More Resources for English

Before taking this class I never used Google Docs (Google, 2011) to create documents but now I cannot get enough of it. It is useful to use Google Docs to create group docs or projects because the file is accessible from anywhere that there is internet. I think my students will find it useful when they are doing group projects and also I like the idea of creating personal rubrics per student. Although it seems like a lot of work it would beneficial for both me and my students to keep track of their progress and where they need to improve. Mostly I appreciate Google Docs because of the ease of use and the accessibility. It would be good for students who do not have access to their own computers or Microsoft Office because they can use school computers or library computers to access their docs and it saves under the user name and not on the computer which is safer in terms of work loss. Google docs rocks!

ReadWriteThink (IRA/NCTE, 2011) is a great website for educators. It has resources for teachers and professional development ideas. The resources include ideas for lessons which are unique and easy to apply. I think this would be beneficial to me because as an English Language Arts educator, writing and reading are standard for my practice but my students need to be able to do more and enjoy more out of it. A curriculum based on the basic reading and writing standard can be boring and uninspiring but ReadWriteThink offers ideas such as biographical activities that recommend role playing an authors life to understand the biography or catalogues of resources such as protest songs that can be explored and analyzed in historical context. I would like to further explore this website for student teaching because as a preservice teacher, I am going to need all the help I can get to come up with creative ideas for my students to enjoy and absorb what they are learning. I believe students need to have some fun in learning otherwise they do not gain anything from the lesson. ReadWriteThink will provide memorable lessons and that is why I would use it. 

Resources 

IRA/NCTE. (2011). Read write think. Retrieved from: http://www.readwritethink.org/

Google. (2011). Google docs. Retrieved from: docs.google.com

Week 5 T2P

If adolescents are encouraged to take some risks within their learning environment, then they will be able to have a more liberated and connected education because they will have the freedom to develop their own ideas and thoughts in certain subjects creatively. Some allotted lenience is necessary in order to maintain intrinsic motivation within students and it is vital that their creativity is encouraged and not stepped on. An unruly student may be just over expressive but tapping into that characteristic can be beneficial. Rather than inhibit talents and eccentricities, we should welcome them to an extent within a social setting. 


Deci and Ryan talk about autonomy and competency within self determination (Self-Determination Theory - SDT) and how intrinsic motivation plays an extremely important role in education. This is true for creativity and self-knowledge as well. Creativity is a key product of autonomy and in order to be creative, one must be comfortable taking certain risks. An inhibiting relationship from the teacher to the student can decrease intrinsic motivation and cause extrinsic motivation to be less effective. Students must sometimes be allotted the freedom to explore their motivations and intelligences. 


Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences describes the different intelligences that people tend to possess or gravitate toward. These intelligences should be explored by each individual by taking certain small risks that may aid in the learning process. For example, the prodigy Akiane Kramarik clearly has a genetic disposition of artistic brilliance but the encouragement to further this talent only enhanced her visual has intelligence. Students should have a grasp on all subjects if possible but each student is an individual who something different to offer and it is morally wrong to suppress any students creative outlet. Motivation diminishes or becomes lost when students are constricted so much therefore I believe some amount of leniency must be present within education.

A Good Teacher...

A good teacher...
focuses on [whole person] optimal learning and is a person who provides support for their students. It is someone who cares about their students and wants to see them succeed both in the classroom and in the world. It is someone who would like can teach effectively and receive and apply/use critical feedback to better themselves. A good teacher is also someone who knows their content and can answer questions regarding motivation. They also have a solid pedagogy that includes student-centered learning. They care for their students as individuals and as a class and make it so they relate to their students in a cultural and educational context. A good teacher simply knows their student(s).


Week 2: If small groups work productively together on an assigned task, then the individual students within the group can improve their own understanding of the lesson content because the peer dialogue, debate, and relevant conversation within the small group can broaden that students' comprehension of the content as opposed to a lecture based lesson which might stifle the various ideas by various students.  

Week 2 Re-write: If a teacher assigns group activities within a classroom, where group members are allowed to share ideas and concepts about the content with one another, then the individuals within that group can enhance their comprehension through that experience. Students can offer what they already know and receive feedback and new ideas and concept from their group members. This contributes to a stronger understanding of their own concepts or of other individuals assessments of the content. Piaget suggests this idea that through our experiences and interactions with others, students can enhance our ideas and how they learn and understand concepts and ideas. As individuals grow and develop intellectually, they absorb information from around them and they apply it to present and future situations which can help them in everyday life as well as within school. It is vital that the teacher expresses that cooperation with other people is important to aid in making connections to both classwork and to real world situations. I believe these connections are necessary for a solid social experience and growth within a social setting. 

