Monday, October 15, 2007
The Beauty Of Fall
The beauty of fall lends a close ear to the crunch of leaves and joyful yells of children who run through them. The beauty of fall lends its taste to the candied apples and warm roast on the oven top. The beauty of fall lends its smell to fresh creek water surrounded by gold and crimson leaves. The beauty of fall lends its touch to the warmth of the crackling fire in the kitchen hearth and the faded cloth patches on the tathered quilt. The beauty of fall lends it sight to the majesty of creation and the love that surrounds us.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Literature Review
"*Lorna….. Lorna read the next sentence for us." Lorna reads, "Jacie sat next to her friend at lunch to hear the conversation about the Saturday carnival at school. She wanted to volunteer at the popcorn booth because she liked popcorn. But her best friend Lizzie was volunteering at the necklace -making booth and Lizzie would much rather spend the carnival with her friend than scooping popcorn for rambunctious first graders all day." "So, Jacie, what is the title character’s name?" Lorna responds, "Jacie." "Great job Lorna, and what is it that she would rather do than scoop popcorn for rambunctious first graders all day?" Lorna looks back in the text for quite sometime and says "I don’t know." Great student, helpful student, patient student, and a student who not only wants to succeed, but didn’t know how but felt lost in the sea of twenty one other students. Ah, the beauty of whole class reading instruction. Lorna was a wonderful student I had several years ago. She could read but could comprehend little to no text. There was some improvement for her towards the end of the year, but what would have been ideal for her was small-group intervention during regular reading class incorporating everything from rich literature to strategies that could assist her in her development. Lorna was a year or two older than the other kids. She had already been retained a grade level at a previous school and "shuffled" through the grades. Lorna like many of my students was impoverished, living in a broken home, living with a broken heart. We were able to make gains with her throughout the year and much of it came through individualized time with her including tutoring. The pressures of high-stakes did not improve her situation but we accepted the challenge the best we could and marched forward willing to help her in any way we could. She is doing great today. She is about to enter high school and is excited about the transition. Lorna’s problem with reading in general did not spring forth overnight—the building blocks of literacy were somehow not placed one upon the other starting from her preschool years. The research for literacy and its components has been building for years. Literacy is not only just reading, but it encompasses writing, speaking and listening. Today literacy is extending an invitation to technology from cell phones to podcasts and beyond. Let us explore this world of research and let’s keep this in mind—there are millions of Lornas and as teachers we can succeed in helping them get to where they need to go, not only in the literature of the classroom but the literature of life.
I once said as often as the motion of the sway of the tide changes, so has the research of reading comprehension. U.S. education has gone through a gamut of ideas from Round-Robin reading, to suggestions of reading more narratives versus more expository texts , readers theater, fluency and comprehension, scripted reading programs versus non-scripted reading programs and the controversy goes on. One current holistic approach to writing and reading is Balanced Literacy. Balanced Literacy is a philosophical orientation that assumes that reading and writing achievement are developed through instruction and support in multiple environments by using various approaches that differ by level of teacher support and child control (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Balanced Literacy programs include community, home, and library involvement as well as structured classroom plans and use of activities such read alouds, guided reading, shared reading, and independent reading and writing (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). The Austin Independent School District (2001) initiated a support plan for students who needed extra intervention. The Austin district’s literacy support model, built n a balanced literacy framework, has served over 3,000 students; 96% of these students made gains. The average gain in Grades 1 through 4 was 8.7 on reading-text levels and was accomplished within a year. Another study was done in an urban school district in the by researchers from Kentucky. The study’s findings showed that teacher-directed instruction, a fundamental aspect of balanced literacy, was implemented less often than either independent reading or writing activities (Frey, Lee, Tollefson, Pass & Massengill, 2005). These findings were a result of the teachers doing what was supposed to be implemented in terms of the balanced literacy components but as the researchers stated, the amount of time devoted to instruction and modeling effective reading and writing strategies seemed too limited for a group of students with poorly developed reading and writing skills. In other words, a school can have the some of the most adequate systems of learning in place, but when there is not sufficient modeling and time used for the teacher and student, the system will not fully satisfy the needs of the school. As we have seen, Balanced Literacy is a whole composed of microscopic parts. Balanced literacy is primarily composed of reading and writing. It is a dual relationship and they are not considered separate. It is important to peruse and prod at research to see areas within balanced literacy such as reading and writing, that is making it a resource in the school system frequently brought up in professional discussions across the country.
Much of reading acquisition begins in the primary years. In fact it is during these primary years that the building blocks of reading are built upon. The development of fluent and automatic reading skills is considered a primary educational goal for elementary school-age children (Schwaneflugel, Meisinger, Wisenbaker, Kuhn, Strauss & Morris, 2006). It is okay for a child to read word by word as a kindergartener, but not okay as a third grader. Today, many teachers face problems in guiding students to fluent and automatic reading. Students come from poor backgrounds, one parent households, or raised by other relatives—even raising themselves. This means no one reads to them (they are raised by cable) and their first modeling of fluent reading comes from their kindergarten teacher. Lorna came from a poor household, and her father had to go to prison which she had to deal with during the school year. Sadly, this is the story of many students today. I wish this could be an isolated case but it is not. This for many educators in classrooms is the norm and something they have to press through everyday. In addition to teaching teachers strategies for better helping students, researchers in the mid-western United States researched the concept of dialogic narratives, a term coined by M.M. Bakhtin. The researchers wanted insight into how the students negotiated authoritative and internally persuasive discourses as they authored their own narratives, revealing the complexity of preparing teachers to become flexible cultural practitioners in diverse settings (Rogers, Marshall & Tyson 2006). Within these diverse settings comes diverse learning. One study that has shown some promise is a study on Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and how they can be used as a literature- based way to positively affect instruction and learning for students. Gardner’s multiple intelligences include visual-spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, linguistic, naturalistic, logical-mathematical, and bodily-kinesthetic. The students they selected were selected in part due to it having a high enrollment of children from multicultural backgrounds and their predominately low socioeconomic status (Brand, 2006). Brand states that because of the variety of ways in which children may participate in storytelling and extension activities, a literature-based approach has the potential to utilize many combinations of students’ multiple intelligences. Brand also stated she found that students who were in a multiple intelligence-based emergent literacy program during kindergarten exhibited significant gains in skills that are critical for their later success as readers. Notice the early primary emphasis. The building blocks start here. Another study on the use of small group dialogue in primary highlighted the need for interaction, modeling and the need for support throughout reading to assist with better reading on part of the students. This study confirmed other studies which suggested that classroom culture, characterized by a problem-solving environment , student decision making, student choice, collaborative work, and product-driven work, affects students’ participation and subsequent construction of meaning during small-group dialogue (McIntyre, Kyle & Moore, 2006). Reading not only in indicative of environment, but can also be an indicator as to how well a student writes.
At Doncrest Public school, a literacy program was adapted to include opportunities to strengthen knowledge of high frequency words in reading and writing. Kindergarten teachers added regular independent writing opportunities to the literacy program and scaffolded the children through the process of writing (Waiser & Whiteley, 2001). They included in their research a quote from M.M Clay :
"…what the child writes is a rough indicator of what he is attending to in print, and demonstrates the programmes
of action he is using for word production.
…writing provides extra opportunities for the child to gain control of literacy concepts. While the child is
creating a story in print, the eye and the brain are directed to important features…
Information gained…from writing becomes a part of the network of knowledge
The child attaches to familiar words." (Clay 1991)
The grand result? The classroom teachers observed significant improvement in the children’s writing skills compared to previous years, likely the result of increased opportunities for writing in the Kindergarten program (Waiser, Whiteley, 2001). As Clay mentions "that what a child writes is a rough indicator of what he is attending to in print." This rings true for a group of researchers in the United Kingdom. The goal of their study was to explore written language production in a group of children identified as having poor reading comprehension, relative to a group of control children matched for age and decoding skill (Craig and Nation, 2006). They found that poorer reading comprehenders left out many components in their written narratives, including, fewer main ideas. Their oral narratives were much better than their written.
What is presented here are various methods and studies of assisting a student like Lorna. Research never ends. When one study finishes, new questions arise. As teachers I believe we are action researchers. We put what we know into practice daily and seek the results we are looking for. A program that intensely integrated strong teacher support for integrated reading and writing in the earlier grades might have helped Lorna a little more on her road of learning. This is not to say her primary teachers did not do what they could. Like any teacher, they too were baffled by her inability to comprehend and they too wanted answers. Educators are starting to reach for a more holistic approach to teaching because today it is about teaching the "whole" child. It is not a cliché term, but a dire necessity. Lorna was an excellent communicator and was and is still loved and remembered by her teachers. Thankfully, she has not given up yet and loved her time with us. There is hope on the horizon.
References
Austin Independent School District. (2001). Literacy support plan evaluation. Austin, TX: Office of Program Evaluation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED461094)
Brand, Susan., ( 2006). Facilitating Emergent Literacy Skills: A Literature-Based, Multiple Intelligence Approach. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. 21, 133-147.
Clay, M.M., ‘Becoming Literate, The Construction of Inner Control’, Heinemann, Auckland, 1991.
Cragg, Lucy & Nation, Kate, (February 2006). Exploring Written Narrative in Children with Poor Reading Comprehension. [Electronic version] Journal of Educational Psychology, 26, 56-67.
