So I read the textbook two weeks ago. As I flipped through it again tonight, what I thought I was going to discuss disappeared and something new came to my mind. A bigger Idea .Well not the kind of "big idea" we have been discussing but a general observation of the reading. What I realized while flipping through my text book was that what Daniels and Zemelman are showing us, by ripping apart textbooks as a tools, is that we need to know our text books. There is too much information, not enough information, they are superficial and not written for students. That is the overall view, but within that overview was the message that if you know what's in your text book, you can find opportunities to expand your lessons with what is not there and also by using what is there.
The first idea I liked was the suggestion to use multiple sources to get a balanced view. I remember reading an old encyclopedia from the sixties and there was a line about Columbus' men and how 'unfortunately many were killed'. That one word "unfortunately" showed a sympathetic expression for the white men who violently overtook the land and not nearly as sympathetic to the native people. If an encyclopedia can show bias, so too can a text book. It is important to remember that fact and look out for those sneaky agendas that can exist. In chapter six they discuss the importance of being familiar with what is on the assessments that the students will be required to take. We talked about that a few weeks ago during the teacher panel and all of the teachers agreed that it was important. I think knowing your assessment, (along with all of the standards) and knowing your textbook is the first step to take. It will help you shape your "big idea" before planning your lessons for the year. When you know your material more fully it will lead to a better chance of success for both you and your students.
Another point I found interesting was that textbooks can be confusing. I never thought of them as confusing. All I remember was writing down "History Pg. 112-114, Q 3 &4" and when I got home I would open up and read, then answer the questions. However, not everyone is like me and I do remember that there were many boxes on the pages that could be distracting, instead of helpful. Which leads me to my second favorite suggestion. In chapter 6, page 150 there is a "Textbook Feature Analysis". I absolutely will use this idea. I think it will create a cross-content lesson. When you analyze the use of fonts, symbols and colors the students will be less distracted because they will know what the purpose is. The same is true for symbols and boxes with added information. They can decide if that is something to notate before or after the reading. Once you take away the mystery of the textbook students will be ready to concentrate on the information. I hope...
So now I come to my difficulty. I read the line "you have to decide to teach a few things well and fully--and let some other stuff slide"(146). How do we decide which things to teach fully, and which to let slide?! I am really hoping to get a great mentor or have a Dean of Pedagogy when I enter the work force! If I'm on my own I'll have to be sure to 'know my stuff'.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Learn to Teach
After reading the article on improving the education for English Language Learners I really got an idea of how difficult the job of an ESL teacher is. We've been discussing lesson plans and how to be prepared for each day of teaching and learning and I have always felt that I will become a capable planner. The reality that this article makes clear is that no matter how prepared you are you also have to be constantly ready to come up with new strategies when working with learners of the English language. It also occurred to me that there was so much information in this one article. It was clear that we are just coming to understand how to teach learners of a new language and I feel like ideas and concepts are being tested all of the time. We are always learning how to teach.
One thought that stuck out to me was this statement that "All high school teachers, ... need to understand more about the language of the content area they teach and how learning in a second or third language might affect content learning"(2). We have focused on literacy this semester and the importance of helping students master the objectives and goals of our content, ensuring that they carry the greater concepts forward. In order to help students with a language barrier we need to make an effort to understand what specific challenges they will face when learning the concepts and language simultaneously. This will require a greater effort to differentiate, using more teaching strategies than we may not have been prepared to do. Many times the language we use in our content is not part of everyday speech. There will be little to no expectation that they will understand words or concepts like polygons, plot, or civil rights without taking some time to research them. It will take a greater effort and cooperation between the student and the teacher in order for them to become more fully educated as students.
One of the first things we need to do to begin this is to create an environment of trust (5). If I had to choose one part of the article that was most important it would be this. It is a risk to open up when you feel insecure, know you don't understand something and to say you need help. For students with special needs, that is the first step in opening the opportunity to educate them. Once you show them that you are there to support their learning they begin to open up. Your reaction and how you handle each situation will determine how the student will react the next time they struggle. It's important for us to reflect on our own feelings and reactions to ensure that we are fostering a safe environment for learning and teaching.
There is so much more to discuss but the overall idea I came away with is that as teachers not only do we need to be ready to teach but we need to be ready to learn. Every student will be different and have a "special need". It will be up to us to learn about our students, so we can be better teachers of our content.
One thought that stuck out to me was this statement that "All high school teachers, ... need to understand more about the language of the content area they teach and how learning in a second or third language might affect content learning"(2). We have focused on literacy this semester and the importance of helping students master the objectives and goals of our content, ensuring that they carry the greater concepts forward. In order to help students with a language barrier we need to make an effort to understand what specific challenges they will face when learning the concepts and language simultaneously. This will require a greater effort to differentiate, using more teaching strategies than we may not have been prepared to do. Many times the language we use in our content is not part of everyday speech. There will be little to no expectation that they will understand words or concepts like polygons, plot, or civil rights without taking some time to research them. It will take a greater effort and cooperation between the student and the teacher in order for them to become more fully educated as students.
One of the first things we need to do to begin this is to create an environment of trust (5). If I had to choose one part of the article that was most important it would be this. It is a risk to open up when you feel insecure, know you don't understand something and to say you need help. For students with special needs, that is the first step in opening the opportunity to educate them. Once you show them that you are there to support their learning they begin to open up. Your reaction and how you handle each situation will determine how the student will react the next time they struggle. It's important for us to reflect on our own feelings and reactions to ensure that we are fostering a safe environment for learning and teaching.
There is so much more to discuss but the overall idea I came away with is that as teachers not only do we need to be ready to teach but we need to be ready to learn. Every student will be different and have a "special need". It will be up to us to learn about our students, so we can be better teachers of our content.
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