Hi! My first week flew by. I cannot even believe we are getting ready to start our second week of student teaching! What happened my first week?
1. I met a ton of people. I still need to work on remembering their names. I do know all the kids' names though!
2. I got to do a little teaching!
3. The girl who crys LOVED me :)
4. I got to see the therapy dog in action!!!
5. I fell in LOVE with the kids. I think it is going to be hard to leave them once my 10 weeks is up.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Evidence-Based Practice in Educating Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: CH 1-3
I will be honest I never get really excited when I am assigned a reading. I never feel like I have the time to sit down and read chapters out of a book that I have never heard of before. However, I found this read to be a pretty easy read. I feel like this book is going to be very easy to follow, understand, and read.
Chapter 1: Chapter one is basically just an introductory chapter. This chapter sets us up for what the whole book is going to be about. As I have been reading I have been highlighting information that really seemed to stand out for me or information that I thought was interesting.
On page 3 this sentence really stood out to me "The problem is that around the United States and elsewhere parents, teachers, and administrators are making decisions about academic placement and teaching methods for those children on the basis of what is frequently incorrect or at least incomplete information." This is really a scary statement to me. It really made me stop and think about all the information floating around about deafness and academics. It is scary to think that parents, teachers, and administrators could be going to Internet sites that hold invalid information and taking that information as truth and then deciding the child's academic path based on this information. The other day my model teacher was talking about a time when a parent came into an IEP meeting quoting invalid information from the Internet and criticizing the school system because they didn't know anything. I guess what I am trying to get at is that it is very important to really evaluate where you get your information from.
I also found the "Key Findings Index" to be a very interesting section. I also think that it is helpful because beside each finding the authors gave you a direct page number that you can go to and read the rest of the information. As I read through the key findings I felt as though we have discussed most of them at some point in time in our classes. I think that it is great to see the information we have discussed in class published in other works.
Chapter 2: Chapter two focused on the demographics, diversity, and foundational issues. I found the statistics to be very interesting. I really enjoyed reading about the incidence of deafness in developed countries vs. the incidence of deafness in developing countries. Up until reading this chapter I had not put much thought to deafness in developing countries. I know it sounds silly, but it is something that just doesn't really get talked about.
Chapter 3: This chapter highlights all the different types of research that can take place. The following is a list of methods that were discussed:
1. Randomized clinical trials...experimental research
2. Quasi-experimental research
3. Single-subject research
4. Correlational research
5. Qualitative research
6. Practice-based wisdom
Chapter 1: Chapter one is basically just an introductory chapter. This chapter sets us up for what the whole book is going to be about. As I have been reading I have been highlighting information that really seemed to stand out for me or information that I thought was interesting.
On page 3 this sentence really stood out to me "The problem is that around the United States and elsewhere parents, teachers, and administrators are making decisions about academic placement and teaching methods for those children on the basis of what is frequently incorrect or at least incomplete information." This is really a scary statement to me. It really made me stop and think about all the information floating around about deafness and academics. It is scary to think that parents, teachers, and administrators could be going to Internet sites that hold invalid information and taking that information as truth and then deciding the child's academic path based on this information. The other day my model teacher was talking about a time when a parent came into an IEP meeting quoting invalid information from the Internet and criticizing the school system because they didn't know anything. I guess what I am trying to get at is that it is very important to really evaluate where you get your information from.
I also found the "Key Findings Index" to be a very interesting section. I also think that it is helpful because beside each finding the authors gave you a direct page number that you can go to and read the rest of the information. As I read through the key findings I felt as though we have discussed most of them at some point in time in our classes. I think that it is great to see the information we have discussed in class published in other works.
Chapter 2: Chapter two focused on the demographics, diversity, and foundational issues. I found the statistics to be very interesting. I really enjoyed reading about the incidence of deafness in developed countries vs. the incidence of deafness in developing countries. Up until reading this chapter I had not put much thought to deafness in developing countries. I know it sounds silly, but it is something that just doesn't really get talked about.
Chapter 3: This chapter highlights all the different types of research that can take place. The following is a list of methods that were discussed:
1. Randomized clinical trials...experimental research
2. Quasi-experimental research
3. Single-subject research
4. Correlational research
5. Qualitative research
6. Practice-based wisdom
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Golden Nuggets
Wow...this reading contained a ton of information. I think that it was great that we read this our first week of student teaching. I think that it encompasses many of the topics that we have discussed in class and it has answered many of the questions that we have asked. For me I enjoyed reading this and I found it to be very informative. I think that this will be an article I save and look back as I begin my first teaching position.