Assistive Technology in Education

In today's world, technology contributes to all areas of life but for people with disabilities, it makes things much easier. In education, those with disabilities can be at a slight disadvantage at normal resource use in the classroom but technology makes it happen. There are many technological products that can assist in a classroom for the youth that have to deal with a disability.

A student with a hearing impairment could be helped with the use of visuals and technologies that amplify sound. An e-reader or even SMARTboard technologies can be used in the classroom for students with low hearing. Speech recognition technology might be beneficial in this case as well because as a teacher, I could use it to convert my speech to text for the student so they may be able to follow along in the classroom.

A student with low vision would benefit from an QUE proReader because they can "adjust their screen to eight shades of gray, highlight text, add notes, and zoom"(Wikibooks, 2010). This can help them adjust the screen to their vision needs. Other eReaders can also be used since some have the same type of adjustability. They could also use the DAISY system (Wikibooks, 2009) because it is a talking book system. This system could also be used for students with autism because "it was developed to address the need for an accessible audio format that could be used by individuals who are unable to read print as easily and efficiently as a sighted person uses a printed book"(Wikibooks, 2009). Images used within this system can be beneficial for those with autism. They could also use speech recognition technology. 

A student with a broken arm would have a difficult time adjusting from their regular arm use so to make it easier to adapt to their unfortunate situation they could be helped by speech recognition technology because they could use their speech to produce their work. "The use of speech recognition software allows students that have little or no motor skills in their arms and hands to be able to produce typed reports, manage software, and perform research with a computer, just like other non-disabled students"(Wikibooks, 2011). The further developments of assistive technology is necessary for education because of the diversity of the students that attend public school.


Wikibooks. (2009). Assistive technology in education/daisy. Retrieved from: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/DAISY


Wikibooks. (2010). Assistive technology in education/ebook. Retrieved from: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/eBook


Wikibooks. (2011). Assistive technology in education/speech recognition software. Retrieved from: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Speech_Recognition_Software.

Week 4 T2P

KEY

if 

then

because 

event

evidence

moral/ethical 

terms

Week 2 T2P(1) (green text in the original post)
If small groups work productively together on an assigned task, then the individual students within the group can improve their own understanding of the lesson content because the peer dialogue, debate, and relevant conversation within the small group can broaden that students' comprehension of the content as opposed to a lecture based lesson which might stifle the various ideas by various students. 

Slightly Modified...
If a teacher assigns group activities within a classroom, where group members are allowed to share ideas and concepts about the content with one another, then the individuals within that group can enhance their comprehension through that experience. Students can offer what they already know and receive feedback and new ideas and concept from their group members. This contributes to a stronger understanding of their own concepts or of other individuals assessments of the content. Piaget suggests this idea that through our experiences and interactions with others, students can enhance our ideas and how they learn and understand concepts and ideas.  As individuals grow and develop intellectually, they absorb information from around them and they apply it to present and future situations which can help them in everyday life as well as within school.

T2P(2) -SDT and Learning [case study]
If a teacher creates the opportunity for an autonomous environment by designing certain activities that use technology, then the students can build competence, ability and establish self-determination. Students can learn to rely on themselves by using technology in order to understand the content. They learn by exploring independently while at the same time following the teachers instructions. They also associate themselves with other students competencies. Vicki Davis uses this method and uses technology and collaboration techniques. She allows her students to be autonomous by using technologies to understand their own learning abilities. By doing this she brings the world, possibilities, and new perspectives to her classroom. In one instance, she says a word and rather than tell her students the meaning of that word, she insists that they look it up themselves. This displays autonomy and competence. Students are also inclined to help each other and connect with students around the world which develops relatedness. Sugata Mitra's "Hole in The Wall" experiment shows that children who are provided with technology can teach themselves by using it firsthand which is what Davis is essentially doing. I believe that giving students a certain amount of freedom in the classroom via technology can improve their independent skills. As young adults they need to be able to rely on themselves more and on their teachers less. I also believe that while students are learning, teachers can also learn through them. It is important to allow for self-determination so that it can enhance intrinsic motivation. This way students can become successful independent learners. 

