Subjects Matter: Chapter 3 & 6 reflection

 "RUN FROM THE TEXTBOOK!!"

Upon reading chapters five and six, I am left with a feeling of uneasiness. The authors of “Subjects Matter” address key issues with textbook implementation, which I am not sure I have really thought about before. Chapter three specifically, addresses the idea of capitalist motivation when selecting textbooks to be used. Daniels and Zemelman compare the development of textbooks to the creation of sausages in a factory; it is a dirty and disgusting process that we don’t think of when consuming the product.

            The idea that textbooks are developed with the consumer market in mind comes as no surprise, after all publishers need to make money right? What is surprising however, is that the students that will be using these books are not considered to be the consumer market. Instead, the market consists of businessmen and women that decide how best to connect state standards to curriculum. The market ultimately is the school-system, but what is the school system without the students? It feels as though the education system is losing its focus. We are so concerned about tracking data that we have forgotten about the personal relationship to our students. Thus falling into a trap of locating the “perfect magic textbook” that is all encompassing and solves all teacher problems. According to this textbook, no such book exists.

            I like the idea of incorporating multiple texts such as articles and scholarly reviews into the curriculum. I agree that when we rely so heavily on a single textbook, we undoubtedly eliminate diverse perspectives and leave too much room for bias. This makes me also wonder what information might be omitted from a textbook for the sake of not discrediting the publisher or their investors. After all, if information is published that might harm the success of a corporation, is that corporation going to invest in the creation of that particular book? For example, if a science book publishes that the trans fat found in a McDonalds hamburger can be life threatening, this could decrease the sales of McDonalds hamburgers. Do you really think McDonalds would then want to take part in funding that textbook? By incorporating multiple sources of information into curriculum, we are able to eliminate the chances that we are misinforming our students based on bias textbooks.

            Some of the strategies found in chapter six seem to work well with this type of teaching. Things like Jigsaw activities and Literature Circles can work well when providing multiple avenues of information. Using Jigsawing as an example, if each group has a different article about the holocaust, they can each discuss their articles as individual groups and then present their information to the class. This ensures that the entire class is learning of various perspectives of the Holocaust without actually having to take the time to read each and every article. This idea can be applied to literature circles as well. If each literature circle has something different to read, they can each discuss their material in their assigned roles and present out to the rest of the class. I think the best thing about literature circles is that the students feel invested through having their own responsibilities (ie. questioner, artist, scene setter, etc.) to ensure the literature circle’s success.

            Overall I thought that these two chapters were very intriguing and eye opening. Through learning of how textbooks are created, and the risk we run by not using them effectively as resources like a dictionary and thesaurus, I feel that I will create my curriculum in a more unique way. I must say though, isn’t it ironic that we are learning all of this from a textbook?!

UbD: A Means to an End?

        Education is a business. Though it may not be a business that provides millions of dollars of income through sales, it is a business none-the-less. Education is the business of helping people; it is the business of challenging the intellectual development of individuals and entire communities. The school system is meant to provide its customers (the students) with a unique learning experience that will forever have impacted their lives for the better. So the burning question is, if we are a business of helping people and meeting individual needs, why do we rely so heavily on things like standardized tests and mounds of mindless textbook reading? Surely those things weren’t created with the individual student in mind. When did we become a system that programmed robots to regurgitate information back to us without actually thinking about how the answers impact them directly? When did we stop caring about the individuals that sit before us, and start viewing them as a statistic that will affect our pay? Though it may appear that our business of service (school systems) has taken a turn for the worst, there is hope. Customer service, the service to our students, can be restored once again, through the implementation of UbD, or Understanding by Design.

