Reflection

Blog Entry #5:  A vision of your ELA classroom, and how you and your students will experience Oral and Written Language.  How has this changed since your first blog entry?

When I started this course I was concerned that my inventive spelling and questionable grammar techniques were going to be a detriment to my teaching.  I believed a teacher needed to have all the answers and that her students success would depend on the teacher’s passion for the subject.  With all that we have done in our English and Language Arts class I have learned that passion is a key component of what makes for a great teacher, but that passion does not come from the teacher alone.  My best resources as a teacher will be the people, media, and literature around me. 

 A month ago I was groaning and moaning about the Education department because we have so much group work to do.  Group work can be a huge pain in the ass; a group rarely manages to meet before sending several facebook messages, emails, voice mails, and text messages to one another arranging times and places.   After deciding when to meet the group changes locations three times before the meeting ever takes place.  When we arrive we wander the halls aimlessly hunting for a new place to meet because the library, café, and computer labs are all packed full of students who are meeting for the same purpose.

However…  once we have sent 3 group emails, 15 text messages and the inevitable latecomer has arrived at the fourth chosen location, ideas begin to flow.  We come up with warm-ups activities, incentive activities, focus activities, culminating activities, warm-down activities, closing activities, review activities, assessment activities, and finally we are out of time but the ideas keep coming.  We come up with modification that could include the most ‘gifted’ and ‘challenged' of students.  And finally we start on extensions: sometimes our extensions could fill weeks of class time.  If we were allowed go on I suspect we would go on and on, until students have explored English, Science, Math, Social Studies, Music, Drama, Physical Education, and so much more.  Before we are done with our ideas children will have mastered critical thinking, logic, and philosophy and should be well on their way to solving the worlds’ greatest problems.

Yet the ideas that come out of our group brainstorming sessions are nothing compared to the ideas that we come up with as a class.  One group barely finishes a presentation before the rest of the class is trying to share all the ideas that came to them while their classmates were presenting.  Soon Ideas have become fuel for more ideas and we are in the middle of a gigantic idea bonfire; the entire class is crackling hot.

Our teacher has provided us with lectures, readings and a textbook but no amount of theory seems to inspire us more than her endless wealth of ideas and experience.  When she presents an idea she never presents just one, she give several examples and variations until we can’t help but build on them ourselves.  Our ideas begin to flow in a way they just couldn’t have on their own, and eventually we are on fire too.

This is the essence of education.  If there is anything I have learned this semester it is that ideas are best shared so that they can grow and even become the seeds of new ideas.  In my English and Language arts classroom I will utilize the power of the idea.  Oracy and literature will serve as a means for sharing and inspiring so that students can play with idea fires too.  As a teacher I will present books, podcasts, films, newspapers, letters, community projects, theatrical productions, and guest speakers.  All of these resources will bring more and more ideas into our classroom so that my students can swim in a pool of ideas; taking in the ideas they love, discarding the ones they don’t, and exploding with their own ideas!  Once my students begin to explode with ideas; they too will share their ideas with their classmates, families, communities, and teachers.  Their ideas will catch like wild-fire sparking idea fires everywhere they go.  I will help students to express their ideas and teach them to use the ideas of others in their expression and communication.  Writing, representing, and oracy shouldn’t be about spelling tests, grammar lessons, and memorization; writing, representing, and oracy should be a means of exploration and expression in and out of the classroom.  Grammar and spelling will bloom within this atmosphere.  We will have personalized spelling tests and technical writing workshops to help students improve on what they already know.  Students will learn to enjoy reading, writing, and representing because they will be working with topics and ideas that inspire them to think and create in and out of the classroom.

Writing and Representing in the Classroom -- focus: grade four

“Young children bring to school a vast store of knowledge about language and how it is used” (Bainbridge, Heydon, & Malicky, 2009)   

It is helpful for teachers to know that students’ prior knowledge can be used as a building block for further learning.  Students spend their lives immersed in a language rich society.  Our job is not to create worksheets, tests and quizzes that coerce them into rote memorization; they already practice and repeat grammar in their day to day lives.  As teachers our job is to challenge students to expand on the communication and expression skills they have already developed.

The ideal grade four classroom is one in which children are exposed to a wide variety of literature and representation which is accessible for their level.   In showing students quality writing, a teacher has the opportunity to capture the attention of her students.  A blend of fiction and nonfiction, and a variety of topics allows for students to be immersed in information which is of interest to them.   From these works students will learn, explore and hopefully become inspired.

Variety should also be reflected in the mediums and styles as well; narratives, stories, theatrical plays, historical novels, scientific literature, poetry, film, podcasts, books on tape, and much more can offer students a variety of options for further exploration.  These works will exemplify different writing styles and techniques that can be brought to the students’ attention and later practiced in their own writing. 

