tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50224257762129758102024-03-13T11:01:06.952-07:00Ginny's Worldginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-748627261159181402007-08-08T20:25:00.000-07:002007-08-08T20:39:41.120-07:00Inside Out Chapter 6When you read good writing, you hear the sound of the writer talking to you. Diversity in classes is a source of richness and should be tapped. Students can be taken through exercises in mad talking, soft talking, and fast talking to think about what the corresponding sentences would be like.Some activities in developing voice include writing a dialogue with two very different points of view, recording one side of a telephone conversation, and listening to a conversation between two people.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-10563115988729818332007-08-08T20:03:00.000-07:002007-08-08T20:23:57.870-07:00Inside Out Chapter 5The journal is an effective tool for building fluency. Many teachers have see students' writing ability bloom through journaling. Journals are effective because students can write about what interests them without fear of the red pencil. It is the one place they can write to please themselves, so they often take a great deal of pride in their journals. Journals are a pain for the teacher to keep up with, but <br />they keep the teacher connected to the students. Writing daily, keeping that writing together, and having it available for future viewing nurtures good writing. There are many ideas for getting students to write in their journals. I personally like a little structure. Many years ago, the idea was that students should have complete freedom. Without some structure, I'd get the same entries over and over.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-31374012855711349752007-08-08T19:59:00.000-07:002007-08-08T20:03:11.444-07:00Inquiry QuestionWhat constitutes a positive and effective classroom environment for limited English students with special needs?ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-24862662889461231522007-08-08T19:37:00.000-07:002007-08-08T19:58:08.119-07:00Inside Out Chapter 4Students worry about what they are going to write before they begin the process. Teachers can help by working to build fluency. A good way to accomplish this is by getting students to write about how they think and feel. Teachers have two important tasks in teaching writing: build confidence and develop voice. Many students hate writing because they are afraid of writing. Teachers can help by praising students for what they find noteworthy in their writingm even if it's just the hard work that the student put into the piece. Student writers often turn out lame writing when they are given topics they don't care about (TAKS Prep) and when the emphasis is<br />on correctness. Freewriting, journaling, quickwrites, and writing which is of personal interest or which ignite the imagination of the student build interest<br />which leads to the student writing with confidence and voice.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-81350715750499084842007-08-08T18:46:00.000-07:002007-08-08T19:19:55.944-07:00Writing Without Teachers Chapters 1 and 2Writing is a process of discovery where students sort out, organize, analyze, and synthesize. Writing anxiety often comes from the misconception that the ideas and organization have to be in place in the student's mind before the student starts writing, when actually writing is the process where this takes place. Freewriting gets students' thoughts flowing, and should be done regularly in a writing class.<br />Writing is referred to as cooking a message instead of transmitting a message.<br />Anxiety about what you are going to write keeps you from writing. The process should<br />involve change and a focus and theme should emerge.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-23589802133418784772007-08-08T18:36:00.000-07:002007-08-08T18:45:50.953-07:00Inside Out Chapter 9Writing is intimidating for students possibly because the focus traditionally has been on correctness. Good writing is thought-provoking. It is something that the reader can respond to, agree with, critique, ot argue with. The blank page can be a terrifying sight for student writers. We need to develop sensitivity to the student's<br />voice. Often their best writing is mixed up with their worst. Emphasis for decades has been on style, but voice is what makes the writing come alive. Voice explains why a poem is not written like a commercial, and why novels don't read like doctoral dissertations. Voice is the reason that bad translations are often awkward (and sometimes hilarious). Students who speak another language can make best use of voice by using that language in writing with enough context clues to help the reader figure out the meaning.