Double Journal Entry #11

Chapter 4:Simulations and Bodies

1. What does the author mean when he says, "Learning doesn't work well when learners are forced to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West." To me this means that learning is minimal when students are forced to sit and watch in the classroom like statues. Students who are engaged in learning with bodies and minds can take much more meaningful learning from a lesson. For students with learning difficulties and those without sitting and not engaging in learning is boring and difficult. Some students may feel as if they are sitting in class with Charlie Brown as the lesson just WA WA WA's its way to the end.

2. According to the author, what is the best way to acquire a large vocabulary? The author says that real world experiences and using vocabulary can build vocabulary. Reading is also talked about as a means of building vocabulary, but reading alone cannot be relied on to extend student vocabulary.

3. What gives a word a specific meaning? Words are given specific meaning by how they are used. In the English language in general one word can have multiple meaning and generally the only way to know what meaning the word takes on it has to be read in a context. In the book the example of coffee is given as a liquid, grounds, and cans and depending on what happened to the coffee in each sentence there were different methods of clean up required. If details were not given in the sentence, then the reader would be unaware of what he or she is dealing with.

4. What does the term "off the hook" mean in each of these sentences?
a. My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present. My sister broke up with her fiance, so now I don't have to buy a wedding gift; what a relief.
b. Them shoes are off the hook dog. Them shoes are awesome dog.
c. Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!! Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was crazy, you should have seen it!!

5. According to the author what is the"work" of childhood? Do you agree? Play, I agree because when children are playing they are learning from  one another. This is important to to building social interactions between children.

6.Why is NOT reading the instruction for how to play a game before playing a game a wise decision? One may not know the language of the manual before playing the game. If the player has a handle on the language then it will be easier to read and gain meaningful information from the instructional booklet. 

7. Does knowing the general or literal meaning of a word lead to strong reading skills? People need more than a literal meaning for words as they are reading so that there is room for interpretation. No one takes the same thing from the written word. Literal means are here for a reason but can lead to problems when faced with new never before seen materials. General means leave the words open to interpretation and help the readers to build meaning.

8. What does the author mean by the terms "identity" and "game". Give an example of 3 "identities" or "games" you play? I play the role of teacher when I walk into my clinical class, gamers play the role of the character they play as in the game, The president plays the role of commander and chief but at home he may play the role of father. 

9. According to the author what is good learning? Meaningful learning where students can navigate words and create meaning and uses successfully.

10. How does understanding that being able to build a mental model and simulations of a real-word experience is closely tied  to comprehending written and oral language support of change the way you think children should learn in school? Real experiences aid in comprehension because it is putting the student directly into the subject of the lesson. They were there, they did that, they understand how it went and why. I is huge when a student has an experience they can build meaning off of. 

11. Why is peer to peer interaction so important for the language development of young children? How does knowing this support or change the way you think children should learn in school? Students depend on teachers for learning but many have learned that depending on their peers is an even more helpful. Some students can learn more easily of they have someone on their level (or someone who can explain something on his or her level) reteach the material to them. This is a great opportunity to use think pair share or shoulder buddies to discuss what is going on in the lesson or unit of study. 

Double Entry Journal 9

Chapter 1: A strange fact about not learning to read.

1. What is the strange fact about not learning to read? Some professionals believe that there is a link between poor reading and race and class. There is a grouping of children who fall into a reading category and some of these labeled poor children do not fall into the category and therefore do not read. 

2. Why is this fact so strange? Because learning to read should have no bearing on where you come from. People are people and all people can learn one way or another (possibly excluding major cases of neurological problems.) It seems to me like some people are just wanting to write off and give up on children because they are a certain socioeconomic status or race. I happen to know a very gifted young man who is of very low socioeconomic status.

3. What is it about school that manages to transform children who are good at learning things like Pokeman into children who are not good at learning? We drill and kill phonics and things into the curriculum and forget about the things that interest and motivate student learning. 

4. What is the differences between a traditionalists approach to learning to read and more progressive educators? Traditionalists want to maintain the drill and kill learning of phonics to foster reading programs. They think that students are not getting enough practice on the sounds and letters that make up the words they are reading. They want to build skills, as the book says "assembly line" the skills where one builds off the other in order to learn to read. Progressive educators value a more meaning driven approach. Students should make meaning of what they are reading. It is more of a whole language approach to learning.

5. Is learning to read a natural process like learning to speak a language? Whole language advocates say that learning to read is like learning to speak. One picks up the ability to read like they pick up the ability to speak; by seeing and hearing others doing it.Linguists say other wise, they say that reading is not a natural occurance in life and that is has to be taught in some form or another.