I liked the way the article was laid out from programs and degrees to the first day and week of school. It was reassuring to me to know that everyone pretty much feels the same on the first day of school and throughout the first week. I mean we all know what the day before and our first day felt like. Now, look at us we are getting ready to start our second week and we feel like pros. Okay...maybe not pros, but it is definitely not as intimidating as the first day. I think it was great getting to read some different strategies for reading, vocabulary, and writing. As I was reading I also found myself thinking "Oh, that would work great with this student!" I was able to relate what I was reading to the school I am doing my student teaching at. For me it made the article much more meaningful that just reading while not working with students.
I really cannot believe all the information that was put into this article: field trips, music, Deaf Community, preschool, parent involvement, classroom management, and so much more. At first I did not want to read this article. I saw that it was 37 pages and I didn't feel that I had time for it, but after taking a second glance at it I realized how important the information is. I am getting ready to possibly have my first "big kid" job. That information about employment was just what I needed to read. I believe this article would be beneficial to any educator of the deaf and hard of hearing no matter what level they are on. I think that it has great ideas and resources within the article.
I liked the way the article was laid out from programs and degrees to the first day and week of school. It was reassuring to me to know that everyone pretty much feels the same on the first day of school and throughout the first week. I mean we all know what the day before and our first day felt like. Now, look at us we are getting ready to start our second week and we feel like pros. Okay...maybe not pros, but it is definitely not as intimidating as the first day. I think it was great getting to read some different strategies for reading, vocabulary, and writing. As I was reading I also found myself thinking "Oh, that would work great with this student!" I was able to relate what I was reading to the school I am doing my student teaching at. For me it made the article much more meaningful that just reading while not working with students.
I really cannot believe all the information that was put into this article: field trips, music, Deaf Community, preschool, parent involvement, classroom management, and so much more. At first I did not want to read this article. I saw that it was 37 pages and I didn't feel that I had time for it, but after taking a second glance at it I realized how important the information is. I am getting ready to possibly have my first "big kid" job. That information about employment was just what I needed to read. I believe this article would be beneficial to any educator of the deaf and hard of hearing no matter what level they are on. I think that it has great ideas and resources within the article.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Instructional Strategies on SCIENCE
Instructional Strategies for Science
SOAR-High Earth System Science
http://csc.gallaudet.edu/soarhigh/
SOAR-High Earth System Science is an instructional tool used in six high school EDHH classrooms. I personally think that this would be a great system to use as supplemental material. However, I would not feel comfortable using this in my high school classroom as the only way of teaching science. The SOAR-High Earth System Science tool is used to make collaborative efforts with other schools and is a holistic approach to learning about the Earth. This approach was created at Gallaudet University and the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center in 1999. As far as I can see this approach is very technologically intensive. Students can work through the units on their own time. The instructors are able to post whatever information about science that they would like. This allows the six institutions to learn from each other the use of technology. When all is said and done the goal of this approach is to:
1. Improve independent learning skills.
2. Understand and be able to use technology.
3. Understand the use of video conferencing and collaborating.
4. Understanding of science as a method.
5. Produce projects that will be published on the internet.
6. Improve communication in a rich visual environment.
Personally, I don’t believe I would use this as the only method to teaching Earth Science in my high school EDHH classroom. I feel that it would be a great resource for the students to refer to. I feel that since this was created at Gallaudet that it is a website that doesn't need to be modified a lot for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The following are what I believe are the strengths and weaknesses of this instructional strategy. The positive things for me are:
1. Anyone can have access to this site and it is free!!!
2. It encourages collaboration and communication.
3. It allows students and instructors to see what other classrooms are doing.
4. Encourages independency.
5. The website does outline the rules and guidelines for the students
6. The website highlights Deaf Scientists.
The negative things for me are:
1. It only focuses on high school level of learners.
2. Some of the students may not be able to comprehend everything on their own.
3. I feel that it may seem overwhelming to some students.
Study Up http://www.studyup.com/articles/teaching/teachingstrategiesforscience.html
This is a website I found that really focuses on what a teacher should do while teaching science. The following are some great ideas for us as teachers to think about while teaching science.
1. Move slowly and progressively. Science is often taught where one concept builds upon another. It is very important for students to understand the concept being taught and then moving on. It is also important for us teaching students who are deaf or hard hearing to really focus on the vocabulary. Science terms are often difficult for students grasp.
2. The teacher should plan out his/her lessons based on the students' learning styles. The content of the lesson should be well defined and the teacher needs to expand and limit the information based on the learning needs of the students.
3. Make the lesson engaging for the students. Science is one of those subjects that can be hands on and fun. Be sure to make it that for your students. I think this is very important for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. I believe that this is a great way to stress concepts and help them actually understand what you are teaching them.