            Through reading Modules A and F of The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units, I have come to learn how I can reach my individual students directly rather than having everyone mindlessly respond back with answers. Module A discussed the importance of planning ahead, and ensuring that class-time is well spent. In-depth learning rather than skimming the surface can be done by allowing students to connect what is being discussed to events that may be taking place in their own lives. Too often we teach a myriad of new material without ever looking back and connecting to what students may already know. We should get to know our students, and plan lessons based on their unique identities. By linking new material with things they may already know, we can create a knowledge base that is well rounded and long lasting. Though sometimes beneficial for assessment purposes, things like quizzes and tests can be boring and seem like pointless work to students. As the article points out, “many assessments measure only recently taught knowledge and never ask for authentic performance.” If the point of our lesson is to provide students with the skills necessary to succeed, why not provide them with opportunities to display their overall knowledge in a diverse way? In other words, my student may not know the answer to 2+2, but maybe she knows the answer to 6+6. If my test doesn’t ask for 6+6, my student is not provided the opportunity to display what she knows; only what she doesn’t. By giving students open opportunities to display knowledge and connect it to the real world, we are truly opening their minds and engaging them. Why read about Ecosystems and answer a few questions on a test, when you can create your own ecosystem through the creation of a terrarium? UbD allows teachers to do just this, and thus expand the student’s understanding of key concepts.

            Another important idea that I connected with was the importance of varied exposure to material. In this day and age we acknowledge that there are multiple ways that learning can take place. Howard Gardner came up with eight, yet so many educators continue to repeat rehearsed material from a single textbook. Hands-on engagement is a primary focus of UbD. We must present students material in a variety of ways to ensure that they internalize information in a way that is important and useful to them. Why simply take turns having our best readers spew the words of Shakespeare to the rest of the class when we can have them do so much more? Yes, let’s read Shakespeare, but then let’s use it! Read a scene and act it out as we go along, because I can guarantee that half the students won’t understand what his words mean until they see it displayed to them in person. One of the days of the unit can be spent reviewing and discussing clips from Shakespeare’s plays that were turned into movies. By creating a diverse learning environment that offers unique engagements, we can appeal to our student’s individual learning needs.

            My favorite quote from the articles is on page eleven of Module A. The quote reads, “ . . . they understand by design, not by good luck.” How we design our lessons is what impacts the progression of our students. If we create an environment that is truly engaging to all students, we are allowing everyone to progress, not just the students in AP classes. One important aspect of designing lessons is how we pose questions to our students. If students understand what is expected of them, they will become more engaged in the learning process. I liked the idea of presenting the main focus of each unit with a few underlying questions or “Big Ideas”. By having a Big Idea or a theme for a unit, students will be able to refocus on the important concepts by going back to “home base” and reminding themselves what is expected or being asked.

            While on the topic of “asking,” it is important to note that provocative questions will lead to engagement. Rather than asking questions that have a definite yes or no answer, we should ask thought-provoking questions that require insight. A great example of this was on page seventy-six of Module F when the author explained that instead of asking “Why does grammar matter,” we can deepen the question by asking “How well and where can you succeed in life speaking ungrammatically?” I liked this idea of “deepening” the question because it directed students to think about how their lives truly would be negatively impacted by poor grammar. This question leads them to the kind of insight the educator might be looking for without explicitly saying to them “you might not succeed with poor grammatical skills.”

            After reading the articles about UbD, I have realized that hope has not been lost. I chose the education profession so that I can have my student’s voices heard, so that I can excite students about what they are learning, and most importantly to provide them with an experience that they will not forget after leaving my classroom in June. I want my inner-city students to feel empowered by my lessons, and to understand how they can use what I teach in the real world; UbD will allow me to do just that. Is UbD the means to an end for all of the education systems problems? No. It is however, an important step in the right direction; a step that is sure to bring us back to the business we used to be, the business of helping people succeed. 

RITELL 2013 Conference Reflection

Upon signing up to attend the Fall 2013 RITELL (Rhode Island Teachers of English Language Learners) conference, I was unsure of what to expect. I have always considered teaching English as a content for students at the secondary level, but I have never truly considered how I would cater to English language learners (ELL). This year’s RITELL conference focused on many different aspects of educating ELL students, but mostly focused on the SIOP model. The SIOP model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) is a framework for organizing instruction and is concerned with preparing students for college and the real world. This model consists of eight main components that when implemented correctly, will lead students to academic success. As RITELL’s keynote speaker Dr. Deborah Short informed the audience, the SIOP model is not something that should be implemented strictly for ELL students, but rather something that all students can benefit from.