Fountas, Irene C., & Pinnell Gay Sue, (1996). Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. Portmouth, NH: Heineman
Frey, Bruce, B., Lee, Steve, W., Massengill, Donita, Pass, Lisa, Tollefson, Nona. (May 2005). Balanced Literacy in an Urban School District [electronic version]. Journal of Educational Research, p. 273
Kyle, Diane W., McIntyre, Ellen, & Moore, Gayle, H., (March 2006). A primary-grade teacher’s guidance toward small-group dialogue. Reading Research Quarterly, 41, 36-59
Kuhn, Melanie R., Meisinger, Elizabeth B., Morris, Robin D., Schwanenflugel, Paula J., Strauss, Gregory P., Wisenbaker, Joseph, M., (2006). Becoming a fluent and automatic reader in the early elementary years. Reading Research Quarterly. 41, 496-519.
Marshall, Elizabeth, Rogers, Theresa, & Tyson, Cynthia, A., (2006). Dialogic narratives of reading research and schooling. Reading Research Quarterly. 41, 203-219.
Waiser, Marlene & Whiteley, Jan, (2001). Supporting Beginning Reading in kindergarten with Independent Writing. [Electronic Version] 3-9.
I once said as often as the motion of the sway of the tide changes, so has the research of reading comprehension. U.S. education has gone through a gamut of ideas from Round-Robin reading, to suggestions of reading more narratives versus more expository texts , readers theater, fluency and comprehension, scripted reading programs versus non-scripted reading programs and the controversy goes on. One current holistic approach to writing and reading is Balanced Literacy. Balanced Literacy is a philosophical orientation that assumes that reading and writing achievement are developed through instruction and support in multiple environments by using various approaches that differ by level of teacher support and child control (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Balanced Literacy programs include community, home, and library involvement as well as structured classroom plans and use of activities such read alouds, guided reading, shared reading, and independent reading and writing (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). The Austin Independent School District (2001) initiated a support plan for students who needed extra intervention. The Austin district’s literacy support model, built n a balanced literacy framework, has served over 3,000 students; 96% of these students made gains. The average gain in Grades 1 through 4 was 8.7 on reading-text levels and was accomplished within a year. Another study was done in an urban school district in the by researchers from Kentucky. The study’s findings showed that teacher-directed instruction, a fundamental aspect of balanced literacy, was implemented less often than either independent reading or writing activities (Frey, Lee, Tollefson, Pass & Massengill, 2005). These findings were a result of the teachers doing what was supposed to be implemented in terms of the balanced literacy components but as the researchers stated, the amount of time devoted to instruction and modeling effective reading and writing strategies seemed too limited for a group of students with poorly developed reading and writing skills. In other words, a school can have the some of the most adequate systems of learning in place, but when there is not sufficient modeling and time used for the teacher and student, the system will not fully satisfy the needs of the school. As we have seen, Balanced Literacy is a whole composed of microscopic parts. Balanced literacy is primarily composed of reading and writing. It is a dual relationship and they are not considered separate. It is important to peruse and prod at research to see areas within balanced literacy such as reading and writing, that is making it a resource in the school system frequently brought up in professional discussions across the country.
Much of reading acquisition begins in the primary years. In fact it is during these primary years that the building blocks of reading are built upon. The development of fluent and automatic reading skills is considered a primary educational goal for elementary school-age children (Schwaneflugel, Meisinger, Wisenbaker, Kuhn, Strauss & Morris, 2006). It is okay for a child to read word by word as a kindergartener, but not okay as a third grader. Today, many teachers face problems in guiding students to fluent and automatic reading. Students come from poor backgrounds, one parent households, or raised by other relatives—even raising themselves. This means no one reads to them (they are raised by cable) and their first modeling of fluent reading comes from their kindergarten teacher. Lorna came from a poor household, and her father had to go to prison which she had to deal with during the school year. Sadly, this is the story of many students today. I wish this could be an isolated case but it is not. This for many educators in classrooms is the norm and something they have to press through everyday. In addition to teaching teachers strategies for better helping students, researchers in the mid-western United States researched the concept of dialogic narratives, a term coined by M.M. Bakhtin. The researchers wanted insight into how the students negotiated authoritative and internally persuasive discourses as they authored their own narratives, revealing the complexity of preparing teachers to become flexible cultural practitioners in diverse settings (Rogers, Marshall & Tyson 2006). Within these diverse settings comes diverse learning. One study that has shown some promise is a study on Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and how they can be used as a literature- based way to positively affect instruction and learning for students. Gardner’s multiple intelligences include visual-spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, linguistic, naturalistic, logical-mathematical, and bodily-kinesthetic. The students they selected were selected in part due to it having a high enrollment of children from multicultural backgrounds and their predominately low socioeconomic status (Brand, 2006). Brand states that because of the variety of ways in which children may participate in storytelling and extension activities, a literature-based approach has the potential to utilize many combinations of students’ multiple intelligences. Brand also stated she found that students who were in a multiple intelligence-based emergent literacy program during kindergarten exhibited significant gains in skills that are critical for their later success as readers. Notice the early primary emphasis. The building blocks start here. Another study on the use of small group dialogue in primary highlighted the need for interaction, modeling and the need for support throughout reading to assist with better reading on part of the students. This study confirmed other studies which suggested that classroom culture, characterized by a problem-solving environment , student decision making, student choice, collaborative work, and product-driven work, affects students’ participation and subsequent construction of meaning during small-group dialogue (McIntyre, Kyle & Moore, 2006). Reading not only in indicative of environment, but can also be an indicator as to how well a student writes.
At Doncrest Public school, a literacy program was adapted to include opportunities to strengthen knowledge of high frequency words in reading and writing. Kindergarten teachers added regular independent writing opportunities to the literacy program and scaffolded the children through the process of writing (Waiser & Whiteley, 2001). They included in their research a quote from M.M Clay :
"…what the child writes is a rough indicator of what he is attending to in print, and demonstrates the programmes
of action he is using for word production.
…writing provides extra opportunities for the child to gain control of literacy concepts. While the child is
creating a story in print, the eye and the brain are directed to important features…
Information gained…from writing becomes a part of the network of knowledge
The child attaches to familiar words." (Clay 1991)
The grand result? The classroom teachers observed significant improvement in the children’s writing skills compared to previous years, likely the result of increased opportunities for writing in the Kindergarten program (Waiser, Whiteley, 2001). As Clay mentions "that what a child writes is a rough indicator of what he is attending to in print." This rings true for a group of researchers in the United Kingdom. The goal of their study was to explore written language production in a group of children identified as having poor reading comprehension, relative to a group of control children matched for age and decoding skill (Craig and Nation, 2006). They found that poorer reading comprehenders left out many components in their written narratives, including, fewer main ideas. Their oral narratives were much better than their written.
What is presented here are various methods and studies of assisting a student like Lorna. Research never ends. When one study finishes, new questions arise. As teachers I believe we are action researchers. We put what we know into practice daily and seek the results we are looking for. A program that intensely integrated strong teacher support for integrated reading and writing in the earlier grades might have helped Lorna a little more on her road of learning. This is not to say her primary teachers did not do what they could. Like any teacher, they too were baffled by her inability to comprehend and they too wanted answers. Educators are starting to reach for a more holistic approach to teaching because today it is about teaching the "whole" child. It is not a cliché term, but a dire necessity. Lorna was an excellent communicator and was and is still loved and remembered by her teachers. Thankfully, she has not given up yet and loved her time with us. There is hope on the horizon.
References
Austin Independent School District. (2001). Literacy support plan evaluation. Austin, TX: Office of Program Evaluation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED461094)
Brand, Susan., ( 2006). Facilitating Emergent Literacy Skills: A Literature-Based, Multiple Intelligence Approach. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. 21, 133-147.
Clay, M.M., ‘Becoming Literate, The Construction of Inner Control’, Heinemann, Auckland, 1991.
Cragg, Lucy & Nation, Kate, (February 2006). Exploring Written Narrative in Children with Poor Reading Comprehension. [Electronic version] Journal of Educational Psychology, 26, 56-67.
Fountas, Irene C., & Pinnell Gay Sue, (1996). Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. Portmouth, NH: Heineman
Frey, Bruce, B., Lee, Steve, W., Massengill, Donita, Pass, Lisa, Tollefson, Nona. (May 2005). Balanced Literacy in an Urban School District [electronic version]. Journal of Educational Research, p. 273
Kyle, Diane W., McIntyre, Ellen, & Moore, Gayle, H., (March 2006). A primary-grade teacher’s guidance toward small-group dialogue. Reading Research Quarterly, 41, 36-59
Kuhn, Melanie R., Meisinger, Elizabeth B., Morris, Robin D., Schwanenflugel, Paula J., Strauss, Gregory P., Wisenbaker, Joseph, M., (2006). Becoming a fluent and automatic reader in the early elementary years. Reading Research Quarterly. 41, 496-519.
Marshall, Elizabeth, Rogers, Theresa, & Tyson, Cynthia, A., (2006). Dialogic narratives of reading research and schooling. Reading Research Quarterly. 41, 203-219.
Waiser, Marlene & Whiteley, Jan, (2001). Supporting Beginning Reading in kindergarten with Independent Writing. [Electronic Version] 3-9.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Article Analysis
I. Title-Balanced Literacy in an Urban School District
II. Author-Bruce B. Frey, Steve W. Lee, Lisa Pass, Donita Massengill
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To share the effects of a mixed-method research study on the effects of a district Balanced Literacy Initiative in an urban school district.IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Few topics spark as much debate as reading research
-The term balanced literacy originated in 1996 in California
-Balanced literacy programs include community, home, and library involvement as well as structured classroom plans and use of activities such as read alouds, guided reading, shared reading, and independent reading and writing (Fountas and Pinnell).
-The focus of new curriculum was the systematic and explicit teaching of phonics as a foundation for comprehension, as well as presenting literature-based experiences (Asselin, 1999).