Using Science Kits to Construct Content Understanding
Daniel Dickerson
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/csmte/upload/science_kits_construct_content.pdf
This was a study I read about using science kits to help students better understand science material. The main point of this article is to make science HANDS-ON. I believe that this is the best way to learn science. I know that I personally can read the book and understand. I also know that I will retain the information much better if I can actually do an experiment or an activity related to the science lesson. I believe that this hands-on approach is very important for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. If the lesson are hands-on it makes it much easier to explain and describe things because the students are experiencing it first hand.
At my student teaching placement all of the classes are getting ready for benchmark testing. There is a lot of focus placed on science and math. What I am noticing is with the student who are deaf or hard of hearing is that they are having difficulties with reading the question and finding the important information within the question. So I think that one of the biggest strategies for teaching science is to help the students with test taking strategies. Some of the strategies are underlining important information in the question, cross out answers by process of elimination,and place a question mark by the answers that you are not sure of. These are just a few of the test taking strategies that are used at my student teaching placement.
From most of what I found on instructional strategies for science it all goes back to the way science is taught. Its not enough anymore to just stand up and teach, the teacher has to make the lessons informative and exciting. With all the technology we have I believe that we have almost limitless possibilities on the hands on activities. I think that there are so many ways that we can make science interesting for our students.
Instructional Strategies on MATH
Mathwire Standard-Based Math Activities
http://mathwire.com/strategies/is.html
This is a website that focuses on strategies to make math an active participation subject, math assessment, classroom management, cooperative learning and differentiation.
The active participation strategies that were listed are:
1. Use white boards: These can be used when giving the entire class a math problem to work. The students can then write their answer on the white board and hold it up when they have the answer.
2. Thumbs up/ thumbs down: This requires that the student is paying attention in class. So you as the teacher or the another student would complete a problem on the board. Then you would ask the students if they agree or disagree with the answer to the problem by showing a thumbs up or thumbs down.
3. Show me the answer: This strategy can be completed in many different ways. This could be using different manipulates to have the student show the answer. It may be number cards and ordering them from smallest to largest. You could have students do different grouping problems by using cubes. I think that this is somewhere that as a teacher you can be really creative with. I also think that this will really help students who are deaf or hard of hearing because they can have a concrete object to help them with the thought process that is involved in math.
4. Think-pair-share: We all know what this. Well guess what it works for math too!!!
5. Let go and let students: As the teacher you do not always have to be the one doing all the teaching. Sometimes it is best to let the students show what they know and teach it to their peers. This could be done by letting a student come to the board and show the other students how he or she worked the problem.
Intervention Strategies for Math
by Heidi Janzen
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/intervention_strategies.phtml
Currently, at the school I am student teaching a lot of focus is being place on the benchmark test. Therefore, many students have been placed into intervention groups to improve their math skills.
Here are some intervention strategies suggested by this website:
First: Identify the students who are struggle and may benefit from intervention.
You can identify student by:
informal and formal assessment
integrate warm-up activities
write to learn
assign application problems
Second: Address the issue
You can use the following instructional strategies based on what the student needs:
use small group or student pairs
differentiate instruction
incorporate multiple representation
emphasize real life application
learn about tutoring options
consider seating arrangements
I believe that these are all things that we have learned or seen in our practicum experiences. I am not for sure if I am beating a dead horse when I keep talking about differentiate instruction. It seems that it comes up in nearly every teaching strategy I have pulled up. It goes to show that it truly is important to try to teach to each student if at all possible. If not to each student at least incorporate many different learning styles by providing information in different forms.
I have been in charge of one of the math intervention groups at my student teaching placement. These students are in 4th grade and cannot do simple multiplication. It has really been a challenge to relate most things back to addition and subtraction. It has also been difficult to connect multiplication to division. However, what I have notice that if I can find a way to tie the math problem to a real life situation it is much easier for them to grasp. The students also do better if they have some tangible item to count. I have also realized that touch math doesn't always stick....however, finger math does :)
http://mathwire.com/strategies/is.html
This is a website that focuses on strategies to make math an active participation subject, math assessment, classroom management, cooperative learning and differentiation.
The active participation strategies that were listed are:
1. Use white boards: These can be used when giving the entire class a math problem to work. The students can then write their answer on the white board and hold it up when they have the answer.
2. Thumbs up/ thumbs down: This requires that the student is paying attention in class. So you as the teacher or the another student would complete a problem on the board. Then you would ask the students if they agree or disagree with the answer to the problem by showing a thumbs up or thumbs down.
3. Show me the answer: This strategy can be completed in many different ways. This could be using different manipulates to have the student show the answer. It may be number cards and ordering them from smallest to largest. You could have students do different grouping problems by using cubes. I think that this is somewhere that as a teacher you can be really creative with. I also think that this will really help students who are deaf or hard of hearing because they can have a concrete object to help them with the thought process that is involved in math.