6. What is the differences between natural, instructed and cultural processes and which process should reading be classified under? Natural occurs on its own and is picked up over time. Instructed is teaching one how to do something. Cultural is when a culture deems something useful and makes sure that all in their culture learn it. Reading can become an instructional process, but works much better as a cultural process.

7. How do humans learn best? Through instructional processes or through cultural processes? How is reading taught in school? Learning is better through the cultural process but schools generally try to turn it into an instructional process. Reading is taught by learning skills in the schools which takes on a more instructional process.

8. According to the author, what is the reason for the "fourth grade slump." Fourth grade students can read the words but some fail to read for comprehension when the materials begin to become challenging. 

9. What is a better predictor of reading success than phonemic awareness? early language ability, this is a poor term to use though according to the author.

10. What is the difference between "vernacular" and "specialist" varieties of language? Give an example of two sentences, one written in the vernacular and one written in a "a specialized variety",  about a topic in your content area. Vernacular is used in face to face everyday conversation and specialized are used for special events like academics, talking about something that has it's own language (video games.) "We went on a field trip yesterday and I sat with Lucy and Kaila, and Jenny, and Katie, and Megan." "My class went on a field trip yesterday. On the bus ride I sat with my friends."

11. What is "early language ability" and how is it developed? Early language ability is the developing of skills that can aid in the learning. Most students enter school understanding stories and things of that nature. This is an acquired ability that is learned through experience.

12. According to the author why and how does the traditionalist approach to teaching children to read fail? The traditionalists focus on the skills. They tend to teach drill and kill. They teach skills and how to read the words but it is not focused on making meaning from the words the students are reading.

13. Are parents of poor children to blame for their children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language before coming to school? No, not in my opinion. Some students who are "poor" have very good language and reading skills. Parents can only do so much at home for language and learning skills because they themselves my only have a limited language from their life and school time. some parents do the best they can to help.

14. Did you struggle with reading this text? Why? Are you a poor reader or are you unfamiliar with this variety of specialized language? I did not really have any trouble reading this text, I kind of enjoy reading some of the points that Gee makes in his writing. I am pretty good with the language things and I did understand the all of the Pokemon references (I never played the games but Pokemon was huge when I was about 10 years old.)

Another Student Interview

I had the opportunity to interview yet another of the students in my clinical class this semester. I chose this student because he is alway willing to talk to me about what is going on. He is a bright boy with some issues in his home life and anger. He tries hard in school and once he gets that hang of something he takes off like a shot and gets things done. I asked him a series of nine questions and he answered very thoroughly and very openly.


Do you enjoy school? Sort of. There are only a few good things I like. Going outside, eating lunch, breakfast, and snack, and making something from paper.

What Kind of student are you? I'm ____________ (he said his name.) Me.

What do you do for fun outside of school? Play tag with my friends. I chase them because I want them to be my friend. I spy on people like The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

How would your classmates describe you? I don't know. Sometimes they describe me kinda annoying. Two people don't want to be my friend (then he named names.)

Who are you friends with? What do you and your friends do together? Megan, Levi, Tristan, Breanna, Jasalyn, Corbin, most of my classmate and Mrs. Skinner. We ply games outside, tag an robots.

Tell me a good memory you have about school. Oh, can I tell you about my old school? (my answer: sure.) My greatest memory, Halloween lunch. I was Spiderman every year or The Pumpkin King, from the movie the Nightmare Before Christmas, you know the movie? (My answer: yes, I do it is one of my favorites.) My family, friends and school mates were there and we had pumpkin treats and lunch together.

Tell me a bad memory you have about school. Both schools. I used to have bad luck here (LES.) I was cursed. At my old school there was a mean teacher. She yells a lot.

Describe a “good” teacher or tell me about a favorite teacher you have had in the past. Mrs. Skinner here. She helped me control my anger and she is always there for me. Mrs. Beth at my old school taught preschool. I got to play in the sandbox and she has Toy Story toys.

What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you? That I really want her to stop giving out homework. That my family is a good family, but she already kinda knows that, and that she will always be my best friend.

The students then went on and told me:
The baddest thing is that they give out homework and make us work here. By the way it is bad luck here. Antwon does not want to be my friend don,da, don. And one last thing, they make me do different work and harder homework.

Double Journal Entry 8

Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional schooling
Introduction

1. What is the main challenge being addressed in the book?
     The main challenge being addressed in the book is the ways in which people learn and the language that surrounds learning for people. People are intimidated by different things some find school easy and their thing, but others find it unnerving and a "black hole" as the author describes.