-The Austin Independent school district (2001) inititiated a literacy support plan for students who needed extra intervention. The Austin district’s literacy support model, built on a balanced literacy framework, has served over 3,000 students;96% of these students made gains. The average gain in Grades 1 through 4 was 8.7 on reading text levels and was accomplished within a school year.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s—What is the effect of a balanced literacy initiative in an urban school district?
VI. Author's Methodology- Mixed method
A. Who is being studied? Data was collected from students in K-5 in 32 elementary schools in a high-poverty, urban metropolitan area. Most students were on free or reduced lunches.
B. Over what length of time? A year
C.What data is being collected-Classroom observations, classroom physical environment checklists of literacy components,physical building environment checklists of literacy components, teacher surverys and student group surverys.
D. How is it being analyzed- A triangulation strategy was used to evaluate and analyze data from three different sources.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- Independent activities had the highest level of frequency.
VII. How the author collected information- Over a year’s time while the balanced literacy initiative was implemented.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- A successful balanced literacy program combines teacher-directed instruction of skills, strategies and processes, as well as student-centered activities that focus on authenticity, choice, and meaning. Also, changing teachers’ instructional practices takes time.
I. Title-Facilitating Emergent Literacy Skills: A literature-Based, Multiple Intelligence Approach
II. Author-Susan Trostle Brand
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To prove a hypothesis that included as to whether or not a multiple-intelligence emergent literacy program would help students make gains in there comprehension.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Children who are at risk for reading failure manifest many common early characteristics or warning signs.
-Recent research studies indicate that phonemic awareness and letter knowledge are highly correlated with later reading accuracy and fluency (Admas, 1990; Chall, 1967, 1983).
-Most children who enter school at risk for difficulties in both more specific phonological and print-related domain, as well as in the broader oral language knowledge domain (Torgesen, 2004).
-The mutiple intelligence/storytelling approach is recommended for children at risk for learning difficulties because of its multisensory nature and its ability to pique the interest and incorporate the active participation of all children.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s—How will the theory of multiple intelligence intermixed with a emergent, holistic and literature rich thirteen week program effect students?VI. Author's Methodology- Quantitative Study
A. Who is being studied? - Thirteen children from an inner-city charter school. Within these thirteen students was six girls and seven boys. This included children of Hispanic, black, Asian, and white ethnic backgrounds.
B. Over what length of time? Ten weeks
C.What data is being collected- Results from DIBELS, progress monitoring, students interests and strengths, family and ethnic backgrounds, and emergent literacy level, and an abbreviated version of the Multiple Intelligence Survey (Brand and Donato, 2001b).
D. How is it being analyzed- All of the information was tested against the null hypothesis. Then it was decided whether or not the gains made by the students in the study would be comparitive or not to the students not treated in the study. Results from DIBELS Pretest and Posttest scores was analyzed and presented with median and standard deviation variants.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- The author stated that because of the variety of ways in which children may participate in storytelling and extension activities, a literature-based approach has the potential to utilize many combinations of students’ multiple intelligences.
VII. How the author collected information- Over ten weeks time while the students were being instructed in this approach.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- The author stated that the main finding of the present study is that students who were exposed to a multiple intelligence- based emergent literacy program during kindergarten exhibited significant gains in skills that are critical for their later success as readers. One limitation was that this was only done with one set of kindergartners. But regardless, it’s a start.
Title- Becoming a fluent and automatic reader in the early elementary school years
II. Author- Paula J. Schwanenflugel, Elizabeth B. Meseisinger, Joseph M. Wisenbaker, Melanie R. Kuhn, Gregory P. Strauss, Robin D. Morris
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- share the development of an empirically based model of fluent and automatic reading during the early elementary years and to determine whether fluent text-reading skills provided fluent word decoding.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Although there is no single definition of reading fluency, there is general agreement that fluent reading incorporates the ability to read quickly, accurately, and when oral reading is considered, with expression (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000).
-In most children, fluent reading emerges in most children between first and third grade, when decoding skills are confirmed through practice (Kuhn & Stahl, 2004).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— To determine whether fluent text-reading skills provided fluent word decoding.
VI. Author's Methodology- Quantitative Study
A. Who is being studied? – Ninety –nine first graders, 79 second graders, and 71 third graders. They attended four public schools located in communities in urban northeast Georigia or surburban New Jersey, USA. Approximately 41% were African american, 27% were Anglo, 23% Hipanic, and 5% were Asian, 4% were other. 53% were female and 47% were male.
B. Over what length of time? Spring term of school year
C.What data is being collected ?-Test of Word Reading Efficiancy, (TOWRE) Sight Word Efficiency and Phonemic Decoding Efficiency subtests form A (1999), Weshler Inidividual Achievement Test (WIAT;1992) Reading Comprehension subtest, Gray Oral Reading Test-Third Edition (GORT-3, 1992), Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing Rapid Object Naming subtest (CTOPP-RON; 1999).
D. How is it being analyzed- They began carrying out the variance of the standardized test data. They used Grade as a between-subjects factor, focusing on raw scores for the tests. They then took the means and standard deviations of the tests and put them on a table for comparative analysis. After that they used structural equation modeling of the relationships among the tasks.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- First graders read text slower than second graders, and second graders read text slower than third graders.
VII. How the author collected information- Children were given a mixture of standardized and experimenter-constructed reading measures. From there data was collected from the results of the tests and analyzed as previously stated.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- They found support for the common observation that, as children become older and their texts become more difficult, we need to look beyond reading fluency to other skills and knowledge (Kuhn, Strauss, Morris, 2006).
I. Title- Exploring Written Narrative in Children with Poor Reading Comprehension
II. Author- Lucy Craig and Kate Nelson
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To talk about written language production in 10-year old children with impaired reading comprehension.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-To become fully literate, however, children need to move beyond single words and learn how to deal with text.
-While recognizing that there are factores such as spelling and handwriting that are unique to the writing process, Roth (2000) argued that narrative writing, is a complex process that has its basis in oral narration skill.
An investigation by Bishop and Clarkson (2003) concludes that written language is a particularly sensitive index of underlying language problems.
V.Author's Inquiry Question/s— For 10- year old students who struggle with reading comprehension, how is their written language?
VI. Author's Methodology- Quantitative Study
A. Who is being studied? – They picked seventy three students from Primary Year 5 (aged 9-10 years) and ninety-two children from Primary which served a predominately white middle class neighborhood. All were native of British English.
B. Over what length of time?
C.What data is being collected ? Spelling Assessment, measures of narrative, written narrative, spoken recall, story comprehension, analysis of narrative measures, story length, syntactic complexity, story content, and global structure.
D. How is it being analyzed? All information was put into a table highlighting the mean and standard deviation of each variant.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data-
VII. How the author collected information- By giving the students the various assessments as listed above, the author was able to give an accurate count of student understanding through comprehension and written language.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- Students who struggled with reading comprehension seemed to also struggle with written language.
I. Title- Reading Representations of themselves: Urban youth use culture and African American textual features to develop literary understandings.
II. Author- Wanda Brooks
Author's Purpose for Writing- In her words, " How do African American students interpret literature containing ‘authentic’ depictions of their own ethnic group?
What are the points made in the review of the literature?
-Several of the studies she discussed previously in her review included in-depth analyses of the -African American literature itself that would illustrate readers’ use of culturally influenced textual features (Brooks 2006).
-The results of some studies show the need to theorize about African American readers and their interpretive processes across different dimensions of identity and contextualization.
-To become fully literate, however, children need to move beyond single words and learn how to deal with text.
-While recognizing that there are factores such as spelling and handwriting that are unique to the writing process, Roth (2000) argued that narrative writing, is a complex process that has its basis in oral narration skill.
-An investigation by Bishop and Clarkson (2003) concludes that written language is a particularly sensitive index of underlying language problems.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s—
What African American textual features are identifiable in three culturally conscious African American children’s novels?
In discussions with their teacher and through written artifacts, how do study participants respond to the African American textual features identified in the novels?
VI. Author's Methodology- Qualitative Study
A. Who is being studied? Twelve students, 10 African American, Three White
B. Over what length of time? Four days
C. What data is being collected ? Video-taped small-group lesson for primary
D. How is it being analyzed? Analyzed student responses and teacher prompts
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- There were limitations the authors admitted to that include the fact that the teacher wore a microphone during the research and all interaction recorded happened within a foot of her.
VII. How the author collected information- By viewing and analyzing the videotapes.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- According to the authors, the study confirmed that classroom environment, teacher-student interactions and collaborative work to name a few, benefit students and support other studies as well.
Title-Dialogic Narratives of literacy, teaching, and schooling: Preparing literacy teachers for diverse settings
II. Author-Theresa Rogers, Elizabeth Marshall, Cynthia A. Tyson
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To convey the their study of dialogic narratives of selected teachers with an innovative teacher education program.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Bakhtin argued that identities are authored in the context of dialogue—a perspective that allows us to view preservice teachers as being in the process of constructing professional identities within particular contexts and discourses (Bahktin 1981,1986) (Rogers, Marshall, Tyson 2006).
-Bakhtin (1986) described the dialogic as an ongoing struggle within and among people, and his notion of discourses is that they are made up of utterances that constitute a social event originating in and functioning as part of an intertextual social dialogue (Rogers, Marshall, Tyson 2006).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— What did their (teachers) study of dialogic narratives of selected teachers within the innovative teacher education program show?
VI. Author's Methodology- Qualitative
A. Who is being studied? 10 students in the Master’s of Education teacher preparation program.
B. Over what length of time? A school year
C. What data is being collected- Interviews, observations and transcripts (students volunteered).
D. How is it being analyzed- Primarily by looking at seminar meetings, students were later interviewed and asked to share their stories. They then analyzed the content of the five dialogic narrative chains using Bakhtin’s (1981, 1986) notion of "authoring"—the process of assimilating the voices of others to adopt a social position in the context of dialogue (Marshall, Rogers, Tyson 2006).