Week 4 T2P (3)
If a teacher is open to an autonomous student-centered learning approach in the classroom while also entertaining the idea of an eye-to-eye relationship with his/her students, then the students can enhance their self-determination and become competent and autonomous learners. Students tend to be dependent on complete instruction from their [hierarchical] teacher until they are given the chance to work independently and their teachers are less of an authoritative figure and more of a learner. Teacher-centered instruction is not beneficial for autonomous learning and it can stifle critical thinking, productivity, and competency within the students. Edward Deci and Richard Ryan's Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is concerned with the learners intrinsic motivation and to learn as well extrinsic motivation. The three factors that need to be present for successful learning are autonomy, competency, and relatedness. As a result, creativity, persistence, and enhanced performance will be present. Vicki Davis uses the example of an autonomous student-centered learning approach in her classroom. She expects her students to research things that confuse them such as foreign vocabulary. She also expects them to explore their resources independently and collaborate with their peers and other students across the globe which factors in relatedness. I believe it is important for students to take advantage of their intrinsic motivation and teachers should realize that they can benefit from their students. Teachers need to allow students to discover things on their own while guiding them instead of dictating to them. It is important that students in secondary schools establish autonomy, competency, and relatedness so they can carry those skills to college and through life.

Theorist/Theory Spreadsheet

Use of a wiki in a classroom?...YES!

"For many years, the idea of technology in schools always meant computers and software, or specifically, investments in items that grew obsolete quickly and had somewhat limited uses. More recently, this has changed to include the Internet and its potential resources, databases, and unlimited information"(Corwin, 2009, p. 47).

While the above statement is very factual, it is also somewhat shocking to think of the time frame behind it. Technology is such a rapidly growing concept within education and while some older, more traditional teachers might find it too much to learn and apply but I believe that since students nowadays are so adapt to using technology, it is only right to apply it to eduction.

At first I was intimidated by the concept of the wiki but now that I have some experience with it I feel much less intimidated by it and much more excited about the prospects of creating my own for a classroom.  Specifically, I would like to set up a wiki for my classes to be able to find resources, project groups, class information, and other learning-related things on it. I would set up resources that might aid in understanding some of the literature or even vocabulary words from their books. I could also include collaborative projects on there by incorporating the use of Google Docs as well. For example, if i were to have a prompt set up on the wiki for a specific date, I would include directions, an example, and group names so they have the basic information. I would then post resources I would like them to explore (like an internet workshop) in order to answer that prompt. In return they would create a Google Docs document to display their answers as a group (and I would want them to be creative with it). Then they can post the links to the docs right on the wiki and it can be shared among the classroom once I have reviewed it for comments.

The wording seems complicated but the process seems viable and I look forward to working with something like this to organize my students workloads and to provide an outline and resource ideas for them. Technology, while being a challenge sometimes, can be fun and beneficial for an educational setting.


Schrum, L. & Levin, B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools: harnessing technology for engagement and
           achievement. California: Corwin. 

Week 3 T2P

Learning theories allow for a student-centered classroom environment. This allows the teacher to focus their pedagogy or methodologies on the way their students learn and the various lessons they can do to enhance the students learning to understanding. Social learning theory speaks volumes about how students are influenced by their peers not only in life but in the classroom as well. An example of social learning would be if students were put into various groups to answer a specific question and then work together to come to a cohesive answer. Using this method within the English content can be beneficial because analyses of literature can be interpreted in many ways therefore catering to different students' different thinking. This ties to Constructivist learning theory which allows students to comprehend new concepts and ideas using lessons and understandings that were learned in the past. It also ties into Developmental learning theory which basically focuses on age appropriate and understandable material and methods.

B.F. Skinners operant conditioning theory offers a behavioral modification addition to the classroom which aids in a more controlled environment for successful learning. By using Blooms Taxonomy to assess students, the teacher can grasp an understanding of how effective their pedagogy and methodology is. The key is to get students to think for themselves while directing and guiding them to where they need to go in order to become successful learners of content and skills.

If a teachers pedagogy is student-centered and uses a combination of the well-known learning theories, then the students can be successful learners because the combined elements of the theories can create an environment and methodology suited for students to learn content as well as come to an understanding of that content. 

P-V-S REMIX!-Wk3

Q3. Show how language in the classroom could affect a student's ability to understand.

A. This is an APPLICATION question because it asks to show or demonstrate the knowledge obtained in the lesson by answering a specific question on language in the classroom.

B.Language in the classroom has to be understandable to the students in order for them to learn effectively. If a teacher uses vocabulary that is too advanced for a group of students, they will not comprehend the content as well as they could with language that fits the learning environment.

Q4. Choose which lesson demonstrates the use of Developmental Learning Theory, which demonstrates Social Learning Theory, and which demonstrates Constructivist Learning Theory:

A. This is also an APPLICATION question because it asks the students to take what they know and apply it to situations or examples. 

a. A teacher has students work in small groups to solve a math problem.

