EdMotion

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

IDEALISM IN A WORLD FAR FROM IDEAL

As a young budding musician in high school, I am now slightly ashamed to admit that music was the most important thing to me. The shame lies not in my immature idealism, but in the fact that I would use it as an excuse to get a pass out of senior pre-calculus. Entering college as a music major, I found that my ideals (still immature) were catered to through a rigorous schedule of content specific classes. After college, I could enter the world of music education with an arsenal of research and experience that backed my ideals. Now I was a mature idealist… until I realized that the world is far from ideal. Read More...

DO THE ARTS REALLY HELP MY CHILD IN MATH?

I’m willing to bet that most have heard the assertion, if not the research, about the arts and math. A couple of times a year, I hear the question from a parent and it is always difficult to answer. The difficulty lies in whom the child is we are speaking about and how my own biases get infused into the conversation. Each conversation I have is characterized by the particular talents and/or struggles the child is facing making it difficult to provide a standard response. Also, having been a music teacher in my pre-principal life, it is difficult to approach my response in an unbiased way. While, admittedly, a standard response is not appropriate when having a discussion about an individual and my biases are a strength on this subject (if I do say so myself), there are common items that appear in each conversation that support the connection between the arts and mathematical success. Read More...

Supporting The Arts In a Climate of Financial Crisis

In a financial climate that calls for prioritization, sacrifice and often a day to day fight to keep our heads above water, interesting (yet entirely explainable) contradictions appear: Sales of $50 video games remain strong if not increase. The price of gold continues to rise. It seems that while historically America has seen, understood and persevered through hardship, we today are unwilling to let go of the things we find entertaining and beautiful. The contradiction: why do the arts suffer so deeply when they are arguably the biggest bang for our beautiful entertainment buck? This article will offer direction with regards to who in your community can offer the loudest voices of advocacy. It may seem like preaching to the choir but, in times like these, the choir must be inspired to sing louder and stronger than ever. Read More...

The 5 Elements of Reading Instruction and How They Relate to Theater

In our fast paced world of smart phones, GPS, tablets and other forms of near-instant information, it may seem that literacy skills have become less important than the tactile navigational routines we have developed. On the contrary, the acquisition of literacy skills and the teaching of them remains a central and evolving component of education. And while theater, as a direct result of literacy instruction, evolves as well, it remains a classic example of the unification of the 5 elements of literacy instructing: Fluency, Comprehension, Vocabulary, Phonics and Phonemic Awareness. Read More...

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Monday, March 16, 2009

Activating the Desire to Learn - ASCD Conference

2:30-3:30
(I have this book)- brief handout provided
Bob Sullo
Three things worth remembering...
Behavior is Purposeful
Everybody is doing the best they can
Why did you do that

External Control Psychology
(the "carrot and stick" model)
Outside events "make" us do things - I can control your behavior through the systematic presentation of rewards and punishments

"You can't motivate other people... they are already motivated"

Coercion, Fear and learning
The limit of coercion is compliance - learning beyond boundaries
If you aspire to inspire, coercion is not effective
Impact of fear on learning - "Downshift" to survival

We are born with a natural desire to learn and achieve

What about rewards?
"Do this and you'll get that" makes people focus on the "that" and not the "this" Alfie Kahn - Punished by Rewards

Impact of external rewards...
We unintentionally devalue academic learning
Students work for reward rather than develop a love of learning
Need for freedom drives us to resist control even when rewarded

Responsibility
Behavior is predictable and control able response to outside stimuli
Teacher who uses the right "rewards" and punishments has a well-behaved class
THIS MEANS THE TEACHER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF THE STUDENT - the students just react to rewards and punishments

Internal Control Psychology
Outside events provide us with information but never "make" us do anything
We are internally motivated by what we want at that moment
People are fee and accountable for their actions

'Create a shared vision with the kids of what you want as an educator"

Engaging the English Language Learner: Strategies for Success - ASCD Conference

12:30-2
Dr. Gerard Buteau, Dr. Marianne True, Plymouth State University, NH
Manchester School District - Bakersville Elementary School - 1 of 14 schools in the district - 40% ELL (Cultural and Linguistic diversity) - 80% free and reduced lunch - Mt. Pleasant School

Developmental Phases of Second Language Acquisition
Home Language Use
Non-verbal Period
Telegraphic and formulaic language
Productive use of language
(Tabors, 2008)

THIS TAKES TIME!

Language Acquisition Phases
Preproduction/Silent Period - Several Months
Pearly Production - 6 months
Speech Emergence - 1 year
Intermediate Fluency - 1-2 years
Academic Fluency - 5-7 years

Social and Academic Language Acquisition
Social and Survival language
Academic language - Listening, speaking, reading, writing related to academic content
(Cummins 2003)

Common Challenges in Both Urban and Rural Settings
Logistics Around Scheduling
The "territorial" classroom teacher
Respect for and knowledge about the position of the ESL teacher
Communication between classroom teacher and ESL teacher - Curricular, Pedagogical, Cultural

Getting to Know the ELL Student
DIEBELS
Language and Culture Questionnaire
Classroom Practice questionnaire
Goals Chart
W/APT

Classroom Organization
Routines to increase comfort
Visuals to reinforce routines
Safe Havens - Manipulative Tables, Sensory tables, Quiet Reading area, Dramatic Play Area, Opportunity to show competency rather than feel pressure.

Circle Time/Morning Meeting - areas that can be modified for ELLs
Meeting Area
Days of Week
Weather
Attendance
Songs and Movement
Introduction of themes
Personal stories

Classroom Strategies
Language Techniques - Non-verbal communication, keep the message simple, talk about here and now, emphasize important words in sentence, combine gestures with talk
Tell the story rather than read
"Read Alouds" in small groups
Read books more than once
Encourage book sharing
Choose books carefully
(Tabors, 2008)

Additional Techniques
Story Reading: fiction and non
Use Cognates
Choral reading
React and mimic facial expressions associated with language
Act out stories
create an individualized word library
Arrange for peer support - unconditional companion

Lesson Format - dvd clip
Cue to the organized plan (e.g. "folders in")
Relaxation techniques
Discuss last night's story
Read the story (create success from the start)
Review sounds that are in the story
Play a game with the words
Make personal connections to the story
Provide visuals that highlight vocabulary
Engagement throughout!

Dvd lesson - use of idioms (wrong side of the bed), opposite of grumpy, "how do we know...?", each read/then choral read, making predictions, another idiom (blow his top), story done - recall questions, homonyms, digraphs, sky-writing

Resources
Classroom Practice Questionnaire
Language and Culture Questionnaire
Goals Chart

Article Provided - Differentiating instructional strategies to support ELL - Buteau and True