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- The researchers seemed to take great care in ensuring the trustworthiness of the study on behalf of the teachers involved.
VII. How the author collected information- Interviews, observations and transcripts (students volunteered).
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- During the study, the researchers didn’t fully realize how much impact the narratives had for enriching student-centered curriculum
I.Title- Johnny won’t read, and Susie won’t either: Reading instruction and student resistance.
II. Author-Rebecca Powell, Ellen McIntyre, Elizabeth Rightmyer
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To convey the their study of dialogic narratives of selected teachers with an innovative teacher education program.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-The authors stated that research showed there was a positive relationship between ‘engaged time’ –or time where students are actively attending to the learning task—and student achievement (Cotton 2001).
-The best readers of reading and writing are those who are capable of engaging students in literacy learning for sustained periods of time (Pressley et al., 1998).
-Engaged readers perform better on measures of text comprehension and reading achievement (Guthrie et al., 2001).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— Why are children off task? What is going on in classrooms where a majority children are off task? (Powell, McIntyre, Rightmyer 2006).
VI. Author's Methodology
A. Who is being studied? A larger study included teachers in 13 schools and 46 classrooms.
B. Over what length of time?
C. What data is being collected- Observations and interviews
D. How is it being analyzed- They basically looked for patterns across instructional sites (Miles and Huberman, 1994).
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- They included the scripted programs, Corrective Reading and Open Court
VII. How the author collected information- Interviews and observation instrument while visiting the teacher four times between 60 and 180 minutes,
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- What they found was an erosion of the student-teacher relationship in the classrooms they observed. The authors stated the students resisted, the teachers reacted and a cycle of negativity continued. The authors also argued that scripted programs are problematic due to not only off task behavior but the due to the erosion of the teacher-student relationship they can cause.
I. Title- Accountability for reading and readers: What the numbers don’t tell
II. Authors—Pat Wilson, Prisca Martens, Poonam Arya
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To share what they learned by assessing primary students using various reading programs.
IV.What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-National Reading Panel (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000) recommended strategy instruction as an effective means of increasing children’s comprehension, children’s actual use of strategies to comprehend text isn’t analyzed in mnay of the tests used for accountability (Arya, Martens, Wilson, 2005).
-Authors also stated that numbers do not usually provide a complete picture of what children know and can do.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— What is the impact of these reading programs on second graders comprehension, strategy use, and understanding of the process of reading (Arya, Martens, Wilson, 2005).
VI. Author's Methodology
A. Who is being studied- Second Graders in a major metropolitan area
B. Over what length of time? Spring
C. What data is being collected- Miscue Analysis, Word Analysis subtest of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (norm reference) and retelling to assess comprehension.
D. How is it being analyzed- Looked at the data from the sources to see patterns of improvement or regression over time.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- In retelling the story, based on their chart, GR was ahead in terms of the students retelling but was average when it came to program means (ex. Meaning construction, grammatical relationship, phonics,etc.)
VII. How the author collected information-By observing classrooms and data on students.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- One of the main points the authors came to was that in the end, the students at the Guided Reading school did just as well as the reading program schools. However, the students in the reading program schools relied heavily graphophonics cues in their reading at the expense of the students.
I. Title- Supporting Beginning Reading in Kindergarten with Independent Writing.
II. Authors—Marlene Waiser and Jan Whiteley
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To share their goal and findings of raising reading achievement among senior kindergarten students.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-A child does have to gradually accumulate a reading vocabulary of known words which he can recognize rapidly and does not have to work out. Only as this happens is the reader’s attention freed to work on new words and solve new text problems. (Clay, 1991).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— The authors stated whether they could increase the word knowledge and reading levels of Senior kindergarten children through the regular use of guided writing journals in conjunctions with the development of a word wall? Can the reading levels be maintained over the summer from Kindergarten to Grade one? (Waiser and Whiteley, 2001)
A. Who is being studied- Senior Kindergartners
B. Over what length of time? One school year
C. What data is being collected- Clay’s Observation Survey, running records and teacher observations, Writing Vocabulary Test
D. How is it being analyzed- Comparing data to see how the students were able to retain what they learned through guided writing.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- Just the fact that they were not only interested in facts pertinent to that school year, but they came back in the fall of the kindergartener’s first grade year to see how their learning transferred and stayed with them through the summer.
VII. How the author collected information- Over a year’s time with a mixed-methods approach.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- The author’s stated significant improvement on the Clay Word Test for reading. The results of the Writing Vocabulary test were slightly lower in June of 2001 than June of 2000. That number showed improvement by September 2001. The authors did emphasize that changes in practice were benefiting the students.
I. Title- The Effect of Mobility on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Test Scores: A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of William Howard Taft University
II. Authors—Ray Alvarez
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To determine whether or not mobility affect the performance of students on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), the current standardized test in Texas?
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Educators must have more research regarding the validity of the tests used to assess the achievement of the economically disadvanaged (Alvarez 2006).
-The Holman (1995) studies showed that socioeconomic status affected scores on TEAMS while gender did not. This research examines mobility of students affects of their scores on the TAKS (Alvarez 2006).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— The author states : Does the mobility affect the performance of students on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), the current standardized test in Texas?
A. Who is being studied- Fifth graders
B. Over what length of time? Two years
C. What data is being collected- Student’s mobility rate
D. How is it being analyzed- Mobility rate to test scores
VII. How the author collected information- By monitoring mobility rate and comparing to TAKS scores
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- Alvarez’s null hypothesis was proven false. There is an effect on TAKS scores due to student mobility.
II. Author-Bruce B. Frey, Steve W. Lee, Lisa Pass, Donita Massengill
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To share the effects of a mixed-method research study on the effects of a district Balanced Literacy Initiative in an urban school district.IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Few topics spark as much debate as reading research
-The term balanced literacy originated in 1996 in California
-Balanced literacy programs include community, home, and library involvement as well as structured classroom plans and use of activities such as read alouds, guided reading, shared reading, and independent reading and writing (Fountas and Pinnell).
-The focus of new curriculum was the systematic and explicit teaching of phonics as a foundation for comprehension, as well as presenting literature-based experiences (Asselin, 1999).
-The Austin Independent school district (2001) inititiated a literacy support plan for students who needed extra intervention. The Austin district’s literacy support model, built on a balanced literacy framework, has served over 3,000 students;96% of these students made gains. The average gain in Grades 1 through 4 was 8.7 on reading text levels and was accomplished within a school year.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s—What is the effect of a balanced literacy initiative in an urban school district?
VI. Author's Methodology- Mixed method
A. Who is being studied? Data was collected from students in K-5 in 32 elementary schools in a high-poverty, urban metropolitan area. Most students were on free or reduced lunches.
B. Over what length of time? A year
C.What data is being collected-Classroom observations, classroom physical environment checklists of literacy components,physical building environment checklists of literacy components, teacher surverys and student group surverys.
D. How is it being analyzed- A triangulation strategy was used to evaluate and analyze data from three different sources.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- Independent activities had the highest level of frequency.
VII. How the author collected information- Over a year’s time while the balanced literacy initiative was implemented.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- A successful balanced literacy program combines teacher-directed instruction of skills, strategies and processes, as well as student-centered activities that focus on authenticity, choice, and meaning. Also, changing teachers’ instructional practices takes time.
I. Title-Facilitating Emergent Literacy Skills: A literature-Based, Multiple Intelligence Approach
II. Author-Susan Trostle Brand
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To prove a hypothesis that included as to whether or not a multiple-intelligence emergent literacy program would help students make gains in there comprehension.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Children who are at risk for reading failure manifest many common early characteristics or warning signs.
-Recent research studies indicate that phonemic awareness and letter knowledge are highly correlated with later reading accuracy and fluency (Admas, 1990; Chall, 1967, 1983).
-Most children who enter school at risk for difficulties in both more specific phonological and print-related domain, as well as in the broader oral language knowledge domain (Torgesen, 2004).
-The mutiple intelligence/storytelling approach is recommended for children at risk for learning difficulties because of its multisensory nature and its ability to pique the interest and incorporate the active participation of all children.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s—How will the theory of multiple intelligence intermixed with a emergent, holistic and literature rich thirteen week program effect students?VI. Author's Methodology- Quantitative Study
A. Who is being studied? - Thirteen children from an inner-city charter school. Within these thirteen students was six girls and seven boys. This included children of Hispanic, black, Asian, and white ethnic backgrounds.
B. Over what length of time? Ten weeks
C.What data is being collected- Results from DIBELS, progress monitoring, students interests and strengths, family and ethnic backgrounds, and emergent literacy level, and an abbreviated version of the Multiple Intelligence Survey (Brand and Donato, 2001b).
D. How is it being analyzed- All of the information was tested against the null hypothesis. Then it was decided whether or not the gains made by the students in the study would be comparitive or not to the students not treated in the study. Results from DIBELS Pretest and Posttest scores was analyzed and presented with median and standard deviation variants.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- The author stated that because of the variety of ways in which children may participate in storytelling and extension activities, a literature-based approach has the potential to utilize many combinations of students’ multiple intelligences.
VII. How the author collected information- Over ten weeks time while the students were being instructed in this approach.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- The author stated that the main finding of the present study is that students who were exposed to a multiple intelligence- based emergent literacy program during kindergarten exhibited significant gains in skills that are critical for their later success as readers. One limitation was that this was only done with one set of kindergartners. But regardless, it’s a start.