4. Think-pair-share: We all know what this. Well guess what it works for math too!!!
5. Let go and let students: As the teacher you do not always have to be the one doing all the teaching. Sometimes it is best to let the students show what they know and teach it to their peers. This could be done by letting a student come to the board and show the other students how he or she worked the problem.
Intervention Strategies for Math
by Heidi Janzen
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/intervention_strategies.phtml
Currently, at the school I am student teaching a lot of focus is being place on the benchmark test. Therefore, many students have been placed into intervention groups to improve their math skills.
Here are some intervention strategies suggested by this website:
First: Identify the students who are struggle and may benefit from intervention.
You can identify student by:
informal and formal assessment
integrate warm-up activities
write to learn
assign application problems
Second: Address the issue
You can use the following instructional strategies based on what the student needs:
use small group or student pairs
differentiate instruction
incorporate multiple representation
emphasize real life application
learn about tutoring options
consider seating arrangements
I believe that these are all things that we have learned or seen in our practicum experiences. I am not for sure if I am beating a dead horse when I keep talking about differentiate instruction. It seems that it comes up in nearly every teaching strategy I have pulled up. It goes to show that it truly is important to try to teach to each student if at all possible. If not to each student at least incorporate many different learning styles by providing information in different forms.
I have been in charge of one of the math intervention groups at my student teaching placement. These students are in 4th grade and cannot do simple multiplication. It has really been a challenge to relate most things back to addition and subtraction. It has also been difficult to connect multiplication to division. However, what I have notice that if I can find a way to tie the math problem to a real life situation it is much easier for them to grasp. The students also do better if they have some tangible item to count. I have also realized that touch math doesn't always stick....however, finger math does :)
Instructional Strategies on READING
I found one website that discussing several instructional strategies for reading. This website also contains instructional strategies for writing.
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/lit_ins4.html
1. Modes of Reading: This refers to way that reading takes place within the classroom. This could be reading aloud, silent reading, choral reading, shared reading, guided reading, or independent reading. Each student is different and so is the learning style of that student. It is important to find what is going to work best for the student. However, when you have a classroom of more than a few students it is difficult to meet the learning style of each student all at one time. So it is important to vary the type of teaching you do. That is why I feel that it is important to use different modes of reading. Also, by providing different modes of reading instruction it also you as the teacher to give more support if the students need it or lessen the amount of support they need.
2. Prior Knowledge Activation: It is important that students have some kind of prior knowledge to the information that they are reading. If the students do not have the prior knowledge it is my job as a teacher to give them the prior knowledge so that they can comprehend the text. At my placement a student was reading about the Statue of Liberty. After reading I asked the student some questions about the Statue of Liberty. The student was not able to answer one question even though he/she read the paragraph. This student did not have the prior knowledge of the Statue of Liberty. I had to pull of pictures on the computer to show the student. We also spent more time talking about what the Statue of Liberty is and what it means.
3. Responses to Literature: This is when a student finishes reading a passage or a book and then responds to an open response. I think that this is really great for students because after reading the passage they have to then write about what they read. I think that this is a great way for students to summarize the information. I also think it really helps make the connection of reading and writing.
How to Improve Reading Comprehension
http://www.marin.edu/~don/Study/7read.html
Donald Martin, How to be a Successful Student
1. Develop a broad background.
2. Know the structure of paragraphs.
3. Identify the type of reasoning.
4. Anticipate and predict.
5. Look for the method of organization.
6. Create motivation and interest.
7. Pay attention to supporting cues.
8. Highlight, summarize and review.
9. Build a good vocabulary.
10. Use a systematic reading technique: The website gives the example of SQR3 which stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review.
11. Monitor effectiveness.
I know that we have all learned so much about the importance of reading and how difficult it can be for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. I feel that this post has helped me review some of the information that I have already learned. As I was reading the different strategies I realized that I use some of these every single day in my student teaching placement. I also wanted to let you guys know that at the school I'm at they use a reading program called Read Well. I haven't go to work a lot with it, but I believe that it helps student with reading comprehension and fluency. If you get a chance look it up. I know that they use it with students who are having difficulties reading and I know that you can start it in elementary school, use it in middle and junior high school, and I am not for sure if it is used on the high school level. Are any of your schools using the Read Well program? Or have you guys heard of it before?
http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/literacy/lit_ins4.html
1. Modes of Reading: This refers to way that reading takes place within the classroom. This could be reading aloud, silent reading, choral reading, shared reading, guided reading, or independent reading. Each student is different and so is the learning style of that student. It is important to find what is going to work best for the student. However, when you have a classroom of more than a few students it is difficult to meet the learning style of each student all at one time. So it is important to vary the type of teaching you do. That is why I feel that it is important to use different modes of reading. Also, by providing different modes of reading instruction it also you as the teacher to give more support if the students need it or lessen the amount of support they need.
