreds of universities, private enterprises, and government agencies in Taiwan recognize GEPT scores. In recent years, an increasing number of universities around the world, including prestigious institutions in Hong Kong, Japan, France, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S., have begun to adopt the GEPT as a means of measuring the English language ability of Taiwanese applicants, thus benefitting students who are interested in pursuing further study overseas. Questions?
Waystage Skill-Area Level DescriptionsSKILLDESCRIPTIONning
Reading
Writing
Speaking
Test Format & StructureSTAGEMODULEPARTTASK TYPESNUMBEROF ITEMSTIME(MINS.)FirstListening1Picture Description3020 (approx.) 2AnsweringQuestions 3Conversations 4Short Talks Reading1Sentence Completion3535 2Cloze 3Reading Comprehension SecondWriting1Sentence Writing1640 2Paragraph Writing Speaking1Repeating1810 (approx.) 2Reading Aloud 3Answering Questions 2. Are rewards or bonuses given to teachers whose students score high? Students and teachers don’t get rewards or bonuses because this is currently a public high stake assessment for Taiwanese Ministry of Education. GEPT PASSING STANDARDGeneral English Proficiency Test Passing StandardLEVELFIRST STAGESECOND STAGE SUBTESTSPASSING STANDARDMAX. SCORESUBTESTSPASSING STANDARDMAX. SCOREAdvancedListening & Reading The total score is equal to or above 150, with each subtest score no lower than 64.120 Writing & SpeakingBand 3Band 5 High-IntermediateThe total score is equal to or above 160, with each subtest score no lower than 72.80100 Intermediate80100 Writing : 70 Speaking : 80100 Elementary3. Are students required to pass the test to move to the next grade or graduate? Nope. Elementary students are not required to pass the test to move to the next grade or graduate from elementary school. The school must provide the public scores and results for students’ parents. In Taiwan, unlike USA, the GEPT exam is too early for elementary students to have consequences. 4. How are students handling increasing pressures to perform? Elementary students study GEPT exam starting from 4th grade. The English (ESL) materials get difficult. In their final 5th grade year, GEPT exam will be introduced (pre-test). So the students really don’t have any pressures to perform because there are no consequences based on the scores in Taiwan. However, in middle school, GEPT exams might affect high school entrance eligibility. 5. Are test scores used for teacher evaluations? Results of qualitative and quantitative analyses show that the Elementary, Intermediate, High-Intermediate, and advanced levels of the GEPT correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) A2, B1, B2, and C1 levels, respectively (please see the table below). The MOE adopted the CEFR in 2005 and required all major tests in Taiwan to be mapped onto the CEFR for test-users’ reference. The LTTC officially registered with the Council of Europe to participate in their Project for Piloting the Manual for Relating Language Examinations to the CEFR in July 2005. Upon completion of the study, the results were submitted to the Council of Europe in September 2006 to provide feedback and suggestions for revisions to the Manual. According to the results of the specification procedure, the GEPT conforms to a widely accepted code of practice, involving development, item compiling, and rating processes. To follow up on the piloting study, the LTTC conducted the LTTC GEPT-CEFR Alignment Project in 2007. A paper on the project was presented at the Fourth EALTA Conference and was published in Studies in Language Testing.1 A further study investigating the alignment between the GEPT and the CEFR was completed in 20112and a research study on the alignment between the GEPT and IELTS was completed in 20133. GEPTCEFRIELTSTOEFL IBTAdvancedspeaking and writingC1+7.5110 listening and readingC17.0100 High-Intermediatespeaking and writingB2+6.592 listening and readingB26.079 Intermediatespeaking and writingB1+5.5Below 79 listening and readingB15.0 Works Cited The General English Proficiency Test. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2017, from https://www.lttc.ntu.edu.tw/E_LTTC/E_GEPT/alignment.htm PLANNING ASSESSMENTS
December 17, 2016Edit Unit 2: Lesson PlanningModule 5: Planning and Preparation for Learning By: Helen Lee Introduction Assessment is much more than students taking a test. Two types of assessments are used in classrooms. Formative assessments are used by teachers throughout the school day to check students’ understanding of the content being taught. Summative assessments could be a unit test or assessment of performance on a project. However, I realized that formative assessments are more important than summative assessments because formative assessments can help the teachers to know his or her students’ understandings better than summative assessment results. Objective -Students will be able to understand the Animal Habitat unit in Chinese and English through collaborative or individualized activities. 3 Types of Formative Assessments – Popsicle Stick Assessment -Mini-White Board -3 Questions Popsicle Stick Assessment Language class could create “anxiety” for children when the teacher asks animal habitat or any questions in English. Most of my students are English language learners. They tend to have a high level of “shyness” and “anxiety” level when it comes to “question” time. So I use Popsicle Stick as my formative assessment. I have two different types of Popsicle sticks. One for my students’ class numbers and other for their names. I use this formative assessment to ask questions in the middle or after the lesson. According to Teach.Learn.Grow website, Kelly Goodrich suggests that Popsicle Assessments are better alternative method than “raising hands” in the class. Goodrich also agrees that Popsicle stick can engage students’ participations. For elementary students, I can let them hold up their mini whiteboards on a count of 3. Also, I can alternate