Title- Becoming a fluent and automatic reader in the early elementary school years
II. Author- Paula J. Schwanenflugel, Elizabeth B. Meseisinger, Joseph M. Wisenbaker, Melanie R. Kuhn, Gregory P. Strauss, Robin D. Morris
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- share the development of an empirically based model of fluent and automatic reading during the early elementary years and to determine whether fluent text-reading skills provided fluent word decoding.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Although there is no single definition of reading fluency, there is general agreement that fluent reading incorporates the ability to read quickly, accurately, and when oral reading is considered, with expression (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000).
-In most children, fluent reading emerges in most children between first and third grade, when decoding skills are confirmed through practice (Kuhn & Stahl, 2004).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— To determine whether fluent text-reading skills provided fluent word decoding.
VI. Author's Methodology- Quantitative Study
A. Who is being studied? – Ninety –nine first graders, 79 second graders, and 71 third graders. They attended four public schools located in communities in urban northeast Georigia or surburban New Jersey, USA. Approximately 41% were African american, 27% were Anglo, 23% Hipanic, and 5% were Asian, 4% were other. 53% were female and 47% were male.
B. Over what length of time? Spring term of school year
C.What data is being collected ?-Test of Word Reading Efficiancy, (TOWRE) Sight Word Efficiency and Phonemic Decoding Efficiency subtests form A (1999), Weshler Inidividual Achievement Test (WIAT;1992) Reading Comprehension subtest, Gray Oral Reading Test-Third Edition (GORT-3, 1992), Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing Rapid Object Naming subtest (CTOPP-RON; 1999).
D. How is it being analyzed- They began carrying out the variance of the standardized test data. They used Grade as a between-subjects factor, focusing on raw scores for the tests. They then took the means and standard deviations of the tests and put them on a table for comparative analysis. After that they used structural equation modeling of the relationships among the tasks.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- First graders read text slower than second graders, and second graders read text slower than third graders.
VII. How the author collected information- Children were given a mixture of standardized and experimenter-constructed reading measures. From there data was collected from the results of the tests and analyzed as previously stated.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- They found support for the common observation that, as children become older and their texts become more difficult, we need to look beyond reading fluency to other skills and knowledge (Kuhn, Strauss, Morris, 2006).
I. Title- Exploring Written Narrative in Children with Poor Reading Comprehension
II. Author- Lucy Craig and Kate Nelson
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To talk about written language production in 10-year old children with impaired reading comprehension.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-To become fully literate, however, children need to move beyond single words and learn how to deal with text.
-While recognizing that there are factores such as spelling and handwriting that are unique to the writing process, Roth (2000) argued that narrative writing, is a complex process that has its basis in oral narration skill.
An investigation by Bishop and Clarkson (2003) concludes that written language is a particularly sensitive index of underlying language problems.
V.Author's Inquiry Question/s— For 10- year old students who struggle with reading comprehension, how is their written language?
VI. Author's Methodology- Quantitative Study
A. Who is being studied? – They picked seventy three students from Primary Year 5 (aged 9-10 years) and ninety-two children from Primary which served a predominately white middle class neighborhood. All were native of British English.
B. Over what length of time?
C.What data is being collected ? Spelling Assessment, measures of narrative, written narrative, spoken recall, story comprehension, analysis of narrative measures, story length, syntactic complexity, story content, and global structure.
D. How is it being analyzed? All information was put into a table highlighting the mean and standard deviation of each variant.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data-
VII. How the author collected information- By giving the students the various assessments as listed above, the author was able to give an accurate count of student understanding through comprehension and written language.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- Students who struggled with reading comprehension seemed to also struggle with written language.
I. Title- Reading Representations of themselves: Urban youth use culture and African American textual features to develop literary understandings.
II. Author- Wanda Brooks
Author's Purpose for Writing- In her words, " How do African American students interpret literature containing ‘authentic’ depictions of their own ethnic group?
What are the points made in the review of the literature?
-Several of the studies she discussed previously in her review included in-depth analyses of the -African American literature itself that would illustrate readers’ use of culturally influenced textual features (Brooks 2006).
-The results of some studies show the need to theorize about African American readers and their interpretive processes across different dimensions of identity and contextualization.
-To become fully literate, however, children need to move beyond single words and learn how to deal with text.
-While recognizing that there are factores such as spelling and handwriting that are unique to the writing process, Roth (2000) argued that narrative writing, is a complex process that has its basis in oral narration skill.
-An investigation by Bishop and Clarkson (2003) concludes that written language is a particularly sensitive index of underlying language problems.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s—
What African American textual features are identifiable in three culturally conscious African American children’s novels?
In discussions with their teacher and through written artifacts, how do study participants respond to the African American textual features identified in the novels?
VI. Author's Methodology- Qualitative Study
A. Who is being studied? Twelve students, 10 African American, Three White
B. Over what length of time? Four days
C. What data is being collected ? Video-taped small-group lesson for primary
D. How is it being analyzed? Analyzed student responses and teacher prompts
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- There were limitations the authors admitted to that include the fact that the teacher wore a microphone during the research and all interaction recorded happened within a foot of her.
VII. How the author collected information- By viewing and analyzing the videotapes.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- According to the authors, the study confirmed that classroom environment, teacher-student interactions and collaborative work to name a few, benefit students and support other studies as well.
Title-Dialogic Narratives of literacy, teaching, and schooling: Preparing literacy teachers for diverse settings
II. Author-Theresa Rogers, Elizabeth Marshall, Cynthia A. Tyson
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To convey the their study of dialogic narratives of selected teachers with an innovative teacher education program.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Bakhtin argued that identities are authored in the context of dialogue—a perspective that allows us to view preservice teachers as being in the process of constructing professional identities within particular contexts and discourses (Bahktin 1981,1986) (Rogers, Marshall, Tyson 2006).
-Bakhtin (1986) described the dialogic as an ongoing struggle within and among people, and his notion of discourses is that they are made up of utterances that constitute a social event originating in and functioning as part of an intertextual social dialogue (Rogers, Marshall, Tyson 2006).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— What did their (teachers) study of dialogic narratives of selected teachers within the innovative teacher education program show?
VI. Author's Methodology- Qualitative
A. Who is being studied? 10 students in the Master’s of Education teacher preparation program.
B. Over what length of time? A school year
C. What data is being collected- Interviews, observations and transcripts (students volunteered).
D. How is it being analyzed- Primarily by looking at seminar meetings, students were later interviewed and asked to share their stories. They then analyzed the content of the five dialogic narrative chains using Bakhtin’s (1981, 1986) notion of "authoring"—the process of assimilating the voices of others to adopt a social position in the context of dialogue (Marshall, Rogers, Tyson 2006).
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- The researchers seemed to take great care in ensuring the trustworthiness of the study on behalf of the teachers involved.
VII. How the author collected information- Interviews, observations and transcripts (students volunteered).
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- During the study, the researchers didn’t fully realize how much impact the narratives had for enriching student-centered curriculum
I.Title- Johnny won’t read, and Susie won’t either: Reading instruction and student resistance.
II. Author-Rebecca Powell, Ellen McIntyre, Elizabeth Rightmyer
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To convey the their study of dialogic narratives of selected teachers with an innovative teacher education program.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-The authors stated that research showed there was a positive relationship between ‘engaged time’ –or time where students are actively attending to the learning task—and student achievement (Cotton 2001).
-The best readers of reading and writing are those who are capable of engaging students in literacy learning for sustained periods of time (Pressley et al., 1998).
-Engaged readers perform better on measures of text comprehension and reading achievement (Guthrie et al., 2001).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— Why are children off task? What is going on in classrooms where a majority children are off task? (Powell, McIntyre, Rightmyer 2006).
VI. Author's Methodology
A. Who is being studied? A larger study included teachers in 13 schools and 46 classrooms.
B. Over what length of time?
C. What data is being collected- Observations and interviews
D. How is it being analyzed- They basically looked for patterns across instructional sites (Miles and Huberman, 1994).
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- They included the scripted programs, Corrective Reading and Open Court
VII. How the author collected information- Interviews and observation instrument while visiting the teacher four times between 60 and 180 minutes,
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- What they found was an erosion of the student-teacher relationship in the classrooms they observed. The authors stated the students resisted, the teachers reacted and a cycle of negativity continued. The authors also argued that scripted programs are problematic due to not only off task behavior but the due to the erosion of the teacher-student relationship they can cause.
I. Title- Accountability for reading and readers: What the numbers don’t tell
II. Authors—Pat Wilson, Prisca Martens, Poonam Arya
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To share what they learned by assessing primary students using various reading programs.
IV.What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-National Reading Panel (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [NICHD], 2000) recommended strategy instruction as an effective means of increasing children’s comprehension, children’s actual use of strategies to comprehend text isn’t analyzed in mnay of the tests used for accountability (Arya, Martens, Wilson, 2005).
-Authors also stated that numbers do not usually provide a complete picture of what children know and can do.
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— What is the impact of these reading programs on second graders comprehension, strategy use, and understanding of the process of reading (Arya, Martens, Wilson, 2005).
VI. Author's Methodology
A. Who is being studied- Second Graders in a major metropolitan area
B. Over what length of time? Spring
C. What data is being collected- Miscue Analysis, Word Analysis subtest of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (norm reference) and retelling to assess comprehension.
D. How is it being analyzed- Looked at the data from the sources to see patterns of improvement or regression over time.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- In retelling the story, based on their chart, GR was ahead in terms of the students retelling but was average when it came to program means (ex. Meaning construction, grammatical relationship, phonics,etc.)
VII. How the author collected information-By observing classrooms and data on students.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- One of the main points the authors came to was that in the end, the students at the Guided Reading school did just as well as the reading program schools. However, the students in the reading program schools relied heavily graphophonics cues in their reading at the expense of the students.