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-88791139091828770062007-08-08T12:46:00.000-07:002007-08-08T12:48:06.312-07:00<embed src="http://www.teachertube.com/flvplayer23.swf" FlashVars="config=http://www.teachertube.com/flvplayer2.php?viewkey=40c570a322f1b0b65909&vimg=http://www.teachertube.com/thumb/448.jpg" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="350" loop="false" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" scale="exactfit" > </embed>ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-88904839742375311892007-08-08T10:16:00.000-07:002007-08-08T10:34:07.296-07:00Digital Immigrants and Digital NativesAs an ESL teacher, I am aware that my students act as translators for their parents. I never thought that that went on in my family until I read this. At my house, cries from the study of<br />"Come help your idiot mother!" means that once again I am relying on my children to help me with some computer task. I went kicking and screaming into the digital age, but my children were born into it, learning computer skills from kindergarten. It comes quite naturally to them.<br />I am not sure if my son has actually ever read a whole book, but he is very smart, and he knows everything about history, sports, and military science. He has gotten his information from other places than I did when I was in school. My daughter is an avid reader and writer, and is also very technologically savvy. I have not seen the divide in my classroom between digital immigrants and digital natives because I teach true immigrants, who come to me with little<br />knowledge of technology. Most of them have cell phones, but often I am the one who shows them how to word process and get on the internet. I believe that this could change in a very short time. We have known for a long time that students learn better when they are in charge of their own learning. Digital natives are used to having access to information in their hands, and they are used to getting quick answers. There is still a lot that they can learn from digital immigrants, but the digital immigrants need to become familiar with the world, the language, and the methods of the digital native.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-33293420912152746772007-08-08T08:06:00.001-07:002007-08-08T08:06:58.457-07:00Life and MusicIn this educational environment of test hysteria, schools look at the end – a passing test score, an acceptable, recognized, or exemplary rating, and they forget the journey. Time is taken away from quality literature and writing to prepare students for tests. Real student growth and progress is forsaken for test scores. Last year, I taught a class where most of the students were taking TAKS. They were ill-prepared for my curriculum because of some unfortunate situations the year before. I had to start at the very beginning with writing. They had to struggle through the literature, but because the writing and the literature were quality and something they could respond and relate to, they grew and learned. We wasted six weeks reading stupid TAKS literature and responding to TAKS questions and writing TAKS essays on topics that were not interesting and that no one cared about. Other than that the year was great. Unfortunately,<br />The TAKS scores were not good. Few passed. On the positive side, most were within one<br />hundred points of passing, and I think that they will pass next year. I looked like a failure and my students looked like failures. The destination was not reached. But the journey was fantastic. At the beginning of the year, they tried to refuse to do the assigned writing.<br />At the end of the year, they were telling me the kind of writing and projects that they wanted to do on the literature that we read. We became a family. We all changed each other.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-635764065290751342007-08-08T07:29:00.000-07:002007-08-08T09:12:18.453-07:00Food List for ThursdayKia - crackers<br />Ginny - strawberries<br />JoLyn - brownies<br />Sherry - cookiesginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-68824258431395024272007-08-07T12:33:00.000-07:002007-08-07T12:47:43.547-07:00Who Has.... ? I Have.....This is a questioning strategy that puts the question/answer process in the hands of the students. Instead of the teacher standing at the front of the room asking questions with the same people answering, each student gets the opportunity to ask and answer a question. To create this activity, write and number a list of questions and answers. I color-code so that students know, for example, that the questions are red and the answers are blue. Write question #1 on an index card. Turn it over and write the answer to question #2 on the back. Write question #2 on a second index card, write the answer to question #3 on the back. Go on until you have written all of the questions, then write the answer to the last question on the back of the card with question #1. The person who asks the first question will give the last answer.<br />This is good for checking understanding, and the students always love it.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-77106686741942564392007-08-06T11:47:00.000-07:002007-08-06T11:48:09.495-07:00My ImmortalThis song is beautiful, yet very disturbing to me because it is about a mother lamenting the death of her child. I am so blessed that I have not experienced this kind of loss, but it is every mother’s fear, and it is awful beyond anything I can comprehend.<br />Although the child is physically gone, her maternal love is immortal. When her child was alive, she could comfort him when he was afraid, but now she is left alone, and<br />she is the one in need of comfort. His presence that once brought her joy now haunts her,<br />and she is comforted but tortured by the feeling that he is still with her. Her wounds won’t seem to heal, because the loss of a child is pain that never heals, not even time can erase it.