the assessment by asking them to change their whiteboards and discuss why someone has a different answer or not. Therefore, Popsicle Stick Assessment not only helps to lower my students’ anxiety level; but, it also contributes to respond to the questions in Chinese and English. Mini- Whiteboard Since most of my students’ native language is Chinese, I can write Chinese word for “rabbit” on the board towards the end of the lesson. When my students recognize the Chinese word that is written on the board, they can quickly translate the Chinese word “rabbit’ into English using their mini whiteboards. Whiteboards can engage young children to participate in formative assessment without actually “knowing” that they are being assessed. Therefore, mini whiteboards are great tools for English language learners. Kelly Goodrich suggests that mini whiteboards can quickly help teachers to catch students’ understandings and it can increase students’ comprehension skills. Regarding learning a language, many ESL students need to be individualized yet supportive language learning environment. Therefore, mini whiteboards can become very handy and useful. In fact, mini-whiteboards are better than any other assessments to measure Chinese and English language abilities. 3 Questions According to TeachThought website, asking 3 important questions towards the end of a lesson can help the students’ understandings. I can project 3 important questions and group my students into teams. Then let them discuss the answers in Chinese. After about 2 minutes, I can ask each group leaders to respond to the questions in English. This is an excellent 5-minute exit ticket exercise for teachers to quickly see which team understood the lesson or not. I can have a team seating chart with me and mark as the team leaders answer the 3 questions. Some students will not want to answer the 3 Questions (Special Need Students), it is always better to have a team seating chart before using 3 Questions assessment. Examples of 3 Questions:
Works Cited @. (2012). Classroom Techniques: Formative Assessment Idea Number Three. Retrieved December 17, 2016, from https://www.nwea.org/blog/2012/classroom-techniques-formative-assessment-idea-number-three/ H. (2015). 10 Assessments You Can Perform In 90 Seconds. Retrieved December 17, 2016, from http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/assessment/10-assessments-you-can-perform-in-90-seconds/ UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING STANDARDS
December 10, 2016Edit Understanding and Applying StandardsBy: Helen Lee Standards I chose my standards based on my teaching career as an ESL teacher. I came to Taiwan last year as an English teacher. It was not easy to teach students who did not speak my language. However, I figured out various ways to communicate with my students in English using gestures, body expressions, and visuals. After figuring out my strategies as an ESL teacher, I stopped in the middle of my lesson planning. I realized that I didn’t have any goals for my students. When I asked my school and other teachers about the students’ learning goals, I did not hear a proper response. So I decided to choose my learning goals for my students. That is when I started to use Common Core State Standards and California ELD Standards. Unpacking Standards Teach Now has helped me to become a better teacher from Module 1. I learned so many different types of Acts and policies that are correlated to Common Core Standards. So in this unit, Module 5, I realized that learning about standards and unpacking it was a critical activity. For example, I found out in the Activity 1 of how to unpack a standard. It was not an easy job to unpack a standard and think about the big idea that my students will achieve at the end of the unit or lesson. I learned that big idea comes from essential questions and relevant information (Tantillo 2014). It was interesting how everyone interprets the “Big Idea” in different ways. However, I always asked my students’ thinking and answers before and after the lessons. Therefore, I realized that standard is a specific learning goal for students and it is the teacher’s job to guide and provide the “education” in the best way. Backwards Mapping Backward Mapping activity was an important activity. I learned that setting a “Big Idea” takes time in a unit based plan. As McTighe 2012 suggests, “Step by step process for helping students develop frameworks to apply, not just rote memorization,” it is essential to know that frameworks of standards. I also claim that rote memorization is not an important skill for students. One thing I realized that Taiwanese teachers in Taiwan use “rote memorization” as a skill. They repeat until the students give the teacher the “right” answer. However, the trend of this kind of education system is changing in Taiwan right now. So I’m proud that I can share my Backwards Mapping strategy to my co-teachers in the future. Moreover, the unit based plan is critical to master a big idea. I believe that scaffolding (step-by-step) achievement level is more meaningful than just rote memorization. Regarding language learning, students must use their native language to learn the second language. So I loved the Backwards Mapping activity because it is a good way to integrate my students’ Chinese and English into a unit based lessons. Writing Objectives I thought that SMART was a good idea for educators to plan a unit based lesson. Writing objectives was a good practice for me to learn and remind my “big ideas” in my lessons. However, measuring objectives was not easy sometimes. For example, I teach different levels of students every week. I have about one-third of the class who are at a beginning level in English. Other students are near intermediate to advanced levels. So I almost separate my classes to deliver a better lesson and measure my objectives. I think SMART goals will help me to measure my lessons from now on. Works Cited CCSS and CA ELD Standards Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2016, from http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/eldresources.asp English Language Development Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2016, from http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/eldstandards.asp Clark, D. (1999, June 5). Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Retrieved December 09, 2016, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html. McTighe, J. (2012, December 06). Common Core Big Idea 4: Map Backward From Intended Results. Retrieved December 08, 2016, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/common-core-map-backwards-jay-mctighe-grant-wiggins. Smart Goal Setting. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2016, from http://www.smart-goals-guide.com/smart-goal-setting.html. Wiggins, G. (2010, June 10). What is a Big Idea? Retrieved December 09, 2016, from http://www.authenticeducation.org/ae_bigideas/article.lasso?artid=99. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM
November 22, 2016 Activity 1: Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures Unit 5: Managing Student Behavior Module 4: Managing the Learning Environment Helen Lee Introduction It will be important to give students positive reinforcement when they are following the rules and procedures. At the same time, I will have to take some action when a student is not following the rules or procedures. As an ESL and elementary teacher, I will explain my strategies and plans about the importance of rules and procedures. Focused Questions: 1) When and how I will give positive reinforcement to students, who are following the rules and procedures. 2) When and how I will respond when students are breaking the rules or not following procedures. 3) What are the ways that you could respond when a student breaks a rule or is not following the procedures? My Rules and Procedures I currently teach 22 periods a week. My students’ are mostly English language learners. Since I work in a Taiwanese local public school, I have my co-teachers with me all the time. When I teach my students, I always go over the rules and procedures with my students. My first and second graders have already memorized the rules and procedures at the beginning of the semester. However, my third graders haven’t memorized the rules and procedures yet. My rules are very simple. Classroom Rules -Be Quiet -Listen to the teachers -Respect each other -Norms and Consequences Tardy Policy: If you are late 10 minutes, you must have the teacher’s note with you. If not, you will wait outside until the teacher asks you to come in. Bring your textbook all the time. If not, you will have a doubled homework. If you did not respect anyone or anything at any time of the day, you would have to write your reasons in your behavior book or communication book. Moreover, I tried to keep my norms and consequences very simple for English language learners. Often, my students forget the rules and consequences. So it is necessary for younger students to repeat the rules and consequences once a week. Within this mind, I was able to plan my positive reinforcement systems with consequences. Focus 1: When and how I will give positive reinforcement to students who are following the rules and procedures? I grouped my students into two teams. I ask my students’ cooperation to remind each other about the classroom rules. For example, I give a point to a team who prepares the materials, class on time and be quiet. Then team two will observe team 1’s behavior and copy the “proper” behavior quickly. The strategy I’m using in here is “Behaviorism.” I want my students to copy each other’s “proper” behavior all the time. I can save my energy and gain my students’ attention quickly. Calling “Be quiet” 100 times a day is unnecessary at this point. At the end of the day, I will count the points for each team and give “sticker” to the team that gained the most point. However, if both team 1 and team 2 were a tie, I will still give out stickers. Focus 2: When and how I will respond when students are breaking the rules or not following procedures? I will choose my battles. I will give my students three warnings by putting their name on the board. The second warning will be a check mark next to his or her name on the board. The third warning will be another check mark. Then the student will have to write ABC 100 times. This is a psychological factor that children gets. Children will not want to write ABC 100 times. So when they see their name or the check mark on the board, they will automatically show the “correct” behavior. I will also respond quickly and carefully. Sometimes, you have to listen to the student’s misbehavior. If the reason is reasonable, I will explain that it was a reasonable explanation so that I won’t put his or her name on the board. Always communicating and listening to your student’s reasons will help them to “think” about their behaviors. Eventually, the “think” will proceed to “good” behavior in the class. Focus 3: What are the ways that you could respond when a student breaks a rule or is not following the procedures? When a student breaks a rule or is not following the procedures, you have to remind it as a whole class. For example, the teacher can tap on the student’s shoulder and say ” focus” or “listen to your team leader” by going to the class. If students are doing individual work and break classroom the rules, the teacher can quietly call the student to the teacher’s desk and remind the student by tapping the student’s shoulder. The teacher can ask questions like: “What are you suppose to do? Could you tell me why you are at my desk? Or Do you see everyone being quiet? I will get to know my students’ personalities and characteristics to come up with a positive reinforcement plan. Some students prefer to talk in a quiet place. Others prefer the teacher to guide their learning all the time. However, my students need both types of strategic plan. So my sticker positive reinforcement system works the best. My Sticker Reinforcement System Decision Chart MANAGING THE LEARNING ENVIORNMENT
