The internet in my opinion is, without doubt, one of the greatest inventions of our time. Just by the touch of your finger you can reach the world and, therefore, it has revolutionized the way we live today. It gives us access to almost unlimited information and by thus we can communicate with people all over the world thereby creating an online community unheard of only a few years ago.
When it comes to our classrooms, the internet should play a significant role. Instead of relying just on textbooks, dictionaries, magazines, tapes and videos, teachers can now use the web as a tool for additional resources. Students can do research with this new technology, share information with their classmates and communicate with experts on subjects they are studying as well as publish their work for all to read. Students can now e-mail their teachers for further instructions and guidance from anywhere they are in the world and this is also applicable for teachers as well.
Many students, even those who are very young, view the internet as fun, creative, challenging and interesting. We as teachers should tap into our students’ fascination with the web and use it constructively as a learning tool that will ultimately broaden their horizon and enable them to adapt to the rapidly changing technological world in which they live.
Today students must be computer literate because the computer/web is the wave of the future without which the students will be unable to function or compete in this age of technology.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
My Views on No Child Left Behind
As a first year special needs teacher, I have mixed feelings about the No Child Left Behind Law. I taught a 5th grade special needs class and they had to take the mandated 5th grade New Jersey Ask tests in math and reading. My students functioned far below the fifth grade level. They had not mastered many math and reading concepts that fifth graders in regular classes had learned due to their disabilities. Some of them could hardly read or comprehend the questions on the tests. Others with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder could not sit still while taking the test. Needless to say, many did not score very well on the New Jersey Ask due to these circumstances. While, the tests for the regular fifth graders might be considered adequate to determine whether they met the standard for their grade level.
The pressure on teachers were tremendous as our principal stressed how important it was for the students to do well on the state tests. All of us were aware that if our students failed, our school could be labeled a failing school, thereby jeopardizing jobs of teachers and administrators as well as funds that the school really needed could be taken away. As a result, the teachers spent most of the school year preparing students for the state tests.
My hope is that parents, teachers, administrators and advocates for children with disabilities should lobby for changes in the No Child Left Behind Law that will allow students who are functioning below their grade levels not to be forced to take the grade level standardized state tests. Also, they should persuade state and federal officials to permit a variety of assessments instead of only standardized testing. Other assessments could be in the form of class work, homework, tests, quizzes, writing and math journals, oral and drama presentations and pictorial portfolios. I believe all of these different assessments as well as standardized testing are all methods that could be used to fairly evaluate students.
The pressure on teachers were tremendous as our principal stressed how important it was for the students to do well on the state tests. All of us were aware that if our students failed, our school could be labeled a failing school, thereby jeopardizing jobs of teachers and administrators as well as funds that the school really needed could be taken away. As a result, the teachers spent most of the school year preparing students for the state tests.
My hope is that parents, teachers, administrators and advocates for children with disabilities should lobby for changes in the No Child Left Behind Law that will allow students who are functioning below their grade levels not to be forced to take the grade level standardized state tests. Also, they should persuade state and federal officials to permit a variety of assessments instead of only standardized testing. Other assessments could be in the form of class work, homework, tests, quizzes, writing and math journals, oral and drama presentations and pictorial portfolios. I believe all of these different assessments as well as standardized testing are all methods that could be used to fairly evaluate students.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
My Views on Assessments
I believe students can be assessed in so many ways. A portfolio is one way a teacher can keep records of students’ writings, quizzes, homework and class work. Parents, teachers and students, themselves, can evaluate the portfolio and see how far students have grown in their work. Teachers can also observe those students who are struggling and adjust their method of teaching.
Another form of assessment that should be included into the portfolio is a pictorial assessment. As a special needs teacher, I had some students who had poor writing and reading skills but they were able to draw and bring a novel to life with their drawings. They could draw the main characters, settings and tell the story through their pictures.
Other students with poor writing skills but had good reading and excellent comprehension skills could verbally recall, retell and describe the characters, setting and solution of a story.
In my class, we read a lot. I was constantly assessing my students by asking questions about the books we had read, hearing their answers, observing who understood the stories and who did not. I also observed who read well and who were struggling. All of this enabled me to modify and adjust my strategy in teaching.
I believe students can be assessed in so many ways. A portfolio is one way a teacher can keep records of students’ writings, quizzes, homework and class work. Parents, teachers and students, themselves, can evaluate the portfolio and see how far students have grown in their work. Teachers can also observe those students who are struggling and adjust their method of teaching.
Another form of assessment that should be included into the portfolio is a pictorial assessment. As a special needs teacher, I had some students who had poor writing and reading skills but they were able to draw and bring a novel to life with their drawings. They could draw the main characters, settings and tell the story through their pictures.