I. Title- Supporting Beginning Reading in Kindergarten with Independent Writing.
II. Authors—Marlene Waiser and Jan Whiteley
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To share their goal and findings of raising reading achievement among senior kindergarten students.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-A child does have to gradually accumulate a reading vocabulary of known words which he can recognize rapidly and does not have to work out. Only as this happens is the reader’s attention freed to work on new words and solve new text problems. (Clay, 1991).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— The authors stated whether they could increase the word knowledge and reading levels of Senior kindergarten children through the regular use of guided writing journals in conjunctions with the development of a word wall? Can the reading levels be maintained over the summer from Kindergarten to Grade one? (Waiser and Whiteley, 2001)
A. Who is being studied- Senior Kindergartners
B. Over what length of time? One school year
C. What data is being collected- Clay’s Observation Survey, running records and teacher observations, Writing Vocabulary Test
D. How is it being analyzed- Comparing data to see how the students were able to retain what they learned through guided writing.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data- Just the fact that they were not only interested in facts pertinent to that school year, but they came back in the fall of the kindergartener’s first grade year to see how their learning transferred and stayed with them through the summer.
VII. How the author collected information- Over a year’s time with a mixed-methods approach.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- The author’s stated significant improvement on the Clay Word Test for reading. The results of the Writing Vocabulary test were slightly lower in June of 2001 than June of 2000. That number showed improvement by September 2001. The authors did emphasize that changes in practice were benefiting the students.
I. Title- The Effect of Mobility on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Test Scores: A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of William Howard Taft University
II. Authors—Ray Alvarez
III. Author's Purpose for Writing- To determine whether or not mobility affect the performance of students on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), the current standardized test in Texas?
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study?
-Educators must have more research regarding the validity of the tests used to assess the achievement of the economically disadvanaged (Alvarez 2006).
-The Holman (1995) studies showed that socioeconomic status affected scores on TEAMS while gender did not. This research examines mobility of students affects of their scores on the TAKS (Alvarez 2006).
V. Author's Inquiry Question/s— The author states : Does the mobility affect the performance of students on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), the current standardized test in Texas?
A. Who is being studied- Fifth graders
B. Over what length of time? Two years
C. What data is being collected- Student’s mobility rate
D. How is it being analyzed- Mobility rate to test scores
VII. How the author collected information- By monitoring mobility rate and comparing to TAKS scores
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications- Alvarez’s null hypothesis was proven false. There is an effect on TAKS scores due to student mobility.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Anthology Piece
Fellow classmates,
Please take a look at my Critical Incident (I can' get it to copy here). Please provide feedback.
Miss you guys!
Please take a look at my Critical Incident (I can' get it to copy here). Please provide feedback.
Miss you guys!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Chapter 3
Literacy has now surpassed just reading and writing. There are many who still believe literacy is synonymous with reading and writing. No! Reading and writing is only a part of literacy. This chapter focused on the fact that many of our students are advanced beyond their teachers in computer and cell phone literacy. They could do a lesson for us in how to text message. Also, this chapter talked about writing as a social practice--not just something we do in class during the writing workshop. We write grocery lists, memos, emails, letters and the list goes on. We write all of the time. I am writing write now on this blog. I believe we marginalize writing too much in addition to other subjects. Our students need to see and practice the connections in learning. If we don't speed up our knowledge of technological literacy (not just computer literacy), the kids will be teaching us how to communicate! :)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
"The Very Best of Friends"
At first, I think Jesse was the type of person who chose to grieve in solitude. When someone is depressed, it is not good to spend prolonged periods of time alone. Sure it's healthy to need to spend time alone, but excessive amounts of time alone in grief are not good. If it was good for Jesse, why did everthing start piling up, she stopped feeding her pets including William, and her life was in utter disarray. It's when William scratched her that she began to "come to". His scratch was like a wakeup call. She then realized he had been neglected. She began to come to her senses and feed him again. At first he was reluctant to her affections but he soon came around and they both realized how much they needed each other. They still missed James of course but they were now "the very best of friends."
Ecologies of Learning Presentation
Wow. The presentation that Mr. Pete is giving is something else to behold. I think society as a whole has some ways to go until a solid web ecology can be fully developed. However, I think what we have learned today is critical to us as educators. It was a simple yet straightforward look into the growing world of the ecology of learning. It was interesting to learn that less than 50% of the net is in English. I will definitely look up Barbara Gandley and read her blog on writing. Innovation is a difficult thing to get across to others. Creating a new system is not easy either. Today's presentation was not only just for technology, it could apply to any educational innovation in general. The post-modernism theory is also something to look into. And even though I love the current school semesters, I didn't know that this system originated at Cambridge University around the 1100's. Okay, so we are a little slow to change :). Great presentation, great discussion afterwards.....SPASEEBA!!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Teacher Demonstration Lesson plan
Lesson Plan
Bluebonnet Writing Project
Teaching Demonstration
Title of the Book: Chicken Sunday
Author: Patricia Polacco
Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Publishing Information: New York: The Putnam and Grosset Group
ISBN: 0-698-11615-1
Suggested Grade level: Intermediate elementary
Goal: Students will be able to identify not only the setting but the change of setting within the context of a story and how it can affect the plot. They will be able to convey their understanding of a setting within the context of writing and drawing.
Objectives: The student will be able to listen to the story, identify the various changes in setting, match the title of the scenes with the settings, identify individual examples of setting within groups, compose a writing piece about setting for a personal narrative and draw a literal setting map of the community using the setting from the story.
TEKS:
1a- Students recognize the way an author organizes information and engage in more sophisticated analysis such as characters, plots, and settings.
5.1a-determine the purpose for listening such as to gain information, to solve problems, or to enjoy and appreciate
5.9a-develop selections by listening to selections read aloud
5.12I-recognize and analyze story plot, setting, and problem resolution
5.15a-write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect, on ideas, and to problem solve
Research:
Read Alouds boost listening and reading comprehension skills and bring subjects to life in a way that textbooks cannot.
Auerbach, Barbara. Strangers in a Strange Land: Read Alouds Give Us Insight into Others’ Struggles. New York: School Library Journal, October 2006, Vol 52, No. 18, pages S18
A read aloud—or shared reading—is one of the most effective ways for young adults to hear fluent reading.
Allen, J. Yellow Brick Roads: Shared and guided paths to independent reading, 4-12. Portland, ME:Stenhouse, 2000
Reading comprehension can be significantly improved through utilization of LCD projector instructional technology in the elementary classroom.
Black, Narda, Brill, Ann, Eber, Debra, Suomala, Lisa. Using Technology to Compare the Instructional Effectiveness of Read Aloud and Read Along Materials in an Elementary Classroom. Michigan. July 2005.
Procedures:
Bluebonnet Writing Project
Teaching Demonstration
Title of the Book: Chicken Sunday
Author: Patricia Polacco
Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Publishing Information: New York: The Putnam and Grosset Group
ISBN: 0-698-11615-1
Suggested Grade level: Intermediate elementary
Goal: Students will be able to identify not only the setting but the change of setting within the context of a story and how it can affect the plot. They will be able to convey their understanding of a setting within the context of writing and drawing.
Objectives: The student will be able to listen to the story, identify the various changes in setting, match the title of the scenes with the settings, identify individual examples of setting within groups, compose a writing piece about setting for a personal narrative and draw a literal setting map of the community using the setting from the story.
TEKS:
1a- Students recognize the way an author organizes information and engage in more sophisticated analysis such as characters, plots, and settings.
5.1a-determine the purpose for listening such as to gain information, to solve problems, or to enjoy and appreciate
5.9a-develop selections by listening to selections read aloud
5.12I-recognize and analyze story plot, setting, and problem resolution
5.15a-write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect, on ideas, and to problem solve
Research:
Read Alouds boost listening and reading comprehension skills and bring subjects to life in a way that textbooks cannot.
Auerbach, Barbara. Strangers in a Strange Land: Read Alouds Give Us Insight into Others’ Struggles. New York: School Library Journal, October 2006, Vol 52, No. 18, pages S18
A read aloud—or shared reading—is one of the most effective ways for young adults to hear fluent reading.
Allen, J. Yellow Brick Roads: Shared and guided paths to independent reading, 4-12. Portland, ME:Stenhouse, 2000
Reading comprehension can be significantly improved through utilization of LCD projector instructional technology in the elementary classroom.
Black, Narda, Brill, Ann, Eber, Debra, Suomala, Lisa. Using Technology to Compare the Instructional Effectiveness of Read Aloud and Read Along Materials in an Elementary Classroom. Michigan. July 2005.
Procedures:
1. See Powerpoint Presentation on Setting.
2. Pass out sticky notes.Guess the setting descriptions with your groups then share.
3. Read Chicken Sunday staying with Before, During and After Read Aloud format. During the story, count how many times the setting changes. It is important to be aware of when the setting changes because this can greatly affect your understanding of the plot! This can also affect your writing!
4. Preview text title and story. Make predictions.
5. Read Chicken Sunday .
6. After reading, discuss how many times the setting changed. If this entire story took place in Miss Eula’s living room would it be the same? Explain there is the big setting and there are little settings within the big setting.
Also discuss characters.
7. Pass out Chicken Sunday setting cards. Each student will either get a setting title, or setting description. Students will then move around the room and find their match. When all of the students have found their match, each partner group will share.
8. Is the community in Chicken Sunday a place you would like to live? What is it about the setting that would make you like or not like living here?
9. (If time permits) Draw a literal setting map of Patricia’s, Stewart’s and Winston’s community. Include streets, and all of the places within the setting of the story.
Reading/Writing/Drawing Connection:
1. Use a Read Aloud to discuss the literary element of setting, characters and plot.
2. Using word imagery samples to determine the setting of a story.
3. Writing about the possibilities of living in a community like the one in Chicken Sunday and whether or not you would like it.
