Technology Survey - Kindergarten at Jayenne Elementary

How many computers are in the classroom?

There are four computers in the classroom. However, only three of these computers work. The teacher has a school laptop.

Do they have internet access?

Yes, they have Internet access.

Can you access Google tools?

Yes, these computers have access to Google tools.

Do you have access to a laptop cart? Can they get on the Internet?

The school has a laptop cart and Internet is available for these laptops. However, the upper grades use the laptop cart; kindergarten seldom gets access to the cart.

Is there a computer lab? Do the computers have Internet access? Can you access Google tools? How do you reserve it?

There is a computer lab on the main floor (and soon to be a second computer lab). The computers have access to the Internet and Google tools. There is a signup sheet in the office to reserve the lab.

How many of your students have computers with Internet access at home?

After completing a brief survey, 16 out of the 18 students that were present in the class on Wednesday have computers with Internet access in their homes. (That is if the 5 and 6 year olds told me the truth J)

Are there locations in the community where students can access the computers and the Internet?

The students at Jayenne Elementary can access computers with Internet at the Marion County Public Library.

Double Entry Journal #10

Why is kid watching a critical practice for teacher to use?

Kidwatching is important to use because a teacher can gain knowledge about a child by observing how the child learns. Determining how students react to various settings allows the teacher to focus and plan curriculum to best meet the student’s individual needs. Kidwatching also permits the teacher to take notes on the students. Having documented notes is beneficial for purposes such as parent teacher conferences or personal use to track progress or regression. By kidwatching, many times a teacher can eliminate problems by finding a meaningful and appropriate solution when a problem arises.

How is kidwatching informed by cultural difference theory?

Kidwathcing is informed by the cultural difference theory because it is important for teachers to realize that all students are not the same. A teacher must observe students to gain knowledge about each child and kidwatching allows this. A child will show their funds of knowledge; the teacher just needs to pay attention by kidwatching to gain an insight. Then there is a less chance for student failure to occur because the teacher will be able to plan curriculum around a child’s interests and not be blind when it comes to the students cultural differences.

Double Entry Journal #9

Why is it important to encourage students to use primary language or code switch during literacy events? Does this apply to children with Appalachian dialects? Why or Why not?

It is important for linguistically diverse students to use primary language or code switching during literacy events. This is because it is significant for these students to have an option in the language communication they want to use. By allowing students to use primary language or code switching, the students will be able to feel comfortable with the reading or writing activity they are completing. When a student can feel comfortable to switch back and forth between languages, then they will more than likely gain confidence. I can completely understand this because I studied Spanish in high school. It is really hard to learn another language. If my teacher would have made us talk in only Spanish, then I would have been a nervous wreck and probably mostly silent. Also, I feel that it is great to be able to be linguistically diverse by being able to use both languages.

I feel that this would apply to children with Appalachian dialects. As a teacher, we want to have all students bring their funds of knowledge and cultural backgrounds to the classroom. The way in which a person speaks is part of his/her culture. It is important for all children to have an option during language communication.

What are the differences between reading aloud from a students centered perspective and a teacher centered perspective?

During reading aloud from a teacher-centered perspective, the learning seems to be from an individual point of view in a group setting. The students do not interact with each other; rather they interact with only with the teacher. The teacher normally tries to encourage or initiate personal connections, the interaction pattern is through questions the teacher asks, and then the teacher observes how the students answer the questions to determine the assessment or understanding. This interaction pattern is called initiate-respond-evaluate (IRE).

Reading aloud from a student-centered perspective is quite different compared to reading aloud from a teacher-centered perspective. During a student-centered read aloud, the students are supported to formulate individual connections with the book. After reading the text, the students have conversations with their classmates about the book. There is no teacher-directed, preplanned questioning. The teacher observes or assesses the students based on their conversations with their partner.

Find a resource for using Appalachian literature in the classroom.

Click Here!

References:

Di dialectal impact on literacy. (2009, August 19) Retrieved from http://ecelinguisticdiversity.wikidot.com/di-dialectal-impact-on-literacy

Getting to know your students: developing culturally relevant practices for reading and writing. (pp. 58-66). Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_5palgT26a4J:media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/24/EHEP0005/EHEP000524-1.pdf+getting+to+know+your+students+interview&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESihbHTui0felcMHojEsBpnh8z7NAdzADlw2OA4q9Vocu4GnsE9vU6W8FAkura70mCyuOla1xOr-rr-Fx2SClUgdkg0vR_t62WIa7eI5Xv0hb-0RJGU6wkBN550lYlezIl_CDQ0s&sig=AHIEtbQinv4Hao96DU6foV8n3HZ8ybE5Ng&pli=1

Double Entry Journal #8

Why is it a mistake to group all English as Second Learners together?

