The reading this week dealt with the concept of new literacies in the classroom. New literacies are described as texts that incorporate print, audio, video, and graphic design and are often found on the internet or in other media sources. The authors explain how these texts require a different interaction from students. While print-based texts are read linearly and experienced in the nearly same way by every student, reading of digital texts is "individualized and proceeds in a nonlinear fashion, based on the immediate interests and characteristics of the reader" (p. 33). Students can move between elements in digital text with just the click of a link, personalizing the experience for each reader.
While the book notes how children today are considered "digital natives," it is important to remember that many students, especially those who have recently immigrated to this country, may not be comfortable using technology. For these students, it is important to be explicit with our expectations in the use of digital text. Internet or computer workshops are a great way to familiarize students with technology and support its use in developing language and literacy. Teachers can walk students through their interaction with a text, using a "think-aloud" process to model what information is important and what can be ignored.
Despite this initial challenge, the use of digital texts can greatly support struggling readers and writers. The authors note how digital texts often incorporate multiple modes of representation, such as audio, video or picture, to support information in print. Many websites also include hypertext that may link to "pronunciations, definitions, and explanations of keywords and terms" (p. 37). Teaching students to use these resources effectively allows them to access individual support, which can be in short supply in a crowded classroom. Advanced students would enjoy creating their own hypertexts, while they are required to think more holistically and extend their learning into multiple formats.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Chapter 5 & 10: Public Writing: Process and Product
The reading for this week focused on the concept of "public writing" in secondary classrooms. Private writing, or writing to learn, is writing that is intended for the individual. It is used to explore ideas, and the focus is on content, not on grammar, vocabulary, spelling or punctuation. For this reason, private writing can be extremely useful in a language classroom, as it lowers students' affective filters and allows them to develop their thoughts. In an earlier post, I presented a lesson that could be used in an ESL classroom. Public writing, on the other hand, is writing that is intended to be viewed by others. As Daniels, Zemelman & Steineke explain, public writing is "intentional, highly polished pieces that can go out into the world, connect with real readers, get some work done, and stand up to scrutiny" (p. 112).
Often, language teachers are afraid to incorporate substantial writing projects into the classroom for fear that students do not have the skills to write extended pieces and they will be overwhelmed. However, students who are supported through the writing process will be motivated to write and through writing, students can develop their language. The Spanish teacher at my school uses a technique called TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling). She has taught with various methods over her 50 year career, and she swears by the effectiveness of learning language through writing stories.
In Chapter 5, the authors list a number of strategies to make the writing process for manageable for teachers and enjoyable for students. The first is choice; when students can explore a topic that is relevant to their lives, they are more motivated to create. Second, students should be given time to write in class. This is part of providing support during the writing process; students can do much better in class with teacher and peer support than they can at home by themselves. The third is feedback: all writers, even professionals, need feedback during the writing process before they present a finished product. Feedback doesn't have to only come from the teacher, but students can work together to help develop each others pieces.
Often, language teachers are afraid to incorporate substantial writing projects into the classroom for fear that students do not have the skills to write extended pieces and they will be overwhelmed. However, students who are supported through the writing process will be motivated to write and through writing, students can develop their language. The Spanish teacher at my school uses a technique called TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling). She has taught with various methods over her 50 year career, and she swears by the effectiveness of learning language through writing stories.
In Chapter 5, the authors list a number of strategies to make the writing process for manageable for teachers and enjoyable for students. The first is choice; when students can explore a topic that is relevant to their lives, they are more motivated to create. Second, students should be given time to write in class. This is part of providing support during the writing process; students can do much better in class with teacher and peer support than they can at home by themselves. The third is feedback: all writers, even professionals, need feedback during the writing process before they present a finished product. Feedback doesn't have to only come from the teacher, but students can work together to help develop each others pieces.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Chapter 8: Vocabulary Building in the Language Classroom
This chapter underlines the importance of vocabulary instruction for developing readers. Oftentimes in language classes, vocabulary is taught by categories: greetings, days of the week, vocabulary used in the home or school. Words become something that are memorized, divorced from context and quickly forgotten by students. In my own language learning experience, I have a hard time recalling the words for "armchair" or "blouse," yet I can easily remember the words I have used and interacted with in a meaningful way.
When it comes to reading texts, language teachers frequently rely on dictionaries to supply unknown definitions for students. Many teachers view this as a self-efficacy strategy, where students are in charge of their own learning and should know how to help themselves. Yet, the books expertly notes that being told to look in a dictionary is often seen as a dismissal by students, indicating that the teacher has no desire to help. Dictionaries are daunting to students, especially struggling readers. Consulting a dictionary breaks the "flow" of reading a text and can cause students to become distracted. In addition, with students who are unfamiliar with the nuances of a language, dictionaries can be used incorrectly. A French professor I had in college related a story of a beginner student who wrote the sentence, "La porte est un pot," meaning "The door is a jar." What he had meant to say is "The door is ajar," in the sense of being open, but the dictionary (or Google Translate) lead him to the incorrect word. (She ended up having to ask the student exactly what he had meant to say.)
This chapter has excellent strategies that students can use to find meaning in words without consulting a dictionary. The first approach is to use context clues to help define a word. The authors note how syntax and semantics often give an indication as to the meaning. Language learners would benefit from being explicitly told that "is" and "are called" are often followed by a definition of a term. Students can also use surrounding words or sentences to approximate an understanding of a word. Page 269 has a wonderful list of contextual clues that could be taught as reading strategies.
Another beneficial approach for language learners is the use of word structure to define unknown words. The teaching of common prefixes and suffixes will help students get a general idea of a term, which, along with context clues, could give an adequate definition. Bilingual students can build on their strengths through the use of cognates. Especially for speakers of Romance languages, many specialized terms are similar in English due to their Latin root. It should be noted, however, that this strategy only works if the bilingual speakers are familiar with the terms in their native language.
When it comes to reading texts, language teachers frequently rely on dictionaries to supply unknown definitions for students. Many teachers view this as a self-efficacy strategy, where students are in charge of their own learning and should know how to help themselves. Yet, the books expertly notes that being told to look in a dictionary is often seen as a dismissal by students, indicating that the teacher has no desire to help. Dictionaries are daunting to students, especially struggling readers. Consulting a dictionary breaks the "flow" of reading a text and can cause students to become distracted. In addition, with students who are unfamiliar with the nuances of a language, dictionaries can be used incorrectly. A French professor I had in college related a story of a beginner student who wrote the sentence, "La porte est un pot," meaning "The door is a jar." What he had meant to say is "The door is ajar," in the sense of being open, but the dictionary (or Google Translate) lead him to the incorrect word. (She ended up having to ask the student exactly what he had meant to say.)
This chapter has excellent strategies that students can use to find meaning in words without consulting a dictionary. The first approach is to use context clues to help define a word. The authors note how syntax and semantics often give an indication as to the meaning. Language learners would benefit from being explicitly told that "is" and "are called" are often followed by a definition of a term. Students can also use surrounding words or sentences to approximate an understanding of a word. Page 269 has a wonderful list of contextual clues that could be taught as reading strategies.
Another beneficial approach for language learners is the use of word structure to define unknown words. The teaching of common prefixes and suffixes will help students get a general idea of a term, which, along with context clues, could give an adequate definition. Bilingual students can build on their strengths through the use of cognates. Especially for speakers of Romance languages, many specialized terms are similar in English due to their Latin root. It should be noted, however, that this strategy only works if the bilingual speakers are familiar with the terms in their native language.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)