Other students with poor writing skills but had good reading and excellent comprehension skills could verbally recall, retell and describe the characters, setting and solution of a story.
In my class, we read a lot. I was constantly assessing my students by asking questions about the books we had read, hearing their answers, observing who understood the stories and who did not. I also observed who read well and who were struggling. All of this enabled me to modify and adjust my strategy in teaching.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Chapters 5,6 and 7
I am glad that the Maturation Theory which suggested that children's learning should be stopped until age 6 has been discarded. I have observed the progress of my nieces and nephews' reading development. They were good readers at ages 4 and 5.
I whole heartedly agree with Holdaway's Theory of Literacy Development because of my personal experience. I had parents who read to me at an early age. I loved reading stories with pictures in it. My siblings and I went to the library very often. My parents were really my first teachers and role models for reading. I believe this theory is closely related to the Family Literacy Theory which teaches that parents should take an active role in the reading development of their children. This theory encourages parents to read aloud to children. Story-telling time should be an important part of their day. I believe that all of these activities greatly enhance the reading development of children.
The Emergent Lieracy Theory was also very interesting because it incorporates not only reading but writing. listening and speaking. This theory suggests that a child who reads will eventually excel in other areas like writing, comprehension, listening and speaking. One of my nephews, who is three, speaks and listens very well for his age. I am amazed at his vocabulary. I have no doubt that he will be reading and writing very soon. However, students with physical and learning disabilities have a difficult time with reading. I had students who read well but because of their poor motor skills, their writings were poor. Others with low cognitive development struggled to read the simplest sentences. I did not have a hearing or visually impaired student in my class but I believe that those disabilities would cause some of these students to struggle in their school work. I believe this ties in with the Substrata-Factor Theory of Reading which suggests that students-reading success depends on their cognitive , verbal ability and fine motor skills.
Another theory that was very informative was the Socio-Cultural Idea:Literature Circle. I believe that it is important that students bring in their experiences and culture into the classroom. My special needs class was 100% Hispanic. I tired to incorporate as much of their culture into my lesson plan. Athletes and entertainers who they knew were discussed in class. Different fruits and foods that they were familiar with were talked about in our Health/Nutrition class. My students were often asked to write, draw or speak about their trips or vacations to Puerto-Rico or other Hispanic countries. I believe this social interaction enhanced my class educationally.
I whole heartedly agree with Holdaway's Theory of Literacy Development because of my personal experience. I had parents who read to me at an early age. I loved reading stories with pictures in it. My siblings and I went to the library very often. My parents were really my first teachers and role models for reading. I believe this theory is closely related to the Family Literacy Theory which teaches that parents should take an active role in the reading development of their children. This theory encourages parents to read aloud to children. Story-telling time should be an important part of their day. I believe that all of these activities greatly enhance the reading development of children.
The Emergent Lieracy Theory was also very interesting because it incorporates not only reading but writing. listening and speaking. This theory suggests that a child who reads will eventually excel in other areas like writing, comprehension, listening and speaking. One of my nephews, who is three, speaks and listens very well for his age. I am amazed at his vocabulary. I have no doubt that he will be reading and writing very soon. However, students with physical and learning disabilities have a difficult time with reading. I had students who read well but because of their poor motor skills, their writings were poor. Others with low cognitive development struggled to read the simplest sentences. I did not have a hearing or visually impaired student in my class but I believe that those disabilities would cause some of these students to struggle in their school work. I believe this ties in with the Substrata-Factor Theory of Reading which suggests that students-reading success depends on their cognitive , verbal ability and fine motor skills.
Another theory that was very informative was the Socio-Cultural Idea:Literature Circle. I believe that it is important that students bring in their experiences and culture into the classroom. My special needs class was 100% Hispanic. I tired to incorporate as much of their culture into my lesson plan. Athletes and entertainers who they knew were discussed in class. Different fruits and foods that they were familiar with were talked about in our Health/Nutrition class. My students were often asked to write, draw or speak about their trips or vacations to Puerto-Rico or other Hispanic countries. I believe this social interaction enhanced my class educationally.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Language Acquisition
In the article, Mama teached me talk, the author believed that language is innate and has to be acquired between the ages of 2-7 years and if a child does not acquire the language skills during that period, it would be difficult for that child to learn or cope successfully in society.
In the article, Language Acquisition from Wikipedia, it was interesting reading the competing views of nativists who believe that humans have an innate ability to acquire language while the anti-nativists believe that social interaction of children and the adults around them play an important role in children acquiring language skills.
In the article, Language Acquisition from Wikipedia, it was interesting reading the competing views of nativists who believe that humans have an innate ability to acquire language while the anti-nativists believe that social interaction of children and the adults around them play an important role in children acquiring language skills.