2. Prior Knowledge Activation: It is important that students have some kind of prior knowledge to the information that they are reading. If the students do not have the prior knowledge it is my job as a teacher to give them the prior knowledge so that they can comprehend the text. At my placement a student was reading about the Statue of Liberty. After reading I asked the student some questions about the Statue of Liberty. The student was not able to answer one question even though he/she read the paragraph. This student did not have the prior knowledge of the Statue of Liberty. I had to pull of pictures on the computer to show the student. We also spent more time talking about what the Statue of Liberty is and what it means.
3. Responses to Literature: This is when a student finishes reading a passage or a book and then responds to an open response. I think that this is really great for students because after reading the passage they have to then write about what they read. I think that this is a great way for students to summarize the information. I also think it really helps make the connection of reading and writing.
How to Improve Reading Comprehension
http://www.marin.edu/~don/Study/7read.html
Donald Martin, How to be a Successful Student
1. Develop a broad background.
2. Know the structure of paragraphs.
3. Identify the type of reasoning.
4. Anticipate and predict.
5. Look for the method of organization.
6. Create motivation and interest.
7. Pay attention to supporting cues.
8. Highlight, summarize and review.
9. Build a good vocabulary.
10. Use a systematic reading technique: The website gives the example of SQR3 which stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review.
11. Monitor effectiveness.
I think that these are skills that we will have to directly teach to our students who are deaf or hard of hearing. I think by providing them with these skills we can help them improve reading comprehension and get over the hump of learning to read and make it to the point where they can successfully read to learn.
I know that we have all learned so much about the importance of reading and how difficult it can be for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. I feel that this post has helped me review some of the information that I have already learned. As I was reading the different strategies I realized that I use some of these every single day in my student teaching placement. I also wanted to let you guys know that at the school I'm at they use a reading program called Read Well. I haven't go to work a lot with it, but I believe that it helps student with reading comprehension and fluency. If you get a chance look it up. I know that they use it with students who are having difficulties reading and I know that you can start it in elementary school, use it in middle and junior high school, and I am not for sure if it is used on the high school level. Are any of your schools using the Read Well program? Or have you guys heard of it before?
Instructional Strategies on SOCIAL STUDIES
Social Studies: http://www.georgetownisd.org/ccorner/socstudies/index.asp
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Department
Georgetown Independent School District
603
Lakeway Drive , Georgetown , TX 78628
(512) 943-5000
603
(512) 943-5000
I found this great website for social studies ideas. This website provides instructional strategies, lessons, and ideas for the classroom. It also covers grades pre-k to 9th grade and delves further into the topics of world history, government, economics, and U.S.
One strategy presented in the 4th grade section is review cards. They are exactly what they sound like. You can click on the link titled 4th grade review cards. The review cards have pictures with the vocabulary word on the card and then the opposite side has the definition. I think that this is great for 4th grade students. I know that many of us use review cards when we are getting ready for a test. I think it is a good idea to teach students how to use them. If I were to use these in my classroom I would have the students create their own review cards at the beginning of each unit or chapter. After creating them I would have the students use them for five to ten minutes each day throughout the unit. This would be a way that the students could review for the test. This would also make the daunting task of studying seem less scary.
Another strategy is a graphic organizer. With a graphic organizer the student identifies the subject or the event, four statements, and answers the following questions; what do these facts have in common (in words/short form), what do these facts have in common (in sentence form), do the facts directly support the conclusion. For a sample of a graphic organizer you can look on the website at Handbook for Grades 4-12 on pages 2 and 3. I think that this would be great to use at the beginning of the chapter. As the teacher I can assign the topics/subjects for the students to look up. These could be the major the concepts at the beginning of each chapter. If I were going to use this strategy in my classroom I would have the students fill out the four statements at the beginning of the chapter/unit. As the chapter progresses I would have the students continue to fill out the organizer by answering the question of what do these facts have in common. At the end of the chapter I would have the student decide if the facts directly support conclusion. I think that this would be a great strategy to use with upper elementary, middle school, and high school students.
Sequencing is another strategy that could be used for students in the grade range of 4th-12th. The students are required to 4 steps.
1. Place the events in the correct order in the event boxes.
2. Classify each event as political, intellectual, economic, geography, or social.
3. Determine the relationship between each of the events.
4. In one or two complete sentences describe the story being told by the timeline.
Again, an example of this strategy can be found in the Handbook for Grades 4-12 on page 6.