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-79870441647982552392007-08-06T07:24:00.000-07:002007-08-06T07:36:12.771-07:00A Positive Classroom Environment for Disabled ESL StudentsRunning Head: DISABLED ESL STUDENTS<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A Positive Classroom Environment for Disabled ESL Students<br /><br />In APA Style<br /><br />Ginny Thomas<br /><br />The University of Texas at Arlington<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> ABSTRACT<br /><br /> <br /> Of the thousands of immigrant and refugee students who enroll in American schools<br /><br /> each year, many have disabilities which affect their ability to learn. To complicate matters,<br /><br /> these disabilities may have gone undiagnosed, or they may not have been addressed in the<br /><br />student’s country of origin. To effectively teach these students, teachers themselves need<br /><br />to be sensitive to the student’s needs, and they must be educated about the nature of the<br /><br />disability to create an emotionally and physically comfortable learning environment for<br /><br /> the student.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> A Positive Classroom Environment for Disabled ESL Students<br /> <br /><br /> <br /> Maria, an intelligent visually impaired fifteen year old girl, came to the United States<br /><br />and began her American education. She spoke a little English, so coming late in the<br /><br />year was not an issue, but her visual impairment made learning difficult for her. The<br /><br />school district’s vision specialist provided glasses and other visual tools for her. Maria<br /><br />had no problem wearing the glasses, but she never used the magnifying glass provided<br /><br />for her to see her paperwork, or the collapsible telescope provided for her to see the<br /><br />board. <br /> <br /> In an ESL class, students are often self-conscious about their lack of proficiency<br /><br />in the language. Expressing themselves in English is awkward. Limited English students<br /><br />with disabilities have additional difficulties, because in addition to having to acquire<br /><br />a new language, they must struggle with a physical or cognitive impairment that might<br /><br />make learning more difficult. Disabilities can make social adjustment even more<br /><br />difficult. Students who don’t understand differences can make life difficult for a limited<br /><br />English or disabled student, and often, even the teacher doesn’t know what to do to help<br /><br />the student learn and adjust socially. To create a classroom with a positive environment<br /><br />for a disabled ESL student, the following factors have to be taken into consideration: the<br /><br />teacher’s attitude toward the student and his/her disability; the teacher’s knowledge of the<br /><br />nature of the disability; attitudes of students without disabilities toward disabled students;<br /><br />instructional methodology which is effective and comfortable for the student; technology<br /><br />which can help the student learn; and a classroom which provides an environment<br /><br />without obstacles and which facilitates learning.<br /><br /> Students with disabilities have been physically included in classrooms for years, but<br /><br />often they remain socially and academically isolated because of attitudes of the<br /><br />teacher and other students (Brandon, 2006). In a study in Botswana, teachers were<br /><br /> surveyed about their attitudes toward students with disabilities. They expressed<br /><br />negative attitudes toward the idea of having students with disabilities in their classroom,<br /><br />but they reported positive attitudes toward the students themselves, and they reported few<br /><br />problems with the students’ behavior. Teachers admitted that they felt inadequately<br /><br />trained to deal with students with disabilities. The result of this study was a recommend-<br /><br />ation to the Ministry of Education that teachers receive more training to deal with<br /><br />disabled students, and that teachers with disabilities be hired to change the school’s<br /><br />perception of people with disabilities (Brandon, 2006). A study in Ohio focused<br /><br />on acceptance or rejection of students with disabilities by teachers. Teachers showed high<br /><br />levels of attachment to students with disabilities who communicate with them and who<br /><br />make a strong effort to achieve, but they showed high levels of rejection toward students<br /><br />with disabilities who exhibit negative behavior. The study concluded that general<br /><br />educators’ perceived lack of knowledge and expertise in the area of educating students<br /><br />with disabilities rather than disregard for these students may explain the negative attitude<br /><br />toward students with disabilities (Cook, 2007). In any classroom setting, teacher<br /><br />support is important, and it is supremely important when dealing with limited English<br /><br />students and students with disabilities. This support can be difficult to give when the<br />teacher does not understand the student’s learning needs. A study in Illinois revealed that<br /><br />when students feel fully supported by their teacher, they are likely to engage more fully<br /><br />and have higher achievement (Patrick, 2007).