November 12, 2016 Unit 3: High Expectations Module 4: Managing the Learning Environment Activity 2: Creating High-Performance Learning Environments Helen Lee Focused Questions:
Roller Coaster Physics: STEM This video was about making a roller coaster model using rubber foam and marble. The students were in groups, and they were experimenting rather the marble could go through the rubber foam smoothly or not. The students were given some time before the test to discuss their thoughts and predictions like engineers. The teacher facilitated (opened up the discussion), and she gradually released the questions and answers to the students. By slowly releasing issues and answers to the students, I can prove that the teachers had high expectations for her students. Moreover, the behavior expectations for her students were high. For example, many students were creating their roller coasters in the classroom. Some were lying on the ground and observed the marble’s motion. Others were writing some important observations in the notes just sitting on the ground. I thought the learning environment was freely expressed in this video. Norms and Procedures in this scenario seemed very straight forward. The teacher used a method called “chiming” in the whole group discussions. The students were sharing their ideas and thoughts using proper communication skills. I thought this was well taught and it could not have happened smoothly if the teachers did not set-up the norms and procedures in the first hand. Third Grade Chinese Math The video shows a repetitive chant that students sings for their multiplication tables. The teacher listens to the songs and does not response. Also, when the students finished with their song, the teachers starts her lessons. However, there is inconsistent with the lessons. For example, the teacher told the students to repeat the multiplication table chant. Then her instruction was on three digit numbers subtraction. I thought this might confuse some children’s procedural process. Also, it is very hard to determine if the teacher has a high expectation from the students or not. The behavioral expectations seem to be high just by looking at the video. For example, all the students were sitting quietly and looking up on the board when the teacher was writing her math problems. Usually, students will change their positions if the teacher turns around from them. Norms and procedures were not shown in the video. However, I can analyze that the teacher had many written posters and writings on the board. I can assume that her class has some norms and procedures. Another interpretation could be that the students should sing a multiplication table chant when they come to the rug. If this interpretation is on the right track, the teacher has high expectations for her students. The Whole Brain Teaching This is the third video that I’m going to analyze and review for today. This video was absorbing. The math teacher taught her algebra by doing a repetitive mutual response strategy. She let the students repeat after her significant sentences. The students in the video made a gesture or body motions while they were repeating what the teacher was saying. The teacher had high expectations for her students in this video. It is because the teacher was keeping up with her eye contacts and walked around the classroom to see if the students were making the verbal response correctly. Behavior expectation was very high in this video, too. For example, when the teachers describe verbally and physically the word “longitude” and “latitude,” the students followed the teacher right after. The behaviorism was shown in this video very clearly. Lastly, the teacher’s rules were very clear in this video. Some students smiled when they were repeating the rules to each other. For example, the teacher went through the rules together with the class. I was surprised that the class was a high school class. I would always imagine that elementary teachers might do a repetition and responsive models. However, the students in the video had to say the rules by making eye contacts. I thought going over the rules within the group was very meaningful. Reflection According to the three videos above, I will try to incorporate more of “student-centered” learning styles in my class. I honestly liked the roller coaster video the most. It was very impressive to see the “chiming” moments among the 5th and 6th graders. Since my students’ are at different English beginning levels (ESL), I might have to differentiate my lessons according to my students’ language levels. However, it doesn’t mean that my students’ can’t learn in the student-centered learning environment. I just have to find out a different way to achieve my goals. My students also like to participate in activities and project based learnings. I will try to implement the methods I saw today in the video considering my students’ English levels. Works Cited Whole Brain Teaching Richwood High – The Basics. (2011, March 11). Retrieved November 12, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXTtR7lfWU&feature=youtu.be T. (2011). 3rd grade Chinese–math class.avi. Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7LseF6Db5g LinkEngineering – Roller Coaster Physics: STEM in Action. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2016, from http://linkengineering.org/435.aspx ESTABLISHING A POSITIVE CLASSROOM CLIMATE