Although Dr. Short’s speech was interesting, it was not until the breakout session that I found myself truly understanding how the model works. During the breakout session Dr. Short went more into detail about ways to implement the SIOP model, and cater to the needs of ELL students. I found many of the lesson techniques both interesting and useful, and felt excited about applying them into my future lesson plans. One strategy that I can see myself using involved word gradients. A word gradient shows students how to use better words. For example, rather than use the word mad, students can choose from angry, irate, or furious. The words are written on paint sample cards; as the words become more advanced, the color darkens. I liked this technique because not only will it help ELL students improve writing skills, but it will also target the needs of diverse learners in the sense that it offers a visual understanding to students.

Another activity that I found very interesting was the use of sentence strips. For this activity, students physically organize themselves based on fragments of sentences that they have selected. The idea is that students will order themselves based on the correct structure of the sentence. Once again, this meets the needs of not only ELL students, but offers something for a variety of ELA students in the sense that it is an engaging activity that involves kinesthetic that are sure to get students up and moving. This takes learning to a deeper level of engagement and understanding.

I have attended conferences such as Promising Practices in the past, but I am especially grateful that I chose to attend this year’s RITELL conference. Through participating in the conference, I have come to the understanding that integrating ELL students into traditional classrooms should not pose as a burden to the educator. Lesson planning should be engaging for all students, and if implemented correctly, the SIOP method will help to create a learning environment that is both engaging and challenging for all students, and help to eliminate the stigma that is associated with being an ELL student. I enjoyed the conference so much that I decided to join as an official member!

Observation 3: Classroom Management

NOTE: The following is a retrospective look at a shadow-study completed at a local inner-city high school. The name of the high school, as well as the involved educators, has been changed to protect their anonymity.

After observing an ELA classroom at a local high school, I feel that I have greater insight into the world of classroom management. No longer does classroom management simply require a teacher to send unruly students to the principal’s office, nor does it entail endless amounts of detention. Classroom management in today’s society requires insightful reflection regarding student behaviors and sometimes the implementation of many different plans before getting it right. Most importantly, effective classroom management requires patience, and lots of it. For some educators, classroom management comes easy, and for others it takes a great deal of effort. For Ms. Smith of Smokey Hill High School, it appears that classroom management comes easy to the confident teacher; however, confidence doesn’t always lead to effectiveness.

            Ms. Smith’s third period class is an AP English class. Just a few weeks ago they were reading “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. Today, students are participating in a Socratic seminar that requires full participation from every student. Before the class even gets started each student heads to what appears to be an assigned seat. It is evident that several students are absent today, but Ms. Smith asks the students where Vanessa is. It is clear that Ms. Smith knows which students are in the building today, and she does not take attendance. Students inform Ms. Smith that Vanessa is wrapping holiday gifts for her project in the classroom next door. Clearly agitated, Ms. Smith requests that one of the students bring Vanessa back to the classroom since she had missed the previous class. When the student returns without Vanessa, Ms. Smith exits the classroom without warning and returns several minutes later with Vanessa in tow; Vanessa does not look happy. While Ms. Smith was absent from the room, the class talked loudly and joked with each other.

 As soon as Vanessa takes her seat, Ms. Smith tells students to move their desks into a circle. Setting up the classroom in such a way helps to ensure student participation because all students are positioned facing their peers. Not all students must take part in discussion though. There are about four students that sit outside of the circle, and they only observe discussion. The students that are participating in discussion are reflecting on an article that was to be read for homework. Although the students appear to manage themselves well while Ms. Smith observes, it seems as though the same three students are doing most of the speaking. There are several long awkward pauses, yet Ms. Smith does not interject. This is her way of managing student interactions; by not participating in discussion, she is requiring students to do the work themselves. In this sense Ms. Smith is utilizing classroom management effectively.