<br /><br /> Peer relationships are an important part of a healthy classroom environment. When<br /><br />Maria did not want to use the tools that would help her see and learn, it was because of<br /><br />her fear of ridicule and rejection by her peers. Maria was a great example of a disabled<br /><br />person fitting in and contributing to the group. Her peers appreciated her sweet and gentle<br /><br />personality and her fine mind that contributed so much to cooperative learning activities.<br /><br />Limited English and disabled students are particularly vulnerable to peer ridicule because<br /><br />of their differences. It is important for all students to learn the meaning of social inclusion<br /><br />where the talents of everyone are developed. Students with differences and disabilities<br /><br />can help to build character in students without disabilities by serving as examples of<br /><br />strength and character in the face of obstacles. When positive relationships are formed<br /><br />between students with differences and disabilities and their peers, an environment of<br /><br />personal responsibility, kind acceptance, and thoughtful citizenship is created<br /><br />(Lehr, 2006).<br /><br /> Limited English students and students with disabilities face tremendous challenges in<br /><br />mastering the material. Appropriate methodology is especially important with these<br /><br />students, but sometimes it can be a guessing game for the teacher to choose which is best .<br />In a study of M.Ed. students, teachers conducted their own research by surveying their<br /><br />students. The results showed that through this research, teachers got to know their<br /><br />students, their learning styles, and preferences for classroom activities. Teachers<br /><br />modified their instruction accordingly, and found that better instruction and more<br /><br />learning took place Dwight, 2007). Cooperative learning and project-based learning work<br /><br />particularly well for limited English students because it allows them to interact and<br /><br />communicate with each other to complete a task (Beckett, 2005). These methods<br /><br />work well for students with disabilities because they allow them to use their talents<br /><br />while avoiding their limitations. A Canadian study of Chinese-born ESL students showed<br /><br />that they supported each other in cooperative learning tasks. They liked the idea that they<br />had a larger pool of ideas, that they could get a task completed faster, and that they got to<br />practice English more (Liang, 2004).<br /> Reading and writing present challenges for these students, but fortunately, there are<br />technological solutions. Digital text technology can copy text and paste it onto a word<br />processing program where the font, font size, color, and background can be changed.<br />Across media transformation can convert text from written to auditory. As students type,<br />text is read back. A Reading Pen passes over the text, and highlights words on an<br />LCD screen and pronounces them (Barbetta, 2007). Compared to these, Maria’s visual<br />tools were primitive. In a perfect world, all students would be using technology, and the<br />technology that the ESL or disabled student used might be a little different, but should <br />not draw negative attention.<br /> The physical environment of the classroom is important to any student, but especially<br />to ESL and disabled students. At-risk students perceive little order and organization in<br />class (Laurier, 2006). A well-ordered classroom facilitates learning. A study of<br /> community college students revealed the obvious – that lighting, temperature, a<br />clear view of the board or screen were important. What was more interesting was that<br />students wanted a clear view of each other and the instructor, and that they wanted the<br />space and arrangement that would allow them to freely interact with each other<br /> (Veltri, 2006),<br /> In every classroom there are students with differences. Teachers must continually<br />educate themselves about the students they are teaching. They must coordinate with other<br />teachers who share the students, or who have expertise in the area of concern. Teachers<br />must also set the tone for respect of all students in the classroom, and give each student<br />the opportunity to grow and achieve academically and socially while sharing his/her gifts<br />with the class.<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br />BIBLIOGRAPHY<br /><br /><br />Barbetta, P., Spears-Bunton, L. (2007). Learning to write: technology for students with disabilities in secondary inclusive classrooms. English Journal, vol. 9 (issue 2) p.86-91<br /><br />Beckett, G., Slater, T.(2005). The project framework: a tool for language and skills integration.English Language Teachers’ Journal, vol.59 ( issue 2), p.108-116<br /><br />Brandon, D.,Neube, M. (2006). Botswana’s agricultural teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream classes. Negro Educational Review, vol.57(issue 3-4), p.215-227<br /><br />Cook, B, Cameron, D, Tankersley, M.