In one of our class readings on Assessment, the author wrote about a music teacher who had his class listen to and critique Rock and Roll music.  “When you can hear (or see) where you’re headed, it’s easier to get there,” said the teacher.  He and his students talked about what it was that made different pieces so wonderful; together they worked to replicate those qualities.  By showing students literature and having them consider what made it great, or to the contrary what perhaps weakened it, students will learn to utilize the exemplified writing techniques in their own writing.     

Students may be ready to start writing at an early point, but others may need more time.  Author and teacher Robin Stevenson has spent time as an Author-on-sight at Braefoot Elementary school; she recommends that students take part in the creative process of creation using a variety of methods.  Perhaps for some this means through dramatic play or production.  The use of drawing or painting representation could also be utilized in story creation.  Representing involves students in the act of creation and ensures that they are engaged with the materials without the use of writing.

When children do write they should be given opportunity to develop a variety of writing styles.  As a teacher I hope to encourage my students to use their literary skills for a variety of purposes.

-Daily journalling could be used to help children express their feelings, set goals, and reflect on their experiences.  Furthermore journalling could be a great opportunity for students to practice their skills for less formal use.  This would allow students to write raw material that does not come with the responsibility of editing and sharing.
-Writing letters to the government or community would allow for students to be proactive members of their community, while helping them to see how valuable it is to be an effective communicator.
-Exploring poetry could help students share their experiences and feelings in a more artistic way.  A great way to get children involved in poetry at the grade 3-4 level would be to introduce them to a book of poems.  Love that Dog is a short book of poems about a student who learns to be confident in his writing ability and enjoy writing poetry.
-Use writing workshops to focus on creative writing.  Character and plot development can be encouraged through an array of activities.  Writing workshops are a great opportunity for students to work with their peers for group editing.

Editing is a valuable part of teaching grammar and techniques.  Having Children work in groups to share their writing with their peers allows students to receive and give productive feedback.  The peer audience will encourage students to take charge of their learning.  Furthermore, giving students sufficient time to work on editing and enhancing their work, will teach them to value editing as an integral part of the writing process.  Best of all, taking the time to reflect on professional writing, their peers writing, and their own writing, will enhance students’ individual work. 

Fortunately, working interactively in this manor fulfills a variety of the Prescribed Learning Outcomes from the British Columbia Board of Education’s Integrated Resource Package (IRP) as well.  The IRP is very progressive in its emphasis on group work and collaborative thinking.  It notes that “we use talk, dialogue, and discussion to develop, synthesize and clarify ideas”.  By working together students can give voice to their thoughts and explore what other students did with the assignment they are working on.

Constructing Meaning provides a great sample of a self evaluation method which further encourages students to take responsibility for their own writing/learning.  The questions can be changed depending on the grammar, spelling or techniques the class is focusing on at the time.  Here is an example of the one they used:

o   My piece of writing has capital letters in the correct places.

o   My piece has correct spelling.

o   My piece has periods in the right places.

o   My piece is legible and easy for others to read.   (Bainbridge, Heydon, & Malicky, 2009)   

The use of a list like this one could be used both for self-evaluation and as a check-list to be used while editing.  Both uses would encourage students to take charge of their own learning and examine their own writing. 

Spelling and grammar are an important part of editing and teachers should use this time to encourage the use of proper conventions.  By having the children create personal word banks students can focus on the words they find most troubling.  Having easily accessible dictionaries and teaching students how to use them is also an important part of the process.  A teacher can then use the words most often spelled wrong by the students to provide spelling lessons on the overhead projector and to encourage children to practice spelling these words correctly in their writing.  Having a word wall with these words can also assist children in their writing.

As a teacher who needs to work on my own spelling, I will act as a good example to my students by keeping my own word bank.  I also intend to take part in the writing processes with my students.  By exploring writing and creation I will discover new ways to get creative and teach writing while demonstrating to the students that I too value writing, representing, and communication.

To further give value to the children’s work, a teacher can have them perform or present their works to an audience, perhaps of parents, students, the community, or maybe for an online audience, by using a blog or a pod-cast.   Children can also publish their work and put it in a school library for others to see.

As a teacher I intend to have high but attainable expectations for my students and I intend for my students to have the same expectations for themselves.  I believe that in writing and representing it is important for students to have their own input, and to work with topics that interest them.  The resources in the room should inspire learning and creation.  Using the methods represented in this blog I hope that I can facilitate classes in which every student will work at his/her own level, to develop writing or representing that he/she values.    

Podcasts and Oracy

Podcasts: to be honest I didn’t really tap into this resource much in the past.  When I think of podcasts the first thing that comes to mind is my brother’s friend podcasting weekly about his own video-gaming skills.  Undoubtedly people have learned some useful tricks from his work, but for me, it didn't exactly make watching or creating podcasts seem all that alluring.   