October 28, 2016 Unit 1: Classroom Climate Module 4: Managing the Learning Environment Helen Lee Creating a positive climate is critical for all of us. Whenever students encounter problems at school; the solving comes from their high trust for the other student. For example, if a student does not believe his or her classmate, the student will never be able to solve a problem on his or her own. Who can help this student to build a trust? The answer is that “teachers” can contribute to resolving issues in the classroom by build trustable relationships. Focus: How can we create a positive environment for all? How about students with a diverse cultural background? The class climate is critical for all. To create a positive atmosphere in one’s class is to focus on student and teacher’s relationship. A positive correlation is a key to the better classroom environment. To build trust, the teacher must have a moral discussion with his or her students. For example, the teacher can give a project called “All About Me” to the students at the very beginning of the semester. Also, the teacher must show “All About Me” project of his or her own to demonstrate and introduce his or herself to the class. Introducing yourself as a teacher for the year is critical. Some students will build trustable relationships right away depending on what you like or dislikes. If we have something in common, usually students are attached and feel safe nearby you. How about students who might have a different cultural background? I suggest and recommend teachers to research about the students’ cultural background and familiarize with it as soon as possible. If you can study some of the students’ native language words, it makes the student feel valued. Also, communicating effectively with children makes the relationship gap smaller and smaller. Communication is always the key for human beings to build a positive correlation. Teachers can interact in many ways. For example, the teacher can create a class blog to post students’ work or pictures. Also writing positive comments helps children to notice that the teacher is caring. Moreover, if the teacher says “Hello” or “Good Bye” helps some students to feel safe and welcomed every day. The ignoring student should never happen in the classroom. In conclusion, when I was a student back in the old times. I always had a good relationship with my teachers. My teachers will always say “Hello” and comment on my hairstyle or outfits. It made me feel very comfortable to be nearby my teachers. So it is crucial to be aware and get to know your students’ characteristics and personalities as much as possible. Works Cited 32 Strategies for Building a Positive Learning Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/32-strategies-building-positive-learning-environment PLANNING FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
October 22, 2016EditUnit 5: English Language LearnersModule 2: The Culture of Schooling Module 2: The Culture of Schooling Helen Lee Planning for English Language Learners Topic: Halloween (Social Studies) Introduction Next semester I am likely to be teaching a 3rd-grade unit on social studies. More specifically, I will be teaching Halloween culture-based lesson. I’ve been teaching Halloween lessons as a “cultural” topic with historical knowledge at the same time to young learners. I would like to plan a differentiated lesson for English language learners. In my current school, I have about five different English language learners. Their English ability is far different regarding academic levels. Most of my students are in Stage I and Stage II. However, some 3rd-grade students are in Stage III. I’ve taught few students in the Stage IV and Stage V last year; yet, not this year. Some of the strategies in this blog is recommended for ESL teachers. English Language Learners Five Stages
Most of these stages must be scaffolded to its levels. For example, Stage I through Stage 3 should be incorporated into a differentiated lesson at all time for English language learners. Keep checking on students’ English ability is very helpful regardless of their short term objective. Some instructional strategies are necessary for each type of the stages. According to Colorincolorado, Robertson and Ford suggest many instructional strategies include English learners into the lesson. Based on my Halloween lesson, Stage I students will benefit from visual cues, read aloud, and pictures to understand Halloween cultural traditions. Students in Stage I is especially new to learning a language. Chants or visuals are very helpful for the students to acquire vocabularies. For Stage II students, ask the students to point to the Halloween pictures and say the words in English. Have the students work in pair or groups to discuss the Halloween lesson. Repetition in phrases or vocabulary words will help the students to improve their speaking practice. Moreover, Stage III students should be scaffolded all the time. Stage I and Stage II instructional strategies should be all included exceptionally. Also, asking questions and group or pair work should become part of their nature in the classroom. Asking “why” questions will help the students to acquire critical thinking skills. The teacher should pay more attention to Halloween customs and vocabulary pronunciation as much as possible. For Stage IV students, Halloween vocabularies could be a good practice to learn new words in English. The teacher needs to give more feedbacks and corrections with sentences. Giving a Halloween information text and let the students fill in the vocabulary will help their practice. Also, playing an interactive game with proper questions will promote students’ engagement. Some students are easy to drop out their confidence in this level. Lastly, in Stage V, the students are already familiar with Halloween customs and vocabularies. They can speak near advanced level. So the activity or the lesson should be more challenging. For example, let the students guess the Halloween vocabularies and spell them. Unscramble the words and let the students work in pairs to scramble the words in the correct orders.Works Cited Language Acquisition: An Overview | Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview Stages of Second Language Acquisition. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2016, from http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2017
Categories |