(2007). Inclusive teachers’ attitudinal ratings of their students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education, vol. 40, (issue 3) p.230-238<br /><br />Fortin, L., Marcotte, D. Potvin, P.,Royer, E., Joly, J. (2006) .Typology of students at risk for dropping out of school: description by personal, family, and school factors. European Journalof Psychology of Education, vol. 21, (issue 4) p. 363-383<br /><br />Lehr, D, Katzman, L, Clinton, L, Sullivan, E, (2006). Character education and<br />students with disabilities. Journal of Education, Vol. 187 (issue 4) p. 71-83<br /><br />Liang, X, (2004). Cooperative learning as a sociocultural practice. Canadian Modern Language Review, vol. 60 (issue 3) p. 637-668<br /><br />Patrick, H., Ryan,A., Kaplan, A. (2007). Early adolescent’s perception of the classroom social environment, motivational beliefs and engagement. Journal of Educational Psychology,Vol. 99( issue 1), p.83-98<br /><br />Rogers, D., Bolick,C., Anderson, A., Gordon, E. Manfra, M. McGill, M., Yow, J. (2007). It’s about the kids:transforming teacher-student relationships through action research.Clearing House, vol. 80 ( issue 5), p. 217-222<br /> Veltri, S., Banning, J. Davies, T.(2006). The community college classroom environment: student perceptions. College Student Journal, vol. 40 ( issue 3), p.517ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-61150930424336132602007-08-03T20:17:00.000-07:002007-08-03T20:54:41.277-07:00Character Education and Students With DisabilitiesTitle - Character Education and Students With Disabilities<br /><br />Author - Lehr, Donna, Katzman, Lauren, Clinton, LeRoy, Sullivan, Eileen E.<br /><br />Author's Purpose for Writing - To express that students with disabilities are part of school communities, and they can enhance character development in non-disabled students by serving as examples of strength and character in the face of obstacles.<br /><br />What are the points made by the review of the literature? <br />All students should learn the meaning of social inclusion, which is part of a democratic society, which is at risk when a society fails to develop the talents of all its members.<br /><br />Students can learn through interacting with disabled classmates to to develop attitudes and<br />behaviors consistent with enabling individuals with disabilities to become contributing members of society.<br /><br />Students can learn about the difference between supporting people with disabilities and taking care of them.<br /><br />Having students with varying abilities in schools necessitates differentiation of instruction<br />to meet the wide range of student needs. When teachers are able to meet the needs of a variety of students, they they provide a model for meeting the needs of community members.<br /><br />When disabled students are given tools for learning, it helps them to develop higher order thinking skills.<br /><br />Conclusion - The inclusion of students with disablities and their relationships with their peers<br />without disabilitiescan create an environment of personal responsibility, kind acceptance, and thoughtful citizenship.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-34379169595105737862007-08-03T19:21:00.000-07:002007-08-03T20:09:58.939-07:00Learning to Write: Technology for Students With Disabilities in Secondary Inclusive ClassroomsTitle - Learning to Write: Technology for Students with Disabilities in Secondary Inclusive Classrooms<br /><br />Author - Patricia M. Barbetta, Linda A. Spears-Bunton<br /><br />Author's Purpose for Writing - To review technologies that help students with disabilities master the writing process<br /><br />What are the main points made in the review of the literature? Each stage of the writing process presents challenges for students with disabilities. Fortunately, there are technologies<br />available to students who struggle with reading and writing.<br /><br />Digital text technology: A scanner with optical character recognition (OCR) software can copy text from a website and paste it onto a word processing program. The text can be modified by changing font, color, background, or by highlighting words. Autosummarize selects main idea sentences from a document. With Across media transformation, text is predsented in a different medium such as auditory. As students type, text is read back. The Reading Pen - As the pen is passed over the txt, the words are highlighted on an LCD screen and pronounced.<br /><br />Text to Speech Technology: With Inteelitalk 3, students listen to and edit their own work because text can be read back<br /><br />Word Prediction technology: As student types, software predicts the word, reducing the number of keystrokes the student has to make.<br /><br />Conclusion - Writing is difficult, especially for students with disabilities. English and special ed teachers need to work closely together to plan strategies. Technology can be effectiv tool in helping special needs students learn to write.