4. Drawing a literal setting map of the community and labeling the various landmarks mentioned in Chicken Sunday.
Discussion Protocol:
What did you learn overall about setting from this lesson?
What did you like about this lesson?
Did you feel you received a better understanding of this story element through a read aloud?
Extensions:
1. Students can make a brochure inviting others to move into the community detailed in Chicken Sunday or another favorite destination place.
2. Students can find settings in their favorite movies.
3. Comparing and contrasting other literature to further emphasize setting.
4. Designing a set for an in class readers theater
5. Groups or individuals can write their own stories and design finger puppets and sets (for setting) highlighting not only setting but character development and plot.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Literature Analysis of Research
I. Title: Developing a Culture of Inquiry for Equity: One School’s Story
II. Author: Tanya Friedman
III. Author's Purpose for Writing: To show the effects of inquiry for equity
VI. Author's Methodology—Whole school planned,
A. Who is being studied? Students who had not met the achievement gap.
B. Over what length of time? Nine years
C. What data is being collected? Teacher reflections and student outcomes
D. How is it being analyzed? Through peer reviews
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data? Not at this time
VII. How the author collected information? Classroom inquiry and Whole-school work.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications--In five years they were able to see the achievement gap close in writing achievement.
The author found three elements to be especially important in developing and sustaining a culture that supports inquiry for equity.
· Create structures and support for teachers to reflect on how issues of race, class, and culture play out in their own lives, in the school, and in the classroom
· Offer variety of structures and entry points for equity-driven inquiry
· Dedicate time, space, and support for both formal and informal inquiry.
II. Author: Tanya Friedman
III. Author's Purpose for Writing: To show the effects of inquiry for equity
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the need for the study? There was not much of any literature citations in this study. She did highlight what she had learned through trainings.
The focus of the inquiry
The locus of the inquiry—who decides the focus and where it happens
The length of time an individual or team stays with a specific topic
VI. Author's Methodology—Whole school planned,
A. Who is being studied? Students who had not met the achievement gap.
B. Over what length of time? Nine years
C. What data is being collected? Teacher reflections and student outcomes
D. How is it being analyzed? Through peer reviews
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data? Not at this time
VII. How the author collected information? Classroom inquiry and Whole-school work.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications--In five years they were able to see the achievement gap close in writing achievement.
The author found three elements to be especially important in developing and sustaining a culture that supports inquiry for equity.
· Create structures and support for teachers to reflect on how issues of race, class, and culture play out in their own lives, in the school, and in the classroom
· Offer variety of structures and entry points for equity-driven inquiry
· Dedicate time, space, and support for both formal and informal inquiry.
River Legacy
Deprivation of Creation
Why do we walk around in the hustle and bustle of this world not noticing what is around us? Sure we may “Ooh and ah” with our neighbor at their newly planted rose bush. And, if we have time between stopping at the gas station and grabbing a cup of cappuccino before heading to a meeting, we may even smell the wildflowers next to the gas station bathroom. Is that a sweet, dainty purple flower or the smell of the grape flavored sucker the kid in front of me tried to throw in the store front trash can and missed? How have we come to this? Like the erosion of the river is unapparent over years and years, so is our plunge from the nostalgic, daily experience of nature. Nature was given to us as a gift, and it was us who chose to push it to the side in a quest for the “good” life. I beg many pardons, but sitting in traffic two hundred days a year is not exactly what I call “good” or even “ideal.” Today’s experience was nothing short of not only a visit to the joy and innocence of childhood, but a sharp realization that if you peer closely enough, that childlike spirit is still within us. Seeing grown women run around chasing insects, peering and asking about furry unidentifiable insects is nothing short of a miracle. Grabbing my camera and chasing after butterflies may not be the best way to spend a morning for “civilized” adults, but it was therapy, a spiritual realization that I need to come back to my senses and realize this life is much better than we could ever imagine. If those spiders have food and webs to stay safe in, if the butterflies fly freely, and if the birds can obtain food free from harm of predators, what am I worrying about? I didn’t dwell on the cell phone bill or what is on the agenda for next week in my day planner. The wonder of creation was enough for me to realize we focus too much on what does not matter. Below I have given descriptions of the pictures I have taken.
When I first started walking, one of the first things I thought was “how can I be missing this?” The beauty of sunlight shining through the aged leaves of the trees was simply breathtaking. As we started the path, a classmate said something to the effect of “Why don’t we do this more often?” This was not only the "Handwriting of God" as spoken by a classmate but truly it was an expression of "How Great Thou Art."
Why do we walk around in the hustle and bustle of this world not noticing what is around us? Sure we may “Ooh and ah” with our neighbor at their newly planted rose bush. And, if we have time between stopping at the gas station and grabbing a cup of cappuccino before heading to a meeting, we may even smell the wildflowers next to the gas station bathroom. Is that a sweet, dainty purple flower or the smell of the grape flavored sucker the kid in front of me tried to throw in the store front trash can and missed? How have we come to this? Like the erosion of the river is unapparent over years and years, so is our plunge from the nostalgic, daily experience of nature. Nature was given to us as a gift, and it was us who chose to push it to the side in a quest for the “good” life. I beg many pardons, but sitting in traffic two hundred days a year is not exactly what I call “good” or even “ideal.” Today’s experience was nothing short of not only a visit to the joy and innocence of childhood, but a sharp realization that if you peer closely enough, that childlike spirit is still within us. Seeing grown women run around chasing insects, peering and asking about furry unidentifiable insects is nothing short of a miracle. Grabbing my camera and chasing after butterflies may not be the best way to spend a morning for “civilized” adults, but it was therapy, a spiritual realization that I need to come back to my senses and realize this life is much better than we could ever imagine. If those spiders have food and webs to stay safe in, if the butterflies fly freely, and if the birds can obtain food free from harm of predators, what am I worrying about? I didn’t dwell on the cell phone bill or what is on the agenda for next week in my day planner. The wonder of creation was enough for me to realize we focus too much on what does not matter. Below I have given descriptions of the pictures I have taken.
When I first started walking, one of the first things I thought was “how can I be missing this?” The beauty of sunlight shining through the aged leaves of the trees was simply breathtaking. As we started the path, a classmate said something to the effect of “Why don’t we do this more often?” This was not only the "Handwriting of God" as spoken by a classmate but truly it was an expression of "How Great Thou Art."
Response to Joyce Armstrong Carroll Article
This article was a great idea in that it talked about teaching students to code and decode their texts. This was not only a great way to help kids better identify their mistakes but it also puts them in the driver’s seat in terms of their writing. They are taking responsibility for their work. Kids will not always have teachers to check their writing. I do also agree with Joyce C. about the process of teaching this. This will not be something they can learn in a week. This will take time and skill and extensive modeling day after day by the teacher. I believe once students grasp the concept, this will be a powerhouse tool to use for writing and something they can realistically use for the long haul. What we want are life-long writers-- not 187 day writer’s workshop graduates. Kids love “codes” and by using a strategy of this type the teacher can “jazz up” this coding activity by making a fun code model for the kids to use and also can tailor their marks based on the writing conventions his/her students are struggling with. By starting small and ending big this can be a successful tool in improving writing for students.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Cowtown Weather Report
https://mavspace.uta.edu/ksg5146/cowtownweather.mp3
This is Stormy Weathers & Sunny Vine with the Cowtown weather forecast...Yesterday’s weather was a mixed bag. The day started out mostly sunny, but by midmorning the doplar radar showed an incoming localized tsunami threatening room 512 of the Central Library of UTA. Fortunately, it only hailed thoughtshots and snapshots briefly resulting in minor casualties.--We need to interrupt our forecast for late breaking news from the National Weather Service…ipods can cause severe burns when used during electrical storms. We asked Scott Massey, Director of Everything PC, for his opinion on the probability of such an occurrence. And I quote..."Oh sure. It's highly probable that anyone who owns a mac could end up looking like an old catchers mit...or worse. I never trusted them Mackeys anyway! Let that be a lesson to all you Apple fans and itunes addicts. You may think they're all fun and games with their slick image and superior performance, but it's like playing a dangerous round of Russian roulette...Yes, indeedy...Russian roulette."That's dangerous stuff. So today, folks, use caution with all electronic devices at area lakes and especially the DMS. We'll keep our eyes on any unexpected calamity threatening North Texas today, and we'll do our best to keep you informed. (Again...we're really sorry about that last tornado.) Back to you at the news desk
This is Stormy Weathers & Sunny Vine with the Cowtown weather forecast...Yesterday’s weather was a mixed bag. The day started out mostly sunny, but by midmorning the doplar radar showed an incoming localized tsunami threatening room 512 of the Central Library of UTA. Fortunately, it only hailed thoughtshots and snapshots briefly resulting in minor casualties.--We need to interrupt our forecast for late breaking news from the National Weather Service…ipods can cause severe burns when used during electrical storms. We asked Scott Massey, Director of Everything PC, for his opinion on the probability of such an occurrence. And I quote..."Oh sure. It's highly probable that anyone who owns a mac could end up looking like an old catchers mit...or worse. I never trusted them Mackeys anyway! Let that be a lesson to all you Apple fans and itunes addicts. You may think they're all fun and games with their slick image and superior performance, but it's like playing a dangerous round of Russian roulette...Yes, indeedy...Russian roulette."That's dangerous stuff. So today, folks, use caution with all electronic devices at area lakes and especially the DMS. We'll keep our eyes on any unexpected calamity threatening North Texas today, and we'll do our best to keep you informed. (Again...we're really sorry about that last tornado.) Back to you at the news desk
Critical Incident Essay
*Oliver, Oliver, what can I say. When he came to us, he was not exactly the model student however, he was a child with promise, short, beautiful smile, loved basketball, TV, and pizza . He enjoyed everything a child at his age should enjoy. He also understood something at his age that a child should never understand—life can be cold and parents can negatively alter their own child’s life by their poor choices. He learned a mother could be selfish. He learned his mother has other children—booze, maybe drugs. His mother probably did not plant roses outside of her window. She planted discord. His mother did not bake cookies for him, but she did cook his pride. She did not take the time to brush his hair, but she brushed any self worth he had out of him. Daily, along with the other kids, you could imagine him standing in the apartment complex, on the green grass, leaning up against the rusted metal fence looking at a world gone by…..
