Assimilating and Accommodating

My article is entitled From assimilation to accommodation: a developmental framework for integrating digital technologies into literacy research and instruction by David Reinking and Linda Labbo. As we are all familiar with the two words, assimilation and accommodation, the Reinking and Labbo addresses that these two words play an important role in the processes of bringing in new forms of literacy, aside from print literacy. According to the two authors, assimilation is the process where we accept new information and try to combine the new information with our existing knowledge without any changes. On the other hand, accommodation is referred as the process of changing existing knowledge to fit new information. Reinking and Labbo emphasize these two words because there are many different ways that literacy could be taught and learned, especially using digitals and technologies in literacy. They address the difference and importance of assimilating technology and accommodating technology. Nowadays, technologies are used in the classrooms as important teaching and learning tools. But the article states that “literacy educators have, for the most part, tended to see new digital technologies first as a novelty (or nuisance) and gradually as a potentially useful tool for refining or extending what they have done all along (112).” Now, knowing that digital technologies are useful tools in teaching, many educators have been abusing it. They have focused too much on using digital technologies that they are not assimilated but actually accommodated into learning. An example that Reinking and Labbo mention is the computer, especially in literacy. The computer, like drill-and-practice computer games and word processing, should be assimilated into lessons, so that they become more like a “reward” after completing their assigned materials. But, students and teachers rely too much on it that learning literacy through books, prints, writing, and reading, has been changed to using computers as the main source.

The article pinpoints important issues that are occurring today on assimilating and accommodating technology into our teaching and learning. But most importantly, the focus should be on technology as a reference tool and an additional learning tool, rather than relying too much and changing the existing structures, thinking that it is attracting and helpful to students. On the other hand, I think it is also important to consider the various technologies and “assimilate” it into the classrooms rather than ignoring the changes going on. Teachers should be “up-to-date” but also need to be wise in deciphering what to assimilate and what to accommodate.

Think-aloud

My article this week was entitled Teaching online comprehension strategies using think-alouds by Angel Kymes. In the article, Kymes addressed many similarities and differences between print and online texts as well as the benefits of read-alouds. Read-alouds are defined as "a technique by which the individual voices her or his thoughts during the performance of a task." (pg. 493) The article introduces the topic of think-alouds as a form of assessment. Ideally, a think-aloud can demonstrate to the teacher the mental process of the student performing the think-aloud. While the think-aloud has benefits for the teacher in terms of assessment, it optimally has benefits for the student as well. "Use of the think-aloud will benefit students by showing them that reading is a meaning-making process, involves the use of strategy, and is a skill that can be developed through sharing with other and individual self-reflection (Wilhelm)." (pg. 496)

While the read-aloud concept sounds beneficial to all involved, I am still apprehensive about how to conduct a read-aloud. The article states several times that modeling and scaffolding must occur by the part of the teacher before the students should be asked to attempt a read-aloud, however I feel as though I would need to watch someone model a read-aloud before I can fully grasp this concept. Throughout reading the article, I could not think of a single example where I have witnessed a read-aloud in text or online format. I think that this lack of prior knowledge may be a large reason as to why this concept does not make much sense to me.

All in all, I think the goal of the read-aloud is to raise awareness in the students of how they read and how they process the information. The article states that, "teaching students to regulate their learning is a 'long-term endeavor requiring modeling and explanation of mature thought embedded in an extensive practice of doing interesting and authentic tasks with appropriate scaffolding'." (pg. 498) I do think that students should learn to regulate their learning, and I think that the concept of a read-aloud would be one way to teach students to achieve this goal.

Jigsaw Article

My article was entitled, “ Where Do You Want to go Today? Inquiry Based Learning and Technology Integration” by Owens, Hester and Teale. This was a great article because it focused on the importance of inquiry based learning for students, and how students should be encouraged to ask questions, given resources to help answer their questions and provided with examples of ways to present their findings in a way that will be meaningful to themselves and others.