Students that are English Language Learners do not all have similar backgrounds. It is important to consider where these students grew up and what type of cultural background they are from. Experiences are something else to reflect on when teachers consider grouping these students together. Just because ELL students have a different language in common, doesn’t mean they have anything else similar. Therefore, when grouping these students together they will most likely not benefit from the same instruction. The teacher, Miss Garrity, sat Bianca near Rosa because she knew they had a common factor of learning English. However, their experiences and backgrounds were not similar. This grouping was unsuccessful.

Grouping ELL students together is also a mistake because these students have differing educational histories. It is a slim chance to find two students learning English that are on the same academic page. Bianca was more advanced in understanding and speaking English and Spanish. However, Rosa was not on the same academic level in comprehending or speaking English.

I feel that grouping all English as Second Learners together won’t be beneficial for these students because they will only be interacting with ELL students. This will result in a lack of speaking and comprehending English for these students during the academic day. Bianca had no desire to speak Spanish. It is evident that if she had spoken Spanish to Rosa then the girls would not have had English interaction.

What is a virtual backpack and how does it relate to Funds of Knowledge?

A virtual backpack is what a person carries with them. Students’ virtual backpacks are what they take to the classroom with them. Knowledge, values, resources, talents, and assumptions about teaching, learning, and life can be found inside a student’s virtual backpack. Some student’s virtual bags are full of information, while others may not be as full due to their specific experiences. For a teacher to be successful, he/she must tap into a student’s backpack to help them create a curriculum to exhibit knowledge in the child’s backpack.

A student’s Funds of Knowledge is the culturally developed knowledge someone carries with them. This relates to a student’s virtual backpack that is brought into the classroom because it is also knowledge that is learned from the child’s background, families, communities, and life experiences.

Related Source:

I found a really interesting Facebook page on teaching English as a Second Language. This page includes many articles and tips/tricks for teachers teaching ELL's. Click Here!

Culturally Responsive Teaching - Photo Story Reflection

Culturally responsive teaching is a topic that has been hammered into pre-service teachers’ heads for quite some time. It wasn’t until after I created my “Where I am From” photo story that I realized how essential culturally responsive teaching truly is for learning. After making my digital photo story, I understand that it is vital to dig deep into each student’s culture so curriculum can be planned and executed to fit each student’s conditions. I feel that all teachers need to tap into students funds of knowledge to make classrooms more wide-range and to help gather instructional strategies, just as Luis Moll discovered.

By having students complete a digital story, the teacher will be able to adjust curriculum based on community resources learned throughout the each student’s photo story. Additionally, subsequent to learning about each student’s cultural background, I would be able to eliminate some of the cultural deficits I might have formed in my head because I will know how to work around those assumptions and stereotypes. I then won’t have an excuse to stereotype that students aren’t learning due to their family, community, and culture; I will know how to help my students learn best after getting specifics on these. According to Jason Irizarry, the blame for cultural deficit model should not just be on families and communities but also schools. It is schools and teachers responsibility to give all students the best opportunity for educational success.

This project is an open-ended assignment that can accommodate many learning styles. All students are diverse learners; the photo story accommodates reading and writing, aural, and kinesthetic learners. Writing the poem, entering text on the video, and writing comments to other students are all ways to help reading and writing learners. Aural learners could have spoken throughout their digital story instead of typing the poem. This project is wonderful for kinesthetic learners because the students are making the video using the computer, which is hands-on learning. Being culturally responsive also means catering to each student’s individual needs and learning styles throughout the learning process. I personally loved completing this culturally responsive activity because of the various learning styles it touched upon. I learn well using all three of the learning styles used.

Another positive aspect for students after they complete a digital story on where they are from is that they will be examining their background, community, family, heritage, customs, stereotypes, etc. This will promote an understanding of their language, literacy, and power. Personally, I was gleaming with cultural pride after I created my digital story. I was proud to be from the country, proud to be from West Virginia, proud to be from Valley Furnace, proud of my background, and proud of my family. This would also help the students feel a sense of cultural pride, and that it is okay to be different from others. Students will then get a sense of a cultural capital from where they are from and how they got there. After viewing my peer’s digital stories, I realized that many of us have similar backgrounds, while some of us were very different. However, we all had one thing in common; we were proud!

Providing students with culturally responsive activities is vital in today’s education system. Out of all the culturally responsive activities I have completed throughout my life, this was the most beneficial, as well as my favorite. Creating an open-ended assignment, such as this digital story about where I am from, really helped me learn about “where I am from.” I was reopened to my past, as well as my present. Being culturally responsive to my life will also lead me into my future. Furthermore, I became aware of my classmates and feel that we now are more like a community of learners bonded together instead of just peers. My classmates and I have different experiences. This helped me become conscious about what Victoria Purcell-Gates discussed in her article. All students have different experiences or even a lack of experiences. Knowing about my students experiences will help me base my instructional strategies to benefit them. This photo story assignment is something that I look forward to using in my classroom someday as a culturally responsive teaching method.

References:

Irizarry, J. (2006). Cultural deficit model. Retrieved from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/cultural-deficit-model/

Moll, L. Amanti, C. Neff, D. & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: using a
qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, XXXI (2), 132-144.