In the last few days I have found that I have been missing out on so much.  Podcasts seem to cover ceaseless territory.  As an education tool in oracy, children have the opportunity not only to access endless media resources; they have the opportunity to create media.   Students’ learning hereby has the potential to expand out of the class-room and into the global community!  Kids can listen to and verbally respond to the resources a teacher brings into the classroom.

What could be more empowering for a child than to use oracy to cast his/her own messages, projects, and beliefs for the world to find and engage with?  Using podcasts, students can communicate with and learn from like-minded peers, or they can expand their community to include a world of diversity. 

As a class or individually, the group can learn about the perspectives of people in every field of work, and from any country.  Furthermore, they have the opportunity to instantly engage with these people because teachers and students are able to comment and share with pod-casters and other viewers.  This level of engagement naturally encourages active learning and critical thinking.  Children don’t have to accept that which their learning materials tell them, they have the opportunity to ask questions directly to their teacher’s resources.  Listening and formulating intelligent responses facilitate oracy in and out of the classroom because it ensures children are engaged in learning and communicating.

Pod-casts can be used in every subject and encourage that children are developing their oracy and interest levels in all fields. 

·        * Science?  Find a living scientist’s podcast to teach children firsthand knowledge about their research. 

·         *Drama? Students can create a mock interview with Martin Luther King and share it with the on-line community. 

·         *Math?  Kids can watch and hear demonstrations that can be replayed over and over again, even from home if needed. 

·         *Social Studies? Hear historical stories from elders themselves.   

·         *Art? What better way to display students’ work than in a gallery where parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends all over the world can see it and later discuss it with them. 

·         *Physical Education? Teachers and students can follow a yoga pod-cast or exercise video which gives visual and verbal instructions. 

·         *English and Language Arts? A class can create a book and publish it online.

In conclusion, Podcasts offer endless opportunities for teachers to exercise creativity in their exposure of children to oracy.  Using podcasts there is the potential to foster a global community within the classroom.  A podcast can be used to engage students in anything they are interested in from gorillas to nuclear energy.  Who knows, kids might even use podcasts to learn a thing or two about video games too.

How does the IRP help and/or hinder you as a beginning teacher? Description of who today's ELA students are and how they learn. A personal response to the theory visited in the IRP and the course texts/readings and class discussions.

In this post I intend to contemplate and discuss the English and Language Arts Intigrated Resource Package (IRP).  The document was complied by the British Columbian Board of Education and features everything from the legal obligations of a teacher to a list of extensive teaching/learning resources.

I will admit I was skeptical if not weary at the the thought of a package that would places rules, regulations, and widely accepted guidelines on all teachers in the province.

The lyrics and images of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" immediately came to mind.  The song was written by bassist Roger Walters, who had grown up in a traditional English schooling system.  The video was designed to look as though school was a children factory, slowly molding and shaping young students into mindless robots.  As a protest against rigid education systems the chorus chants "We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control [...] Hey! teachers! leave them kids alone!"

During the completion of my undergraduate's History degree I took particular interest in studying education.  I have explored the horrendous effects of the British Columbian education system on Aboriginal communities; and I have examined the misuse of education for the purpose of mass manipulation and control.  History would prove that the incredible amount of power a governing body can gain through the use of mass regulation of an education system, can be extremely dangerous. For these reasons I approached the IRP with curiosity and caution.

I am pleased to say what I found in the IRP impressed me. The IRP accommodates for individuality both of teachers and of their students.  I am excited to be working with a resource package which focuses on prescribed learning outcomes while encouraging teachers to go about achieving those outcomes in unique ways. In its own words the IRP "includes opportunities for individual teacher and student choice in the exploration of topics to meet certain learning outcomes." (ELA IRP, 2006)  So, while learning outcomes are provided, these outcomes include the development of vial skills including literacy and oracy, while refraining from creating a ridged curriculum to guide the teachers in doing so.

As Canadian teachers our classrooms will be filled with children from all walks of life.  They will have different religious, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.  As a result our pupils will come together with varying abilities, and perceptions.  Students will have individual ideas about morality, health, gender, spirituality, and self value.
Furthermore, Students will vary in cognitive abilities, motivation, health, and learning styles.  Some children will be learning to work around or with learning disabilities, while some explore exceptional aptitude. Students will even vary in their linguistic ability and knowledge/grasp of the English language.  

Such unique and rich diversity must be accommodated for in the classroom.  The IRP addresses this by encouraging teachers to "plan their programs by using topics and examples that are relevant to their local context and to the particular interests of their students." (ELA IRP, 2006)  This flexibility allows for students to explore their own interests, morals and beliefs.  Teachers are able to use their own skills and areas of expertise for the purpose of helping students explore their strengths and interests while developing  literacy/oracy skills. 

