Oglan:
Oglan introduces that spelling is a very debatable subject with people all over having different opinions about how it should be taught and its importance in a person's life. The history of spelling can date all the way back to the late 1400's (the invention of the printing press). Several centuries later, authors were creating dictionaries and deciding for themselves the proper way words should be spelled. By doing this, dictionaries have stood the test of time and outlined for us the difference between 'correct' and 'incorrect' spelling. Now that words had only one correct way to spell it, some people began wondering how would you teach this concept?
In 1847, Joseph Mayer Rice proposed that phonics is the only way to truly understand how to spell. While I see where Mr. Rice is coming from, I believe sounds can sometimes be decieving? Take the word 'busy'. It is prounouced as it sounds like their would be a 'Z' in it, but the word contains none. There are so many loopholes to the rules of the English language.
From phonics progressed memorization. While schools in this time used deep immersion in a wide variety of printed texts (which I support), I do not think that by having a child see a word that they can be able to memorize the spelling and gain full comprehension of the meaning of the word. This idea of memorization is carried on today in the form of weekly spelling tests but does the student actually benefit? Most educator think not.
From what we have seen through history, educators have been able to define 3 different types of spellers in a classroom. Reluctant Spellers use high frequency words, focuses on accuracy, does not take risks, prefers to work alone, and typically generates very little text. Developing Spellers use functional spelling, are often not risk takers, are comfortable asking for help, work with other students, and rely mostly on the 'sounding-out' strategy. Independent Spellers are comfortable with functional spelling, ask questions, willing to help others, displays self-confidence, and are able to self edit written work.
Oglan also address different strategies to teach and correct spelling in the classroom. I found it interesting that he also address ESL students and struggles for them in spelling and communication as well. With teachers seeing more and more diversity withing a classroom it is crucial that educators address the needs of EVERY student.
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Sipes:
The main argument in Sipes's article is that "we need to look closely as children's emerging capacties as writer's, focusing on the issue if invented (or temporary) spelling, and its use and misuse in classroom practice." The errors children make while spelling are not roadblocks to writing, but instead can show the teacher how children understand sound/letter relationships. Since each child will learn differently in can give the teacher direction toawards what each individual student needs to focus on.
Inventive spelling, with the use of helpful teacher intervention, can help students come up with correct conclusions to how words are spelled. Being able to hear sounds in words and then using interactive writing are methods of practice a Sipes recommends teachers use in their classroom.
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Wilde:
As discussed in the Oglan article, the way spelling should be taught has changed throughout time. We now understand that children can not simply see a word, memorize it, and be able to produce a correct spelling of that word. It takes great understand of phonics and definition of that word. Wilde's approach to explaing spelling strategies first starts with the student showing ownership in the spelling process.
A child should be aware of their individual goals (this will vary from person to person and by age level). Spelling is a process, not something that can be grasped overnight. That is why taking small steps will not overwhelm students. A young student will not have every word spelled correcly on a final draft, but as student grow older that percentage of correctly spelled words should gradually increase. This is how teachers can measure how well their students are grasping this concept. By the time students are in upper elementary school, a teacher can discuss with students the role correct spelling will have on employment and future education.
Wilde has outline 5 strategies of spelling; placeholder spelling, human resources, using textual resouces, creating a print rich environment, and dictionary use. Ironically, these are similar strategies that Cambourne (an author of an article for EDUC-E340) has came up with that outlines strategies on how to have students develop their reading skills.
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FINAL THOUGHTS: It seems that all aspects of a typical elementary school curriculum have changed drastically since schools were first established. Overall, we recognize that students cannot simply memorize how to do things. It is a teacher's job to create a learning environment that surrounds the students in materials that are new and expansive to a child's mind, no matter what the subject.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Crafting Writer Ch 1-3 & 6
Chapter 1:
This chapter was an insightful way of explaining to future educators just what is the writing process and how it pertains to students. I liked that they referred to writing as a "science" and an "art" and while there are so many rules of structure, there is plenty of room for individual choices. Nowadays, schools want teacher to teach "the craft of writing" - the artistic side. How do you instruct students to become more artistic, though? During the time that most teachers attended elementary school, writing artistically was not emphasized, so in a way it is a learning experience for us all.