I think that this would be great to use in the classroom. I think that it allows the students to see the time span of when events happened and then they are also able to see if one event sparked the onset of another.
Significant Era Charts: I would use significant era charts in my classroom by hanging them up around the room. On this website for the 8th grade it provides seven era charts. Within the charts it talks about significant people of that era, key terms, dates, quotes, documents, and literature. I think that these would be great to use in the classroom because it provide a visual aid that the students could look to find information. I believe that this would also be something that students could create on their own. I think if the students can create something like this on their own then they will retain the information better. I think that the students could do this in groups as well.
Learning with Postcards: I found this strategy under the 1st grade tab. I think that many of us work with younger elementary students. I know that when I was a kid I loved postcards. Any time my friends or family went somewhere I had them mail postcards. It was so fun to see where they came from. On this website they give 5 great ideas of teaching/learning with postcards.
1. Matching the postcard to the place. The students would pick a postcard and then find the place on a map.
2. Join Postcard Exchange groups. (I didn’t know these existed!) The group is exactly what it sounds like…people exchange postcards. Apparently you can find these groups online.
3. Postcard Display. Have a huge map of the world posted in your classroom. As your class receives postcards have the students place them on the map. Then they will there for the students to see throughout the school year.
4. Journey of a Postcard. As the class receives a post card they find where their own school is on the map (their town) then find where the postcard came from. Then the student basically tells a story about where the postcard may have gone.
5. Make a postcard. After the students understand what a postcard is they can create their own and mail it to their friends or family.
I think that all of these strategies would work fine with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. I don’t think that modifications would need to be made. I am so happy that I found this website. I think that it is full of wonderful ideas that cover such a vast range of ages and topics. I think that it is well worth any teacher’s time to checkout this website. Hopefully, this will help you guys out with social studies ideas and strategies.
Other websites/resources:
Instructional Strategies on WRITING
Writing covers such a vast area of knowledge. It starts with the basics of forming letters and numbers and goes on to forming paragraphs and much, much more.
Journaling: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/pd/instr/strats/journal/ Saskatoon Public Schools
I think that this is a great instructional strategy to use with students. I think that this is something that you can start when the students are in first or second grade. Journaling allows the students to reflect upon their own ideas. Journaling can be done in many different ways. A teacher can give a writing prompt or let the student write about whatever is on his/her mind. The following is an example of how the teacher in the Saskatoon Public School system using journaling in his/her classroom.
1. Decide what type of journal you want to use in your classroom. Think about the purpose of the journal and how will you use it.
2. Prepare materials. Your students' journals may be looseleaf notebooks or folders. Individual pages should be contained in some way so that they are not lost over time.
3. Model initial entries. Using an overhead projector or classroom chart, work together to write a sample response. Students can copy the class response in their own journal or write one of their own.
4. Schedule time for regular journal use. Students are all engaged in the act of writing and this enables individuals to generate ideas, observations and emotions.
I think that journaling can be used with all students. I don't think that much needs to be adapted to fit the needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. If anything I would say that maybe the amount of time could be modified for the student. I think that journaling is great. I think that it has a lot of positives like it allows the students to express themselves; it gives creative leeway, and lets the students teach themselves. However, if not given a writing prompt students may fall into writing about the same things everyday not really expanding or giving more information.
At my student teaching placement I work with a variety of ages of students. I want to focus on the writing strategies used with the kindergarten student I have. This student wasn't even talking at the beginning of the school year. So how do you even begin to introduce writing? The student couldn't hold a pencil and needed assistance doing gross motor functions. Again...how do you even begin to introduce writing?
1. Modeling: I believe that modeling is very useful in beginning to write. Children are like sponges and take everything in. Sometimes all it takes is showing a child how to do something once and they are able to do it.
2. Hand-over-hand: I think that this is a great strategy to use when younger students are struggling with writing certain letters or numbers. I think that most kids will "pretend" to be writing when they are really young. We all know what I mean because we have all seen the kiddo who scribbles, but is scribbling left to right. This is a pre-writing skill. My model teacher uses some hand-over-hand when it is needed. For instance the student will see a letter or a word. Then the student will attempt to write it. If the student cannot do it the teacher will model it for the student. If the student still does not grasp it the teacher will hand-over-hand assist the student.
I believe that writing happens in a scaffolding instruction. This means that the teacher slowly backs off from how much help is being provided to the student. I think this is very important and allow the student to become more independent in his/her school.
I don't believe that any of these methods need to be modified for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing. I think that both modeling and hand-over-hand are great tools for helping a student learn the basic concepts of writing. However, the instructor needs to be careful and needs to know when to stop providing these help tools. If the instructor does not allow the student to try to write on his/her own the student may become dependent of the instructor.