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-1444780934075252252007-08-02T11:53:00.000-07:002007-08-02T12:05:41.074-07:00Sleeping BeautyThe fairy tale princess that I most resemble is Sleeping Beauty. I always loved her. A beloved aunt gave me the book when my youngest sister was born. That Malificent with two horns on her head was evil beyond anything that I could imagine, and I loved the way that Princess Aurora's dress changed from pink to blue and back to pink again. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I could make my clothes do that. I am like her because when I get bored, I fall asleep. I sleep through most faculty meetings. This is a big joke at work. It's a wonder I still have a job. It is also difficult for me to wake up in the morning. Sometimes my yard doesn't get done on time, and the grass and the bushes grow up high just like they did around Sleeping Beauty's castle, and there I am sound asleep. But is it a handsome prince that wakes me up? Of course not. It's my dog who has to go to the bathroom.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-6296693840377146682007-08-01T12:11:00.000-07:002007-08-01T12:12:17.396-07:00Contrasting Imagery in “Owls”Mary Oliver uses contrasting imagery in “Owls” to convey her perception of the complexity of nature. She is a person who observes every nuance. She is alternately awed and intimidated by what she sees and hears. She describes the great horned owl as having razor-tipped toes, being swift and merciless upon the backs of rabbits, mice, and other small animals. She tells of finding headless bodies of blue jays and rabbits, knowing that it was the great horned owl that did them in. The horned owl’s scream is the sheer rollicking glory of a death-bringer, and he has an insatiable taste for brains. The author does find pleasure and wonder in nature, even with other species of owls. She can imagine a screech owl on her wrist, and learning something about the Arctic from the feathers of a great snowy owl. She writes of fields of poppies and lupines, and of roses growing in the dunes. In the end, she finds the sheer abundance of beautiful roses as overwhelming and intimidating as the presence of the predatory owl.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-69173695625992254352007-08-01T09:44:00.000-07:002007-08-01T09:55:35.958-07:00The View From Above My HouseIf Sasparillo flew over my house, he would see my two Bradford Pear trees which are growing<br />up to be lush and gorgeous. He would see my front porch with the rocking charirs, and maybe someone in my family sitting there trying to get some fresh air and a moment of solitude.<br />He would see cars going in and out of the driveway. Everyone in the house drives, so someone is always coming or going. As he flew over my backyard, he would see land that's only a few years removed from being a cow pasture - not much there. He might see my two dogs come bounding out the back door, barking their brains out at some poor soul trying to take a leisurely walk down the path behind my house. He would see the beautiful rabbit hutch that my yard man built for me recently. A huge spider has been building a web between the hutch and the back gate. Sadly, he would see the house behind mine that burned down yesterday. I don't think anyone was living in it yet, but it was a pretty house, and I had seen the workmen work so hard on it.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-82910594093906758932007-07-31T19:22:00.000-07:002007-08-02T10:01:40.571-07:00Demo Lesson - Fairy Tales, Elements of the Story, and Point of ViewThis lesson is for high beginning or low intermediate high school ESL students<br /><br />I. Objectives:<br />Students will identify unique elements of fairy tales<br />Students will write from a different point of view<br />Students will use acquired knowledge to write personal narrative<br /><br />II. Discussion - What is a fairy tale? What are some characteristics of fairy tales?<br /><br />III. Read aloud -"The Paper Bag Princess" by Robert Munsch Illustration by Michael Martchenko<br /><br />Chart the elements and identify point of view<br /><br />IV. Matching/Grouping Activity<br /><br />V. Read fairy tales online: Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and The Little Mermaid<br /><br />VI. Chart elements on a graphic organizer<br /><br />VII. Quickie Fairy Tale Group Write<br /><br />VIII. Use an Open Mind Diagram to express the point of view of a character in the story<br /><br />IX. Invitation to Write: Personal Narrative<br /><br />9th Grade E/LA TEKS<br /><br />1B write in a voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose<br /><br />5B respond productively to peer review of his/her own work<br /><br />6A expand vocabulary through wide reading, listening, and discussing<br /><br />7B rely upon his/her own background to provide connection to texts<br /><br />7D construct images such as graphic organizers based on text descriptions and text structures<br /><br />8C read world literature, including classic and contemporary works<br /><br />9B compare text events with his/her own and other readers experiences<br /><br />11B analyze the relevance of setting and time frame to text's meaning<br /><br />11C analyze characters and identify time and oint of view<br /><br />11D analyze basic conflicts<br /><br /><br />Extensions:<br /><br />Make a captioned mural of fairy tales<br /><br />Write an original fairy tale<br /><br />Write a fractured fairy tale<br /><br />Make a hanger book of a fairy tale character ( a life-sized character made with a coat hanger and bulletin board paper) which includes a self-description and 1st person point of view telling of the story.