Purcell-Gates, V. As soon as she opened her mouth!: issues of language, literacy, and power.
(pp. 122-139).

Where I Come From - Final Draft

Double Entry Journal #6

Example of Culturally Responsive Activity:

Something I recently completed at Fairmont State University that involved a culturally responsive activity was for this class. We were asked to create a “Where I am From” poem. I dug deep into my background and culture to produce this poem. Then, we needed to gather evidence (in means of pictures, text, and music) to make this poem come to life. We created a Photo Story presentation on where each of us is from. By creating a short multimedia narrative, we each showed our life, where we are from, how we got here, who got us here, etc. I loved this activity and I was able to see all my classmate’s cultural distinctions and re-recognize my cultural features.

Another activity I did was for an education class, Pedagogy of Literacy. We each had to brainstorm about all the ways we were literate. We posted a unique discourse community that we belonged to on the Facebook discussion wall. I was able to view my classmate's discussions and learn about their individual qualities that have evolved from their backgrounds.

Related Source:

I chose this source because it directly discusses culturally responsive teaching. A staff development meeting is taking place for resolving teachers' cultural conflicts. The teachers in this video discuss their own cultural background. Then, they are told that each child in their classroom has his/her own story as well.





References:

Brown University. (2006). Principles for culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved fromhttp://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml

Heinemann , (2010, May 07). Culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfa7VWxtS7k

Where I am from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckbbHuVATGk

Double Entry Journal #5

3 things I learned:

When I think of writing, I think of just that – writing with a pen and paper. It hadn’t really occurred to me that writing can be in forms of pictures, sketches, videos, audio, websites, etc.

I became aware that the teaching of excellence in writing means adding language to what already exists, not subtracting language. At times I used to think when we were taught things different or wrong we needed to completely erase our imperfections. That isn’t the case.

How much a writer has access to wide, diverse experiences and means of communication creates predispositions and skills for an audience.

2 things I found interesting:

I find it interesting that the NCTE finds it important for writers to not only be able to write well, but to be able to think about the physical design of the text, the thematic content, the integration of sound with a reading experience, and the medium that is appropriate for the audience or message. Growing up, I was never encouraged to consider thinking about those factors.

I also think it is interesting that NCTE believes teachers need to understand many technology sources in order to be excellent at teaching composition. It seems that many older, experienced teachers are afraid to step into the multi media and technology world.

1 question I have:

Due to the NCTE pushing for technology in the classrooms and at home, what do you do for the students that don’t have internet access at home?

Related Source:

I chose this video because it is about a teacher that was scared to open up to technology. However, after the teacher did let technology in, the teacher was amazed by the possibilities.

Reference:

Old dogs, new tricks. (2009, June 14). Retrieved from http://www.viddler.com/explore/geekula/videos/2/

Double Entry Journal #4

Quote:

“Normally, she relied upon a basal reader, supplemented with novels, newspapers, and magazines.” ("Funds of Knowledge," 1992)

Reaction:

I am not by far an expert on this topic because I am not an experienced teacher. However, I fear that many teachers are stuck in their ways or afraid to put down the basal reader. All children aren’t the same; each child is different and learns in a different approach. One teacher in Moll’s study made a successful attempt to change her teaching style to help her students succeed. She quit relying on the basal reader because it wasn’t benefiting her students. She looked into the unseen home and community resources of her students. She found out about the personal history of the family including the labor background and their knowledge. These Mexican-American students were active learners and that is just what Hilda Anguilo shadowed. Her students were learning something that interested them; they researched, wrote about their research, gave oral presentations, and peer edited. As a future teacher, I want to assist all my students (minorities, bilingual, learning differences, etc) in the best approach. I would even be willing to “teach through the community,” just as Hilda used in her classroom approach.

Related Source:

I chose this article that deals with the principles for culturally responsive teaching. It focuses on positive perspectives on parents and families, communication of high expectations, learning within the context of culture, student-centered instruction, culturally mediated instruction, reshaping the curriculum, and teacher as a facilitator.

References:

Brown University, Initials. (2006). Principles for culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml

Moll, L, Amanti, C, Neff, D, & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, XXXI(2), 132-144.

Where I Come From

I am from happiness, from love, and laughter.
From the valley in the middle of the country, that I call my home.
I am from the Rhododendrons, Easter Lilies, & wildflowers on the beautiful countryside.
I am from bright stars, a big moon, and lightening bugs that light up the night.
From fishing, catching crawl crabs, wading in the crick, and skipping rocks.
I’m from the smell of fresh cut hay and the sound of summer at night.
I am from homemade Grape Nut ice cream on sun burnt lips.
I'm from family, home cooked meals, and canning garden food.
I am from the little white church on the hill that I attend every Sunday.
From always say your prayers when you lay down at night.
I am from a place where there is always smiling faces.
I am from where the love of a family is life’s greatest blessing.
I am from Valley Furnace, West Virginia.