2. What does the author mean by the phrase "ways with words"?

     "Ways with words," in this introduction seems to mean that people understand. People have a way with words that helps them to feel comfortable academically with what is being presented to them.

3. What is the core argument being made by the author of this book?

    The core argument being presented in this book to me are that people can learn but everyone is different. Each and every person has something they fully understand and feel comfortable with; if we can use this to help academically then success may be more easily achieved.

4. Give an example of a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" you have learned outside of school?

     I am a ghost hunter outside of my academics. In the hobby I have had to learn the language of ghost hunting. Entities, K2 meters, spirit boxes, mel vibes, all the technology, all the jargon, all the terminology. The trade is not all about running around in the dark; it takes on a scientific aura and requires language and study.

5. According to the author, how do people learn a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" best?

    People learn variety of language or "way of words" by finding something that are good at and using that as a tool to learn and make language less intimidating for the learner.

6. If people are to be successful in the 21st century, what must they become?

   To be successful in the 21st century one must become accustomed to the use of technology in learning and the language that surrounds this technology.

7. The author states that  learning academic language is NOT sufficient for success in modern society? Do you agree? Why or Why not?

     I agree, yet disagree. Some people have a built in understanding of the things that they read no matter what it is. Some people, like me, have a hard time understanding the things I read because of attention span or other reason; to me I feel that I would need to know academic language if I was reading a textbook in order to take information from the author. Another argument for the author is that the way teachers are teaching more and more often now (hands on and such) the focus is learning language through experience.

8. What do you think about this author's "way with words"?

    I like the author's writing style, he is academic and professional yet he writes so that everyone can understand what he is talking about. I feel that he is writing for example. He writes to explain what he is talking about, and writes in the way that he is talking about.

Student Interviews

For the 75 hour clinical we were instructed to interview a high performing student and a low performing student and record the results to nine questions. The students I interviewed were a high performing young boy and a low performing young girl in second grade. In my class of eighteen students there are eight students identified with special needs; none of the students are completely on level so I chose the highest and lowest performers.

Low Performing Student:
Do you enjoy school? Yes
What kind of students are you? Good
What do you do for fun outside of school? Play, ride bikes, play on swing set
How would your classmates describe you? Nice
Who are you friends with? what do you and your friends do together? Jasalyn, Megan, Isaiah, Breanna. "We play games."
Tell me a good memory you have about school. "It's good"
Tell me a bad memory you have about school. "Nothing"
Describe a "good" teacher or tell me about your favorite teacher you have had in the past. Mrs. Skinner (current teacher) "She is nice and she helps."
What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you? "I try really hard."


High Performing Student:
Do you enjoy school? Yes
What kind of students are you? Good
What do you do for fun outside of school? Play football with friends
How would your classmates describe you? Nice and funny
Who are you friends with? what do you and your friends do together? Tristin, Zach, and Levi. "Play outside"
Tell me a good memory you have about school. "My first day of school"
Tell me a bad memory you have about school.  "My friend got mad at me"
Describe a "good" teacher or tell me about your favorite teacher you have had in the past. Ms. T- "She was nice"
What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you? "That I am really nice"

 
I learned that really none of the students in my classroom are really "high performing." The High performing students I interviewed was really just the kid who was the most average. My low performing student really seems to have no idea that she is low performing. She really is just happy and smiley and seems to enjoy that her and her sister are now in the same grade. What she does not realize is that her younger sister will most likely pass her up academically. I know now that I will have to work extra hard with the entire class to help these students achieve. My teacher has a very difficult time with 8 of 18 students in her classroom identified as special needs. These students seem to never leave the classroom more then once a day for extra help. I would love to interview one other student in my clinical classroom (that was absent the day I interviewed) to see what he has to say to the questions because he is very open with me about things.

Journal Entry #7

Challenges to Inquiry approach learning:

• Making sure the learning is meaningful and that it is something the students truly care about.
• If the end result is not what the student expected the teacher has to be there to explain what may have happened.
• If the project is huge (like the Borneo Project) the students must be prepared to accept defeats and that things like this are a part of life.
•  Problem based and project based projects take time, a lot of time, to plan and prep.
• Assessment can be a challenge.
• Tools, software, technology may not all be available.
• Community and school factors (parents may question this style of learning.)

There are many challenges to setting up something like this in the classroom but I am sure in the long run the success is worth the time and effort put forth.