My View
I believe that all humans babies have an innate ability to acquire language skills but those skills have to be nurtured and encouraged. Very young children who are nurtured, talked to, held and cared for have a better chance of acquiring language skills that will enable them to communicate and succeed in society. Children should be read aloud to. Songs, poems and story-telling time are important and make up an enjoyable part of childhood. Those of us who were fortunate to have parents and teachers who read to us when we were very young still remember stories and songs from our childhood. All of those efforts of the adults around us contributed to our acquiring language skills.
Ciara O'Riodan's Language Learning Site
In this article, the author expressed how difficult it was for her to learn a second language. It is not impossible to learn a second language but it is not as easy as it was when you were a child. There are now tapes, DVDs as wells as computer softwares that can assist anyone who wants to learn a second language. I had an uncle who learned to speak four different languages.
I also read that Pope John Paul II spoke several different languages very well. I am not sure why some adults can acquire second languages very quickly while others struggle so much. One of my long-term goals is to speak French fluently. Hopefully, I will be able to acquire it as easily as my uncle did.
What It Means To Be Literate
This article, The Greatest Art for the Littlest Readers, shows how important illustrators are to children's books. They are able to bring the book to life with pictures, paintings and drawings. Students, even those who are struggling readers, can predict, explain and understand what an author is trying to convey.
I remembered reading a book called A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The pictures in the book were colorful, expressive and just as important as the words.
Literacy From Wikipedia
After reading this article, I believed that literacy is the ability to read, write and communicate in today's society. I will also add that being computer literate is a necessity in today's society. A literate person has more doors of opportunities open to him/her professionally, economically and socially than a non-literate person. Many jobs require not only a college degree but that you have to be computer literate as well. For many of those who are illiterate, the world is closed to them. Most are stuck in low paying jobs and face untold financial and social challenges. Their ability to advance in the society is seriously limited.
In this article, Silencing Teachers, I admire the author's bravery in standing up to the school administrators against the strict school curriculum. Administrators do not like teachers to stray away from the required curriculum. As a teacher, I saw how stressed and anxious many students, administrators and teachers were when the New Jersey Ask Tests were administered in March. The fear was well-founded because
if the students failed, our school would be labeled a failing school. This meant that jobs of administrators and teachers could be in jeopardy and funds could be taken away from the school. Those of us who taught special needs students were especially concerned since our students were functioning far below their grade levels. My hope is that teachers, parents and school administrators would be able to have an impact in persuading state and federal officials to not rely solely on test driven assessments but to incorporate creative and innovative appraoches to the teaching of children especially those with disabilities.
I remembered reading a book called A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The pictures in the book were colorful, expressive and just as important as the words.
Literacy From Wikipedia
After reading this article, I believed that literacy is the ability to read, write and communicate in today's society. I will also add that being computer literate is a necessity in today's society. A literate person has more doors of opportunities open to him/her professionally, economically and socially than a non-literate person. Many jobs require not only a college degree but that you have to be computer literate as well. For many of those who are illiterate, the world is closed to them. Most are stuck in low paying jobs and face untold financial and social challenges. Their ability to advance in the society is seriously limited.
In this article, Silencing Teachers, I admire the author's bravery in standing up to the school administrators against the strict school curriculum. Administrators do not like teachers to stray away from the required curriculum. As a teacher, I saw how stressed and anxious many students, administrators and teachers were when the New Jersey Ask Tests were administered in March. The fear was well-founded because
if the students failed, our school would be labeled a failing school. This meant that jobs of administrators and teachers could be in jeopardy and funds could be taken away from the school. Those of us who taught special needs students were especially concerned since our students were functioning far below their grade levels. My hope is that teachers, parents and school administrators would be able to have an impact in persuading state and federal officials to not rely solely on test driven assessments but to incorporate creative and innovative appraoches to the teaching of children especially those with disabilities.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Welcome to my blog!
Hi everyone,
I finally created my blog. First, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Julia and I am a special needs teacher. I completed my first year of teaching. My experience was challenging and rewarding. I had students who were struggling readers and others who read quite well. Despite the differences, all of the students and I enjoyed reading a novel called, There's a boy in the girl's bathroom. The novel was funny, interesting and they could relate to the main character, Bradley. I found myself laughing out loud. I am looking forward to our discussions. Again, Welcome to everyone.
I finally created my blog. First, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Julia and I am a special needs teacher. I completed my first year of teaching. My experience was challenging and rewarding. I had students who were struggling readers and others who read quite well. Despite the differences, all of the students and I enjoyed reading a novel called, There's a boy in the girl's bathroom. The novel was funny, interesting and they could relate to the main character, Bradley. I found myself laughing out loud. I am looking forward to our discussions. Again, Welcome to everyone.
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