B. This example demonstrates the use of Social Learning Theory because the teacher lets them get into groups to help each other come to conclusions. It is a social activity that is focused on learning. 

b. Two teachers present World War II to children, one to six year olds, and one to sixteen year olds. One teacher researches the motivations behind the war and the other has her class act out a skit.

B. This example demonstrates the use of Developmental Learning Theory because while both teachers are teaching the same content, they are using different methods that are geared towards specific age groups so that they can understand the same content at different levels.

c. A science teacher teaches density by beginning with children's bath toys and working toward rocks and anchors.

B. This example demonstrates the use of Constructivist Learning Theory because the first the teacher uses a basic props and then later introduces them to new props. The students will have to use their knowledge of the first set of props to analyze or figure out the density of the second set. 

Q4. If a flat rectangular box and a narrow, tall rectangular box, both of which have the same volume, were filled with marshmallows, which box would an 8 year old believe had more marshmallows?

A. This is also an APPLICATION question (initially meant as an ANALYSIS question) because is asks to apply knowledge to a specific example.

B. The 8 year-old child would know that they were the same because past the age of 7, they are at the age of concrete perception.

Internet Use in the Classroom

In today's world, technologies are becoming more and more advanced in the education system. The internet is used throughout the world and now it is widely used in schools for educational purposes. Both teachers and students are learning different ways to bring technologies into classrooms and effectively using them. Internet workshops, Internet Projects, WebQuests, and Internet Inquiry are all models of internet use are well described and discussed by Dr. Donald J Leu through both group discussion/lecture and a brief online handout that expands on Internet workshops and WebQuests (2000). He encourages the use of these instructional models to enhance the learning experience.

All four models allow students to develop certain skills that are necessary in today's technologically developing world. Internet Workshops and Internet Projects help students develop collaborative skills which are helpful within an Internet Inquiry. Internet Inquiries and Internet Workshops allow for independent research which then turns into a collaboration between peers and students from other schools. A WebQuest allows for access to an entire unit. It is a "complete teaching/learning unit for students on the Internet. Students simply follow the directions and complete their learning experiences at a WebQuest site" (Leu, 2000, p. 5). Inquiries and Projects allow for communication skills after content evaluation. Internets workshops and WebQuests are simple to use for both instructor and student while Projects are slightly more complicated since there is an outside of school online collaboration and Inquiries are based on the students independent research on a topic or question of their own. Each model of instruction requires the knowledge of today's fast paced technological environment and it is necessary to bring students into this world with as much knowledge as possible.

My cooperating teacher at New Britain High School informs me that there is a SMART board set up in the computer lab and that they have access to ELMOS. They also have projectors in each classroom. Since the students will have access to a computer lab and the internet, I think having an Internet Workshop would be very beneficial for learning some background information on the literature I will be teaching. I could set up a worksheet with informational websites based specifically on the background or culture settings of certain texts and have the students share their collected information at the end of the week. It would be beneficial for them to know some background and a workshop would be a good way to achieve this.


Leu, D.J. (2000). Instructional Workshop and Webquests: Two Instructional Models. Retrieved from http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~djleu/cue/thu_handout2.pdf.

Week 2 T2P

If a teacher uses a big picture concept to draw ideas and thoughts from his/her students, then the students can develop an understanding of their own responses in relation to the content because they can draw their own conclusions from the teachers initial concept or idea which makes them think for themselves more actively.  They can develop their own style of comprehending what they are being taught.

This was my "If...then...because" statement of the day. While watching the Jerrid Kruse video, I concluded that I enjoyed his method of introducing data interpretation versus the scientific method. He began by asking questions to develop an idea and then had the students expand on that idea which made them think for themselves. He used a constant question and answer method that I believe is important in cognitive development. Rather than spitting information at them, he made them spit information at him all the while directing them in the direction he wanted them to go in. This made me think of this mornings metaphor. I used conducting a symphony but I can now see how that metaphor has major flaws. I will think about a metaphor I'd rather use and post it later but for now I can see how it is important to not only conduct the lesson but have the students conduct back. The whole body learning video was a different experience for me and I can only describe it as almost frightening only because I have never seen this type of reaction from students in my personal experience with students and as a student myself. While I thought it was effective in engaging the classroom, I did not think that the teachers methods of that particular lesson was effective in actually teaching the content.