He was usually late to class due to being in the office or from just plain being in trouble. He never had his homework and when I called his home, I would hear, “He will have that tomorrow Ma’am.” This was the rundundant answer I heard all of the time. In class he would sleep, or sit back in his chair because he did not want to do anything. My grade level team members and I has ran out of options until one day we were in the science lab and noticed he was peeking in the science lab after school. The other teacher said, “What are you doing here!” He hesistantly asked “Can I please stay here and help you all?” He ended up being a big help. His assignments were still bad and he struggled with every subject-- there was no subject he did better or worse in. Then one day, we found out why he had been adamant about staying after school and not having his homework. His mother was in jail and his aunt and grandmother were doing the best they could raising him. The school nurse, who was a leader in a nursing organization, saw this frustrating him and appointed him along with several other students to be a junior member in her organization. We also found he responded to positive praise well. It was as if the child-like core of his broken spirit ignited at the precious, praise-filled words spoken by his teachers who wanted so badly to see him reach the finish line not just for the school year but a finish line that gave him the realization he knew he was worth teaching
If I could describe his growth during the school year, I would say he went through a metamorphosis like a butterfly. He first started out like a furry, wriggling, bitter-leaf eating caterpillar just waiting to be snatched up and eaten by a volatile insect. He then spun his cocoon—hiding who he was from everyone. Hiding his homework, hiding his answers in class because he felt he had nothing to offer. Yet, change was going on inside. He was changing for the better. Then slowly the cocoon began to crack. After wriggling again and again, one would have thought he was still a caterpillar because he was still forgetting homework from time to time. Then the moment of truth came. It was time to go to Houston on the intermediate field trip. He was officially coming out of this “cocoon.” Everyone was getting ready in the school gym at around 5:00 am. We were set to leave at 6:00 am to go to Houston for the intermediate trip. Where was Oliver? Why hadn't he come? He has not worked this hard for nothing! A sharp realization rose up within us. There was a possibility his grandmother would not let him go or she could not make it. Chances are someone overslept. I was so disappointed. We tried to call the house several times but no one answered. The “cocoon” may not have sustained him like we thought. The principal started roll call as my eyes nervously darted around the gym. “Hugo, Talisha , Manuel , James.” When Oliver’s name was called there was a dead silence. She paused, made a mark by his name and continued on with roll call. Then, who did we see walking through the door with his grandmother in tow? Oliver! Just as we were gathering things to load the bus, he came in right on time. He fell out of his cocoon, and like a butterfly, he emerged and he was wrinkly! His grandmother was trying to fix his clothes because they had rushed to school. If only he knew how happy his teachers were to see him. I wish you could see how much fun he had on that trip. His wings spread and soared in Houston. He fit in with the other boys and had a great time learning about space at NASA. He was a full butterfly, tried and true. He started the year like a caterpillar, but now he was a butterfly, going from flower to flower, opportunity to opportunity. Homework was being turned in on time and completed. Grades were going up, as well as his attention when questions were being asked.
Oliver will be in the seventh grade this year. He responded so well to positive attention. He genuinely needed love and support. Like many of our students today, he had many issues going on at home and it was a struggle just to walk through the doors of the school in the morning. It did not help that he was a struggling reader, writer and mathematician. When he was treated like somebody by the staff, he began to believe he was somebody—special.
He was usually late to class due to being in the office or from just plain being in trouble. He never had his homework and when I called his home, I would hear, “He will have that tomorrow Ma’am.” This was the rundundant answer I heard all of the time. In class he would sleep, or sit back in his chair because he did not want to do anything. My grade level team members and I has ran out of options until one day we were in the science lab and noticed he was peeking in the science lab after school. The other teacher said, “What are you doing here!” He hesistantly asked “Can I please stay here and help you all?” He ended up being a big help. His assignments were still bad and he struggled with every subject-- there was no subject he did better or worse in. Then one day, we found out why he had been adamant about staying after school and not having his homework. His mother was in jail and his aunt and grandmother were doing the best they could raising him. The school nurse, who was a leader in a nursing organization, saw this frustrating him and appointed him along with several other students to be a junior member in her organization. We also found he responded to positive praise well. It was as if the child-like core of his broken spirit ignited at the precious, praise-filled words spoken by his teachers who wanted so badly to see him reach the finish line not just for the school year but a finish line that gave him the realization he knew he was worth teaching
If I could describe his growth during the school year, I would say he went through a metamorphosis like a butterfly. He first started out like a furry, wriggling, bitter-leaf eating caterpillar just waiting to be snatched up and eaten by a volatile insect. He then spun his cocoon—hiding who he was from everyone. Hiding his homework, hiding his answers in class because he felt he had nothing to offer. Yet, change was going on inside. He was changing for the better. Then slowly the cocoon began to crack. After wriggling again and again, one would have thought he was still a caterpillar because he was still forgetting homework from time to time. Then the moment of truth came. It was time to go to Houston on the intermediate field trip. He was officially coming out of this “cocoon.” Everyone was getting ready in the school gym at around 5:00 am. We were set to leave at 6:00 am to go to Houston for the intermediate trip. Where was Oliver? Why hadn't he come? He has not worked this hard for nothing! A sharp realization rose up within us. There was a possibility his grandmother would not let him go or she could not make it. Chances are someone overslept. I was so disappointed. We tried to call the house several times but no one answered. The “cocoon” may not have sustained him like we thought. The principal started roll call as my eyes nervously darted around the gym. “Hugo, Talisha , Manuel , James.” When Oliver’s name was called there was a dead silence. She paused, made a mark by his name and continued on with roll call. Then, who did we see walking through the door with his grandmother in tow? Oliver! Just as we were gathering things to load the bus, he came in right on time. He fell out of his cocoon, and like a butterfly, he emerged and he was wrinkly! His grandmother was trying to fix his clothes because they had rushed to school. If only he knew how happy his teachers were to see him. I wish you could see how much fun he had on that trip. His wings spread and soared in Houston. He fit in with the other boys and had a great time learning about space at NASA. He was a full butterfly, tried and true. He started the year like a caterpillar, but now he was a butterfly, going from flower to flower, opportunity to opportunity. Homework was being turned in on time and completed. Grades were going up, as well as his attention when questions were being asked.
Oliver will be in the seventh grade this year. He responded so well to positive attention. He genuinely needed love and support. Like many of our students today, he had many issues going on at home and it was a struggle just to walk through the doors of the school in the morning. It did not help that he was a struggling reader, writer and mathematician. When he was treated like somebody by the staff, he began to believe he was somebody—special.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Response to Article
In reponse to the article:
As teachers, we are active researchers. We want to take action then journal the results. I think educational research is vital to us as educators better understanding our students, however, many researchers do take the objective approach and choose to research from afar without building relationships. Further we must realize that researchers of this capacity do this because if they get too involved, they can't get the clear, objective picture they are trying to research thus skewing the accuracy of results. This becomes a significant limitation on the study which in turn leading others to question the validity of the study. I do see what she means when she talks about the research process. It does seem at times that no one is trying to discover an answer. Research only prods which leads to more questions and more research!
Daily journaling is a great idea for teachers. We become the researcher in our own classroom! Why is this good? Because we know our students better than anyone in the school. Does not every teacher desire to affect a change? Why not write daily. There is no end to the patterns, mistakes, etc we may see or catch in daily journaling which will in the end lead us to be better educators. Teachers are researchers.
As teachers, we are active researchers. We want to take action then journal the results. I think educational research is vital to us as educators better understanding our students, however, many researchers do take the objective approach and choose to research from afar without building relationships. Further we must realize that researchers of this capacity do this because if they get too involved, they can't get the clear, objective picture they are trying to research thus skewing the accuracy of results. This becomes a significant limitation on the study which in turn leading others to question the validity of the study. I do see what she means when she talks about the research process. It does seem at times that no one is trying to discover an answer. Research only prods which leads to more questions and more research!
Daily journaling is a great idea for teachers. We become the researcher in our own classroom! Why is this good? Because we know our students better than anyone in the school. Does not every teacher desire to affect a change? Why not write daily. There is no end to the patterns, mistakes, etc we may see or catch in daily journaling which will in the end lead us to be better educators. Teachers are researchers.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
The Art of Writing
To write or not to write? The answer is quite obvious--to write! Writing is more than something we learn as a means of communication. It is more than the writer's workshops we went through as kids in school. It is a catharsis; a way of expression and sharing. Writing can be an art. Just like an artist paints a picture of the Tuscan country side with his oil paints, someone can paint a picture with words. The painter sees the picture in his mind...so does the writer. The painter may research, explore and attempt to become a part of the world of which he is painting...and so does the writer.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Hello!
Dr. Hirtle,
I am officially blogging! This is great. I am excited about this program this summer and I have already learned quite a bit today. I have had a good time with Joyce and Christine. I cannot wait to get started in July and etc. This is going to be great!
I am officially blogging! This is great. I am excited about this program this summer and I have already learned quite a bit today. I have had a good time with Joyce and Christine. I cannot wait to get started in July and etc. This is going to be great!
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