National Writing Project:
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/922
On this website you can find tons of information about teaching writing and ways to incorporate it into your classroom. On the website I found a list of 30 Ideas for Teaching Writing. You can click on each number and it will take you to an article that talks about that number.
2. Establish an email dialogue between students from different schools who are reading the same book.
One of my favorites from this list is #2. The world we live in today is very technology based. I think that it is important to have knowledge of email. I think that this strategy could be employed in the school that I am doing my student teaching at. There are about ten elementary schools in the district I am in and they are all reading the same book. I think that it would be great if the students could "pen pal" to other students at the different elementary schools. I think that this would be a great way for the students to show that they are reading the book and it would let them see what other students that aren't in their class think about the book. I also think that students would enjoy this because most kids LOVE to get on the computer. With this particular strategy I think that we would have to make sure that our student who is deaf or hard of hearing can read and understand the book. Besides that I don't think that there would need to be any modifications. I don't really think that there is a con to this. I think it would be a great way to facilitate writing.
I encourage everyone to at least look at this website because it is full of information. It provides many different articles that you can read.
Handwriting Without Tears
Handwriting Without Tears is a program that is used at my student teaching site. It is written by Jan A. Olsen, OTR and Emily F. Knapton, OTR/L. You can also find information at www.hwtears.com/click. I will be working with the Pre-K version of the program. This is a multisensory program that embraces children learning and it not being an awful experience. This book is filled with lessons and activities for students. This book focuses on language proficiency, social skills, fine and gross motor control, color and shape awareness, letter and number recognition, and counting.
I'm sorry it is really hard to explain this system without being able to show what it is all about. I wish that you all could see the workbook and how it is set up. From my understanding it is working on multiple skills at one time. The workbook seems to be laid out nicely and easy to follow. I think that this would be a great program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing because it is focusing on so many different senses at one time. There are songs that teach about writing and letters. There are crafts that teach about writing too. Overall, I think that this would be a very fun program to go through. I am very excited to see how it is used within the classroom throughout my student teaching experience.
Instructional Strategies on SPELLING
Instructional Strategies on Spelling
This is a chart a found that highlights many instructional strategies for spelling. What I like about this chart is that it does cover so many different strategies in one place. The chart has different developmental spelling stages. The stages are:
1. Pre-phonetic spellers
2. Phonetic spellers
3. Transitional spellers
4. Conventional spellers
5. Continued Development: Mature spellers
In each of these categories the stage of the learner is described and then in another column is a list of instructional strategies. The chart also does a nice job of showing about what grade level the learner would be in based on the stage that he/she is in. The following is a list of some of the spelling strategies listed in each stage:
1. Pre-phonetic spellers:
a. Read aloud and often
b. Label objects and pictures with words
c. Develop word bags
2. Phonetic spellers:
a. Have students develop word families for basic vowel sounds
3. Transitional spellers:
a. Review common consonant and vowel patterns
b. Have students proofread their own and others’ writing
4. Conventional spellers:
a. Have students identify their own problem words
b. Have students write regularly
5. Continued Development: Mature spellers:
a. Have students keep personal word list
I think that as deaf educators this would be a great chart to keep handy because it does show so many different strategies. Yes, some of these strategies will have to be modified based on the student’s primary mode of communication. For example when reading aloud you may have to use sign while you read or when you are labeling objects you may have to label the objects with both the written word and the sign for the object.
I believe that through this chart you can also see how important spelling is in developing writing skills. I don’t feel that this chart has many weaknesses. I think that it is a great resource to have in the classroom. I found the chart through the website http://www. projectspot.org and was created by AKSDE Part IV-B Funded Project administered by Greenbush, NEKESC, and Lawrence Public Schools.
Drill and Practice
Drill and Practice focuses on repetition of certain skills. These skills could be spelling, addition, subtraction, vocabulary and more. For drill and practice to be beneficial for the learner the instructor should start fundamental basic skills and then advance on to more advanced skills. Drill and practice is not a strategy that should be used at all times. It is mainly a strategy that should be used for beginning learners or learners who are having difficulties with a certain skill. Drill and practice can be done in many different ways. Some of those ways are computer games, question/answer, and games.
I think that drill and practice is a way that students can learn how to spell. I know the name Drill and Practice sounds scary, but I think that it embraces something that it much more fun. For instance in my classroom I would use this in a classroom game form. I would give the students the spelling word list. The students would then have time to look over the list. After the students are able to review the list we would have a spelling bee with the spelling list. I think that this would be a fun way for the students to practice spelling before actually taking a quiz. Another way to incorporate drill and practice would be showing the students a picture of an object and then have them spell the word. Or you could have the students match the word to the picture.