            Following the discussion, Ms. Smith asks students to evaluate how they felt they did with the discussion. Students were very honest in their reflections, admitting that many of them did not complete the reading homework. Ms. Smith sternly addresses this issue by warning students that if they don’t want to be in her class they can leave next semester and go to another class taught by another teacher. Ms. Smith makes it clear that if students aren’t serious about being in her AP English class, they can leave. The mood of the room changes, and students clearly feel uncomfortable; admittedly, I too feel uneasy. Although Ms. Smith may have addressed the issue of not completing homework, I’m not sure that this is necessarily effective classroom management. Her stern words may have addressed the lack of homework completion, but not once did she ask students if they had any difficulty with the reading. It seems as though Ms. Smith doesn’t think to ask if students needed additional help clarifying the article on the basis that they are an advanced class. Due to this, I believe that Ms. Smith may have created an uncomfortable environment that does not welcome questions; thus creating additional difficulty for the next Socratic seminar if students continue to not complete the homework.

            In my opinion, a more effective method of managing the issue would have been to first ask students if they had any difficulty with the reading. This would have given students an opportunity to ask questions and provide the teacher with a formative assessment. It seems as though Ms. Smith’s goal for classroom management is to ensure that students respect her and behave during the class period. If this is her objective, then her method of classroom management is working. However, if her goal is to create an environment that is beneficial to a student’s academic growth, I’m not sure that her method is entirely effective. As students leave the room, it is clear that they are no longer the enthusiastic learners that entered. They head to their next class feeling defeated.

            As I walk through the hallway on my way out of the building, students yell to one another, and profanity bounces from several student’s mouths. Although there are many adult hallway monitors, not one corrects student misbehavior. There are several monitors shouting to get to class, which seems to only add to the chaos that is taking place in the hallways. Being that this is my second visit to the school, it seems that as soon the bell rings it is a free for all and students are let loose to scramble through the crowd to their next class; there is no particular order or management to the way things are done between classes.

            I reach the parking lot feeling drained from the entire experience. It did not feel as though student management was effective. Rather, it seemed as though the staff at Smokey Hill High School simply wanted to get students through the day to the sound of the last bell. 

Observation 4

1.) Objective: Students will work in groups of four to identify similes and metaphors in pop culture songs that will be provided to each group.

2.) Bloom's Taxonomy:  This objective meets the analysis level of Bloom’s Taxonomy because students break down pop culture music to identify similes and metaphors. Throughout discussion, students are also connecting the metaphors to real experiences that may have occurred in their own lives.

3.) Quiz: (See Below)

NAME___________________________                                  DATE____________________________

SIMILES & METAPHORS QUIZ #1

PART 1 (each worth 1 point): Circle the best option.  

1.) SIMILE:

a.  A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared

b. One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol

c. The repetition of the same sounds in a text

d. A figure of speech that uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect

2.) METAPHOR:

a. A figure of speech that uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect

b. The repetition of the same sounds in a text

c. One thing conceived as representing another; symbol

d. A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared

3.) The lettuce was as crisp as an early fall morning.

a. Simile

b. Metaphor

4.) The sisters are like two peas in a pod.

a. Simile

b. Metaphor

PART 2 (each worth 3 points): Create 1 metaphor and 1 simile of your own based on the image provided.

  

Metaphor:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Simile:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

BONUS!

+2

                                                                                                                 

In the song below, circle the similes and underline the metaphors.

 “Wrecking Ball”

By: Miley Cyrus

I came in like a wrecking ball    (Simile)

I never hit so hard in love (Metaphor)

All I wanted was to break your walls (Metaphor)

All you ever did was wreck me (Metaphor)

(Each correct answer is worth 1/2 a point with a possible total bonus score of 2)