Something important that I got out of this article was the importance of inquiry based learning not only for the students, but for teachers as well. As teachers we do not, nor do we need to pretend that we know everything. Teachers are lifelong learners, and through inquiry based learning projects students can teach the teachers something they might not have known before. This article gave examples of a classroom where each student formulated a question based on a topic of interest and through various outlets of technology and other resources (internet, PowerPoint, people, libraries, digital cameras, scanners, etc.) researched and answered their question and then constructed a meaningful way to use their information. Using what they learned, or putting it into action, was important because it gives meaning and purpose to their initial question. This displays the importance for students to ask questions, conduct experiments, interview people etc. because there is always something to be done with the answers they find. Students will benefit by learning something new and in turn, the classroom community will be enriched as students share their findings. I believe this also fosters intrinsic motivation because the students will likely be more excited to research a topic of their own interest to answer a question they have, over a question their teacher assigns them that the student might find no interest in. Inquiry based learning makes learning more meaningful so students can view it as something they want to do, rather than an obligation.

I remember in my eighth grade science class getting the opportunity to conduct a three-week scientific experiment on any topic we wanted to and the sheer fact that I could pick anything I wanted know more about was the reason I enjoyed the project so much. I was never a huge science fan growing up, but I do remember how much I enjoyed that project because I was in control of what I learned, and it was my privilege to teach my class more about my topic. I would like to see more inquiry based learning take place in my field placement, but so far I have really only seen teaching right out of the textbook. I think there could be far more meaningful learning taking place in my field placement if the students were encouraged to ask more questions and find answers using technology and the other resources the school has to offer.

Gibbons Ch. 1&2

For the reading this week, Gibbons chapters 1 and 2, we learned about 3 different views of learning (empty vessel, progressive, and collaborative), scaffolding, the importance of talking during learning, and group learning. While all of the information that I gathered from reading these two chapters was helpful and informative, the part I found most helpful was the information about group learning. More specifically, the explicit examples that were given about how to make instruction giving more descriptive and more comprehensible to all types of learners (especially ELLs). I had never thought about the importance of scaffolding instruction so that students can grasp the instructions in a variety of manners.
Although I did find the section on "Clear and Explicit Instructions..." very useful, the part I greatly appreciated was the explanations of many different activities that assist ELLs with two different types of comprehension (English language and academic). For example, the Find the Difference game was particularly interesting because I think it is a game that most students would find very entertaining and I also think that the game is a great way to address many ELL students' discomfort with speaking aloud in an academic situations. ("I can say what I want, but not for school work and strangers." pg. 1) By playing this game with a peer, I believe that most students who feel uncomfortable in typically "academic" situations would feel significantly more comfortable and in fact may not even feel as though they are learning at all.
In my field placement, I have learned the importance of working in groups, and this observation has been confirmed through this week's reading. I am working with a CT in a 2nd grade classroom at Rayla Elementary in Haslett. My CT has her class set up in 5 groups- in other words the children are seated around 5 circular tables and regularly work with the peers seated at his or her table. The children very much seem to enjoy working in groups and I have noticed that many of the children who find academics more challenging really bennefit from working in groups with students who are much more adept at academic challenges. I think this observation could also be applied to ELLs although we do not have any in my current field placement.
I look forward to gaining a new wealth of knowledge from this book! I am very interested to see the other ideas Gibbons has for successfully teaching ELLs in an integrated classroom.