<br /><br />Fairy Tale Websites:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/">Sur la Lune </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/ridge/wq/savona">http://www.longwood.K12.ny.us/ridge/wq/savona</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.childrenstory.com/tales/index.htm">Children’s Story</a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/fairytales.htm">http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/fairytales.htm</a><br /><br /><br />Research:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.uwrf.edu/library/researchguides/fairytales.php">Research Guides<br /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://http//www.dewey.smc.edu/research/topics/fairy_tales.htm">Research Topics</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dewey.smc.edu/research/topics/fairy_tales.htm"></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Warner, Maria .(1995) From the Beast to the Blonde. Farran, Strauss</p><p class="MsoNormal">Tatar, Maria. (2003)The Hard Facts of Grimms' Fairy Tales.Princeton, N.J.Princeton University Press</p>ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-48410119855650222772007-07-31T12:17:00.000-07:002007-07-31T12:19:27.049-07:00A Rhyme From My ChildhoodOnce upon a time<br />A goose drank wine<br />A monkey chewed tobacco<br />On the streetcar line<br />The streetcar broke<br />And the monkey choked<br />And they all went to heaven<br />In a little tin boatginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-26974658952470535412007-07-31T10:00:00.001-07:002007-08-08T19:24:11.340-07:00Inside Out Chapter 2There is a diversity and richness of inner language that flows in all of us.<br />When we write, we dip into that flow and pull out ideas and words to put down on the page.<br />There is an anxious feeling that a word or phrase will slip by before we get it on the page.<br />Sometimes it is difficult to draw out the students’ inner language.<br />Our goal in teaching writing is to teach writing in a natural way, to get out of the way of our students. It is to make writing a part of their lives just as it is a part of ours.<br />We tend to teach writing in steps, but writing processes are recursive and do not follow neat separate steps.<br />We should introduce our students to a variety of ways of beginning, drafting, revising, and completing their work.<br />Help students develop fluency – get students comfortable with the language.<br />Control – coach students, and don’t discourage them.<br />Precision – Students should begin looking for better words and better constructions on their own.<br />Give students examples of writing that give students a feel for language, voice, and syntax.<br />Offer constraints (structure) but give students freedom to express themselves.<br />Students can’t be taught, but they can be coached. Coaches don’t advise, they listen and ask questions.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-91100613274532874722007-07-30T20:25:00.000-07:002007-08-03T16:47:58.564-07:00Inclusive Teachers' Attitudinal Ratings of Their Students With DisabilitiesTitle - Inclusive Teachers' Attitudinal Ratings of Their Students With Disabilities<br /><br />Author - Bryan G. Cook, David L. Cameron, Melody Tankersley<br /><br />Author's Purpose for Writing - To explore the use of a new rating scale that measures teacher's attitudes toward their students, and to investigate the attitudes of inclusion teachers toward their students with disabilities using a rating scale<br /><br />What are the points made in the review of the literature? Teachers have less attachment to students with disablities who exhibit negative behavior, but they have high levels of attachment to students with disabilities who communicate with them and who make an effort to achieve.<br /><br />Do they support the need for the study? yes<br /><br />Author's inquiry questions - Do inclusive teachers feel greater concern, indifference, and rejection, but less attachment toward their students with disabilities?<br /><br />Author's Methodolgy - A rating scale<br /><br />Who is being studied? 50 inclusive teachers, the 156 included students with disabilities and 199 of their students without disabilities in Ohio<br /><br />Over what length of time? one semester<br /><br />What data is being collected? teacher attitudes about disabled and non-disabled students<br /><br />How is it being analyzed? Zero-order correlations, ANOVA, four multiple regression equations,<br /><br />MANOVA<br /><br />Any other interesting or pertinent data -<br /><br />How the author collected information - In faculty meetings, teachers rated their attitudes toward students on a 4 point scale<br /><br />What the author discovered or conclusions/implications - The learning and behavioral problems exhibited by students with disabilities engendered inclusive teacher's relatively high rejection and low attachment ratings. The participating teachers tended to develop concern for included students with disabilities who had instructional needs that the teachers could reasonably address and did not exhibit the behaviors that elicit teacher rejection. General educators' perceived lack of experience, knowledge, or responsibility regarding the instruction of students with disabilities rather than teacher disregard may explain the higher indifference toward included students with disabilities.