I think that students often have such a negative thinking towards spelling. Therefore, I think that it is very important to make the learning process as much fun as possible.
This website contained the previous link about drill and practice. However, I feel that the website as a whole is a great resource for teachers because it highlights many things such as; direct instruction, indirect instruction, experiential learning, independent study, interactive instruction, instructional skill, instructional methods-alphabetized lists, and instructional methods-by strategy. Many different individuals attributed to the creation of this website. You can find all of the contributors on the “credits” link within the website.
Instruction Support: Spelling Resources
I know that we are supposed to be highlighting five specific instructional strategies for spelling. However, I think that this is a great website to use as a resource for finding instructional strategies. This website covers information about the following areas of spelling:
1. Assessment
2. Best Practices
3. Learning Activities and Games
4. Lesson Planning
5. FAQs
6. Ask a question or share an idea
Five Guidelines for Learning Spelling and Six Ways for Practicing Spelling
By: Susan Jones (2002)
The five guidelines for learning to spell are:
1. Practice makes permanent.
2. Don’t try to learn all the words at once.
3. Review, and review some more.
4. Practice spelling as if you expect to spell those words right when you’re writing.
5. Use the words you are practicing.
The six ways for practicing spelling are:
1. Trace, copy and recall
2. Reverse chaining by letter
3. Reverse chaining by syllable
4. Highlighting the hard parts
5. Use a tape recorder to test yourself, and practice using words
6. Practice using words in short phrases
Trace, copy and recall is a method where the student would make a chart like the following with three or four words on it that he/she needs to learn
Then fold over the "recall" part so that only the first two columns show:
Then the student will:
a. Say the word to himself/herself.
b. Trace it in the first column, saying the letters.
c. Flip the paper over and say the word and spell it out.
d. If it is a difficult word for student put the word on the list more than once.
Reverse chaining is a method where the student says the word, then writes the word saying each letter. Then the student will skip a line and say it and write it again without the last letter. The student says the last letter but does not write it. The student repeats this process until there is only on letter to write. The student then says the word and spells it by themselves.
Example
· M-O-V-I-E
· M-O-V-I-_
· M-O-V-_-_
· M-O-_-_-_
· M-_-_-_-_
Reverse chaining by syllable is a method very similar to the previous method; however, the student would reverse the chaining by syllable instead of by each letter.
Highlighting the hard part is a method that students can use when they are spelling words correctly on test, but continuously spelling them incorrectly in their writing. The student will write his/her problem words on index/notecards. Using different colors of pens and highlighters the student can then highlight the problem area of the word for him/her.
Use a tape recorder to test yourself, and practice using words is a method where the student records himself/herself on a tape recorder saying the spelling words. The students could record themselves as if they were giving the spelling test. Between each word the student would have to pause the tape and spell the word either on paper or aloud.
Practice using words in short phrases is a method where student would pick one word and then use the word in about five short phrases. This allows the student to have practice using the word.
I think that these would be great strategies to use in the classroom. I think that they are quick simple ways to practice spelling. For some of our students who are deaf or hard of hearing we may be able to do some fingerspelling activities to practice spelling. Some of our students may or may not be able to use a tape recorder to record the word. So maybe the teacher or student could record themselves signing an object and then the student could spell the word.
I think the strengths of these strategies are that they are quick and easy to use. I also think that it is great because they can be modified based on the student’s learning level. They are also strategies that the student can do on his/her own time to improve his/her spelling. I think that one of the weaknesses is that the student may or may not do this on his/her own time. Students may first be overwhelmed when asked to do these strategies. However, I feel like with the proper instruction these strategies would work wonderfully in a classroom.
All About Spelling
Effective Spelling Strategies
http://www.all-about-spelling.com/effective-spelling-strategies.html
Phonetic Spelling Strategies: Teach the students to listen to each sound in a word. After they listen to each sound teach the students to represent each sound with a letter or a combination of letters.
Rule Based Spelling Strategies: Use the rules for spelling. For example the /k/ sound can be spelled using c, ck, or k. Use the rules that we have for spelling and teach them to the students.
Visual Spelling Strategies: Does the word look correct? Have the student look at the way that they spelled it to see if it looks familiar to him/her. Visual memory is very important in spelling. Especially when spelling homophones.
Morphemic Spelling Strategies: Spelling of the word is based about the meaning of the word.
This is actual a book that you can buy. I think these strategies are something that I could use in my classroom. However, I think that they may have to be modified by using Visual Phonics. I think Visual Phonics would work great in the phonetic spelling strategy. I think that it is very important to teach our students who are deaf or hard of hearing the rules for spelling of the English language. English is a tough language to learn how to spell in because there are so many different ways to spelling things.
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