Week 2

I am placed in a first grade classroom where there are 23 students from 15 different countries. There are about 7 students who are pulled out from class to meet with an ESL teacher. Half of the students are good English speakers and can understand very well even though their first language is not English, but half of the students still struggle in speaking and listening. We even had a new student from Taiwan, a week ago, who speaks very little English but can understand. While reading through chapter 2, I noticed that there were many information related to what I have always struggled. One of the questions or struggles that I encountered when working with English Language Learners was how to encourage them to talk in class and mingle with other students. It was difficult to find solutions, but reading through chapter 2 helped me think about different ways I can set up a learning community that encourages ELLs to speak up in class. And one of the helpful solution chapter 2 mentions is group work. Group work, according to chapter 2, helps students in three different ways. First, group work increases input, which means that they hear more language than in other settings. Second, through more interaction with classroom peers, output is also increased. Third, language is used and heard in an appropriate way and meaningfully. A lot of teachers either ask ELLs to work alone or in pairs and not many teachers assign ELLs into groups. Most teachers pair ELLs with native speakers of English or those who can speak the ELL’s first language. This may help the ELL to progress in class assignments, but the student does not have the opportunity to hear more language and use the language; there are less input and output. Giving students the opportunity to talk and listen, input and output in language, is the best way to help students improve in learning the language. Group work gives students the opportunity to do so, and it also allows students to break down the barriers students have between native English speakers and ELLs.
When planning group work, I noticed that in-depth planning is necessary, and having a checklist could also be an organized and well-planned way of carrying out a group work. One of the top priorities when planning and carrying out group work is providing clear and explicit instructions. There are many ways to provide instructions, and as the book mentions, listening to directions is one of the most difficult task for ELLs. When I was teaching a science lesson in my field, I planned a lesson where the students had to do group work on weather. But one of the mistakes I have made while planning and carrying out the lesson was making the direction clear for all students to follow. The book talks about various ways to give instructions, like writing it on a card. But I only gave instructions verbally, so when I asked the groups to start working, they all had questions about what to do. It was a frustrating experience because each group member had a task to do, but they could not remember it. So everyone started to ask what they were assigned to do. Giving instructions verbally was not a good method to choose when half of the students are still English Language Learners. After the lesson, my CT gave me some ideas on how to make instructions clear and precise. And one method she mentioned was giving each student a number. Since there were only three members in each group, she asked me to assign students to either numbers 1, 2, or 3. Then on the board or a big piece of paper, write down the task for person #1, 2, and 3. When they are assigned to a number, the students can look at the board and read to themselves what their task is in their group. This makes instructions clear, and the students do not have to come to the teacher to repeat the directions or ask what they are assigned to do. I kind of felt embarrassed and frustrated, but it was a good learning experience for me. I have learned that group work and explicit instructions are intertwined, especially in a classroom where there are at least one English Language Learners.

Week 1_ Gibbons 1 & 2

I learned a lot of great information from the first two chapters of the Gibbons text. Chapter one taught me the importance of context and how it relates to language in general as well as the processes and struggles ESL students go through to adapt to a new language with a new set of rules for communicating within an implied/ expected context. There is a difference between being formally taught a language in school where the emphasis is on rules and grammar, to a social setting with close friends, or a professional business setting. The context is important to consider because certain behaviors and modifications of language are used depending on the setting and these rules are generally understood by both the speaker and the listener. I think this is important to keep in mind as a teacher because although an ESL student may be showing promise and confidence in the classroom, that doesn’t mean they are prepared or feel comfortable speaking in other situations where they are unsure of the context and its appropriate behavior. I have yet to encounter an ESL student in any of my placements but I knowing this will prepare me for my future encounters.

Another thing I learned from chapter one was the importance of scaffolding. Scaffolding is a term that deals with the amount of help a teacher or parent should give a student while they are learning to do something. Scaffolding is important in the situation noted above dealing with context, because by providing firm support while teaching an ESL student early on about how to interact with the context of the conversation in mind, eventually they will see what is acceptable and what is not. Modeling is a great tool that is used when one is learning language because by observing how one acts in certain settings and what form of language is used is a great way to learn. As teachers it is important for us to keep running records of our students so we can gauge progress and know where they are at in their learning. Running records and assessments can play a big role in scaffolding so the right amount of support is given until eventually, no help is needed and the student can do the work independently.

An important point I learned from chapter two is the importance group work has in helping ESL students. In group settings, the student is encouraged to share ideas with his or her peers and it is in an open environment where any opinions can be shared. Small groups provide a sense of security where an ESL student might feel more comfortable sharing unlike in a whole group situation and they are also a great place for an ESL student to experience language and see how it is spoken in the particular context. From my experiences thus far, I can see how beneficial group work can be, if it is done right, so I can imagine that it would be a successful way to help ESL students learn the English language.

These first two chapters were especially helpful to me because I have not yet had the privilege to work with an ESL student, but now I feel that I am better informed on ways to help them succeed in the English language. I know the importance of scaffolding and using group work as more than a collaboration tool, but also as a way to strengthen language.