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-51150495326224222152007-07-30T19:42:00.000-07:002007-08-03T16:50:39.407-07:00It's About the Kids - Transforming Teacher-Student Relationships Through Action ResearchTitle - It's About the Kids - Transforming Teacher-Student Relationships Through Action Research<br /><br />Author - Dwight Rogers, Cheryl Mason Bolick, Amy Anderson, Evelyn Gordon, Meghan McGlinn Manfra, Jan Yow<br /><br />Author's Purpose for Writing - Action research is often used in teacher education programs to improve teacher reflection and practice, but there is little indication of its impact on students.<br /><br />What are the points made in the review of the literature? Action research provides a vehicle for teachers to establish more personal relationships with students, develop a better understanding<br />of students as learners and give students a voice in the classroom.<br /><br />Do they support the need for the study? Yes.<br /><br />Author's Inquiry Questions - When teachers engage in action research, do they go beyond reflection and become more mindful of the students they teach?<br /><br />Author's Methodology - Teachers formulated the questions, surveyed students, distributed questionnaires and surveys, analyzed results and reflected on implications.<br /><br />Who is being studied? Teachers in an M.Ed program enrolled in a research class<br /><br />Over what length of time? Over the period of the course (probably a semester)<br /><br />What data is being collected? Teacher's final research reports<br /><br />How is it being analyzed? No formal analysis is given, only observations<br /><br />Other pertinent data - Action research has tremendous potential for encouraging teachers to<br /><br />uncover and implement new and different ways to communicate with their students and fully involve them in curricular and pedagogical decision making<br /><br />How the author collected information - Teachers conducted their own research, then submitted it at the end of the course to the author<br /><br />What the author discovered or conclusions/implications - Teachers found that through action research they got to know their students, their learning styles, and preferences for classroom activities. Teachers were able to modify their instruction, and found that instruction/learning was more effective. Careful reading of the final reports identified including the child in the curriculum as a significant outcome of the final research results.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-9345165183691811292007-07-30T11:04:00.000-07:002007-07-30T11:21:36.174-07:00My Gift and What I Do With ItMy gift is empathy (O.K., some people might laugh). I feel that difficulties in my life have been like mean teachers, but they taught me things, and I often seem to get lessons on understanding others. My students are culturally diverse, and also come with the baggage that all adolescents carry. I have not always responded to them in the best way, but I try. I went to live in France when I was 22 under the best circumstances. It was my choice, I had a comfortable life, and I was a student on a grand adventure. In spite of having studied the culture and the language<br />it was all difficult for me at first. I didn't understand a lot of what people were saying because they spoke so fast. I didn't know a lot about just getting through the day. I can't imagine how frightened and bewildered my students must be to be in a country that they may not have chosen to come to, and to live with poverty and discrimination. I can't make everything right for them, but I can greet them warmly everyday and let them know that they matter. I can try to teach them what they need to know to get by in this world.ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022425776212975810.post-56647024427986181992007-07-30T07:44:00.000-07:002007-07-30T07:51:50.696-07:00How I Will Be StellaLuna on My CampusAlthough I love my job and my school, there are some major frustrations. The main frustration is the constant hysteria over test scores. We look bad on paper, and sometimes<br />it translates into drill and kill for the test when so much more valuable material could be taught. The other is the unavailability of technology to our ESL students. This is seriously appalling.<br />Next year, I want to take what I have learned here to make things different. I want my classes to be real communities of writers. I want them to be more connected to each other as writers and I want their work to be displayed so that other teachers can see what limited English students can do when they are connected to each other as writers. I will use peer response and<br />more peer editing so that students will know that it's not just about them and me, but about their role in this community.<br />+-ginny's worldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03562224367701399920noreply@blogger.com0