This method allows for a constant flow of new ideology and creativity to penetrate the curriculum because students and teachers are constantly bringing new ideas and perspectives to the classroom.  The text Constructing Literacy, highlights the importance of encouraging teachers to treat each class individually; "[...] language arts is about constructing meaning, [...] if we understand that to teach well we must begin with children's funds of knowledge, then who the children are before us is of critical concern." (Nelson, 2009)  It is thus of great value for the sake of learning, that teachers find ways to teach using diverse topics and mediums in their lessons.  Using fiction and nonfiction, and exploring a range topics in Language Arts we can engage girls and boys of all cultures and abilities.

Most importantly, the IRP encourages that children learn skills which will teach them to think.  The IRP allows for teachers to choose the materials and topics to suit their classroom so that children are interested and are given the chance to engage with material.  Prescribed learning outcomes are aimed at developing the ability to engage with literature, ask questions and think critically.  It pushes teachers to have their students engage in debates and discussions, in turn fostering a sense of community and individuality.  In this environment we hope that all viewpoints can be heard and respected.

This sense of community and inclusion mixed with the ability to think and question will take students into any unknown future.  In the words of Robert E. Probest,  "We need to teach our students to use conversation to build better ideas collaboratively than any of us will come to on our own."  The IRP helps teachers to do this while allowing them to collaborate and use their own ideas to come up with ideas which would be better than the any rigid schooling system could develop.

The IRP seems to lend itself to endless creativity.  As one who is learning to become a teacher I find myself feeling daunted not only by the IRP's 600 page package but having one just like it for every subject and every grade.  In my exploration of the IRPs I often waste time wondering where to begin.  The IRP will not tell me how to teach my class, as a student teacher this is sometimes overwhelming because there is so much room for individual exploration and theory, but the communal rewards of having such an open ended IRP will be much greater than having a set curriculum ever could be.

I hope the members of Pink Floyd would rejoice at our progress :)

Language Arts in the Elementary Classroom

Hello readers, welcome to the manifesto of my future Language-Arts-immersed-classrooms.  I intend to explore the many roles Language Arts can take in elementary classrooms and eventually create an image of what I hope my own future classrooms will look like.

When I reflect upon my own childhood experiences in Language Arts I am astounded to realize that virtually all of my fond memories come from the same year: 1997 Ms.Harris's grade four class at Kelly Creek Community School, in Powell River BC.  We explored creative writing; letting our minds run wild and our grasp of the English language guide us through poetry.  I was so proud of one of the poems I wrote in Ms.Harris' creative writing class that I actually memorized it and can still recite it for you today.

I always looked forward to hearing Ms.Harris read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.  Charlotte Doyle's story still seems fresh in my mind every time I set sail or find myself with a seemingly intimidating "crew" of people.

Ms.Harris read us letters that her great-uncle wrote to his family before he died while fighting in World War II.

She taught us to write letters to the ministry of environment because the class was concerned by the endangerment of many species that we learned about in our Science class.

Ms.Harris helped us to create a Theatrical production out of an aboriginal legend, recorded by the Kla ah mon people of the Sliammon traditional lands, North of Powell River.  Through this activity we learned about the original people who lived in the area.  This project also gave me my start in theatre which I came to enjoy very much.

Ms.Harris had opened me up to a world of learning and exploration.  Furthermore she empowered me to express my opinions to my government even though I was only ten years old.  She helped me to understand some of Canadian and world history, and to empathize with others by showing their different perspectives.

I went on to grade five where my teacher focused more on mathematics and spelling.  We were tested on the spelling of 20 new words on Mondays, and re-tested on Friday (after presumably having studied) in order to gauge our improvement.  Prior to this  I had already come to believe that my spelling was not strong, and by grade five I was feeling discouraged.  When tested on Monday I would typically earn two out of twenty on my spelling tests.  Embarrassed I would hide and attempt to ignore the Spelling sheet until Friday when I was re-tested. Not-surprisingly I showed no improvement on my Friday Spelling tests in comparison with my Monday tests.  I don't recall my lack of improvement ever being addressed by my teacher.  I grew to feel very uncomfortable with spelling, and rather than working on it, I typically avoided writing and felt insecure without the aid of spell-check.

I completed my Undergrad is in History and Latin American Studies last March.  As a History student I was forced to learn to write comprehensive essays; and as a part of my Latin American studies minor I studied Spanish language in Mexico for 9 months.  I still consider writing to be one of my weaker points but I have come to love and respect the power of communication on a new level.

I hope that my classroom can be a place where spelling and grammar are valued and appreciated as tools of communication and expression.  I will strive to incorporate these elements of Language arts into the classroom in a way which will be encouraging and empowering to my students.  My Language Arts classroom will be a place in which children will be transported to different time-periods, countries, mind-sets, lifestyles, cultures, and fantasies.
They will read, hear, write, and even become a world of limitless creativity.