"On Listening to What Children Say" was an article that pertains well to my teaching. It was very difficult not to outright correct my students when they had wrong answers. I would try to correct them in a way that was appropriate to their needs, but this article shows that having them self actualize is better for students to retain information over time. This process is important to correct misconceptions. Just telling a student that their conceptions of the world are wrong will not right the misconception over time. Students need to process their thoughts for themselves.
Silence in the classroom was another thing that was difficult for me. It is hard to be confident enough for that. As a new teacher, silence was not golden. Silence was time that students felt that they could talk freely. Classroom management is a technique that is necessary for silence in the classroom. It is nerve wracking when you can hear the crickets chirp in the classroom. Although I know wait time is important, it is still a difficult thing to do.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Campfire Effect
What is a campfire effect? I have been trying to look it up online, but I have come up with nothing. In the article that we read this week, the term was not defined well. I understand the feeling that the author is trying to convey. Like pretty much everyone I know, I have sat around a campfire with friends and family and stared at it for hours. The calming effect that a campfire has is undeniable, even if the reason for the calm is unknown.
I feel as though a class about ELL students and how to best serve them in the classroom would be very helpful. Some of my fellow students are taking a class that has to do with ELL students. I have not heard if they feel it is helpful yet, but I will be interested to see if they feel more comfortable with the topic at the end of the semester.
Although I have not taken a class specifically for ELL students, I do remember one experience relating to this population that has stuck with me. Last year, in my science methods course, we had a class with the math students. As a group, we were taught a physics lesson completely in spanish. While the topic was one that some of us were familiar with, it was one of the most frustrating classes because we were not allowed to talk in our native language. It was absolutely ridiculous to not be able to speak English. There were students in the classroom who could have helped me because they knew Spanish, but they were not allowed to help me understand what was going on.
We did the assignment (a worksheet) 3 separate times. One time, there was no helping sentences written on the sheet. Another time there were starting sentences, and the last time we were allowed to speak English in order to complete the assignment. The sheet with sentence starters was the most helpful for me because I could remember key words and phrases and fill in where they were appropriate. I felt empowered because I knew what I was talking about. I think this experience will help me when I have ELL students in my classes.
I feel as though a class about ELL students and how to best serve them in the classroom would be very helpful. Some of my fellow students are taking a class that has to do with ELL students. I have not heard if they feel it is helpful yet, but I will be interested to see if they feel more comfortable with the topic at the end of the semester.
Although I have not taken a class specifically for ELL students, I do remember one experience relating to this population that has stuck with me. Last year, in my science methods course, we had a class with the math students. As a group, we were taught a physics lesson completely in spanish. While the topic was one that some of us were familiar with, it was one of the most frustrating classes because we were not allowed to talk in our native language. It was absolutely ridiculous to not be able to speak English. There were students in the classroom who could have helped me because they knew Spanish, but they were not allowed to help me understand what was going on.
We did the assignment (a worksheet) 3 separate times. One time, there was no helping sentences written on the sheet. Another time there were starting sentences, and the last time we were allowed to speak English in order to complete the assignment. The sheet with sentence starters was the most helpful for me because I could remember key words and phrases and fill in where they were appropriate. I felt empowered because I knew what I was talking about. I think this experience will help me when I have ELL students in my classes.
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