Seeing the different teaching methods has so far broadened my understanding of what might and might not work in different content areas. As an English teacher, I hope to utilize the question and answer method often because literature is a very open-ended subject when it comes to analysis. On INTEL: I really enjoyed seeing our progress on paper. I realized that although it was more difficult to articulate our ideas, we came through with a much more solid schema on learning and our ideas actually changed for the better.  I will close with a fill-in "If...then...because..." based on my INTEL group work:

If small groups work productively together on an assigned task, then the individual students within the group can improve their own understanding of the lesson content because the peer dialogue, debate, and relevant conversation within the small group can broaden that students' comprehension of the content as opposed to a lecture based lesson which might stifle the various ideas by various students.  

Week 1 T2P

When I walked into class this morning, I did not know what to expect. Now I have a much better understanding of what is expected of me. The assessments of the day proved to be both stimulating and enhancing. The work I did with my INTEL group gave me a great insight on different experiences that led us all to wanting this profession. I also learned about our similarities which will help me get a good reflection on myself through work with other people. The dynamic of both the group and the class as a whole seems to be a very positive one while maintaining diversity in many areas such as dominant learning styles and experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about myself through the questionnaire. I had assumed that I was dominantly a visual learner when I was assessed as an aural and physical learner which was very interesting considering my self-assessment. I hope to enhance my understanding of the way my peers and others learn and how they thought they learned before their assessments.

"If...then...because..."
In the data group, not many tend to be aural adult learners. Those who are seem to come from families with siblings in a suburban or rural setting. If an adult leaner is an aural learner, then they (along with social learners) tend to be successful learners because they use their listening or aural skill sets in their learning environment.  

Resources for English or Language Arts

Basic Resources
This website provides basic information about the writing process and grammar. It is a website full of resources that can aide students at home when they are writing or have questions about anything grammatical or mechanics of writing. It also provides resources for citation forms and rhetoric.  I often used this site in college. If I had a broader knowledge of online resources when I was in high school, I think this is one I would have definitely been grateful for. I feel like it would be beneficial for students, especially at home, just because it can answer many writing questions without having a teacher present at the time. I would also use it in class. I would explain it and maybe have a mini tutorial about the website to introduce my students to the benefits of an online resource website geared towards language arts. As a "good teacher" I would be introducing the content as class lessons but also I would use the website to provide a backbone for the content so they know where to look if they have questions that I cannot answer at the time. They can use this site in college as well when they forget details about grammar and writing that is no longer taught in college unless they take a specific course focused on it.

Educational Rap
This youtube video I found is very interesting. It combines the musical style of rap with root words. It teaches about prefixes, suffixes, and roots using rap. It can be used as an introduction to a lesson based on these types of words and is appealing to a young audience.  Students might find it amusing and also beneficial as it is catchy. It will probably appeal mostly to aural learners and some visual learners but overall it will be a fun way to learn. Upon further research I found that they have a whole website dedicated to rap songs based on education topics (http://www.educationalrap.com/music). I think it is important to explore the different styles of learning and use different and fun resources for students to relate to. Different learners absorb things differently and using sites such as this can aide in a regular lecture by offering a newer learning perspective on the same topic.

Art and Poetry
Art is a very important subject in school but students do not seem to realize that art is a big part of English. Creativity is a very big part of writing especially when it comes to poetry. The idea of using visual art in an English class can be very beneficial to all students but it can be beneficial especially to those who are visual learners.  This activity can be used with any work of art and can tap into students' creativity and perspectives. As a teacher, I would find it useful to see how students react to a certain work of art and use that perspective to find out how they learn.  Not only can this activity inspire creativity, it can teach about the freedom of writing art inspired poetry. I would definitely use this site to inspire my own ideas on how to come up with lessons that will help students better understand the different parts of an English class.
(http://www.education.com/activity/high-school/reading/)

Where there is love...

a bit about me

I'm Anisha and I am a graduate of the University of Connecticut. I graduated with a BA in English and am currently pursuing my MA in Secondary Ed. I plan on become certified to teach secondary English and look forward to it. I have experience in the classroom due to the fact that I am a substitute teacher in a nearby town. I usually work within the high school but sometimes get to work in the elementary schools which can be fun. I know the basics about technology although I think I might be giving myself too much credit. I tend to be somewhat technologically challenged but am slowly learning and hope to learn even more as time goes on. My hobbies include writing and reading (of course) and most of all, singing. As an undergraduate student, I was a member of a UCONN all-female acapella group and am now a member of a non-institution based all-female acapella group. My other hobbies include meditating, cooking and baking, and traveling. My goal is to be able to experience the world and for now, I can turn to literature and music to introduce me to its wonders until I can see it with my own eyes.