Chapter 2:
Like most things, in writing practice makes perfect. You cannot simply show children examples of 'good' writing. As a teacher you must have them practice working on writing techniques. However, as an instructor it is best to have students work on 1 or 2 specific techniques at a time. Once that is mastered, then a new techniques should be practiced. As an educator, we know that a classroom will be full of students each at a different skill level. That is why it is important for each student to be aware of their individual writing goals. Some of the things a teacher should show students is how to incorporate their own voice in their writings, adding specific detail, asking questions, and adding variety. One way to do this is to teach "under an umbrella" - teaching several mini lessons over the course of a few class periods that fall under one larger catagory.
Chapter 3:
"Reading like a writer" is how students begin to add experience to their 'craft'. Their are 3 ways students can add to their craft - 1) recognizing small, specific parts of other well-written writings, 2) naming specific parts of the craft such as parts of speech, word variations, and interesting combinations 3) answering questions about the quality and structure of the writing and being able to describe/support your answer.
Chapter 6:
I was suprised to read that most primary elementary school children do not typically write at the age-level they are at. Ways to improve younger students writing craft is to have them practice drawing, writing words, and working on their basic craft. I found it interesting that a students drawing skills are linked to their writing skills. Specificity in drawing is just as important as specificity in writing, and can create visual pictures of what teachers mean by saying "Be more specific!" Likewise, writing words can help a child improve their writing craft. Learning a variety of words can help children add variety to their writings that they create. Another way to help students improve their craft at a younger age is to give them a variety of mediums to write and illustrate on. One example from the book was that lines on a page a can either restrict the student to write less than they possibly could or make them feel pressured to write too much.
This chapter was an insightful way of explaining to future educators just what is the writing process and how it pertains to students. I liked that they referred to writing as a "science" and an "art" and while there are so many rules of structure, there is plenty of room for individual choices. Nowadays, schools want teacher to teach "the craft of writing" - the artistic side. How do you instruct students to become more artistic, though? During the time that most teachers attended elementary school, writing artistically was not emphasized, so in a way it is a learning experience for us all.
Chapter 2:
Like most things, in writing practice makes perfect. You cannot simply show children examples of 'good' writing. As a teacher you must have them practice working on writing techniques. However, as an instructor it is best to have students work on 1 or 2 specific techniques at a time. Once that is mastered, then a new techniques should be practiced. As an educator, we know that a classroom will be full of students each at a different skill level. That is why it is important for each student to be aware of their individual writing goals. Some of the things a teacher should show students is how to incorporate their own voice in their writings, adding specific detail, asking questions, and adding variety. One way to do this is to teach "under an umbrella" - teaching several mini lessons over the course of a few class periods that fall under one larger catagory.
Chapter 3:
"Reading like a writer" is how students begin to add experience to their 'craft'. Their are 3 ways students can add to their craft - 1) recognizing small, specific parts of other well-written writings, 2) naming specific parts of the craft such as parts of speech, word variations, and interesting combinations 3) answering questions about the quality and structure of the writing and being able to describe/support your answer.
Chapter 6:
I was suprised to read that most primary elementary school children do not typically write at the age-level they are at. Ways to improve younger students writing craft is to have them practice drawing, writing words, and working on their basic craft. I found it interesting that a students drawing skills are linked to their writing skills. Specificity in drawing is just as important as specificity in writing, and can create visual pictures of what teachers mean by saying "Be more specific!" Likewise, writing words can help a child improve their writing craft. Learning a variety of words can help children add variety to their writings that they create. Another way to help students improve their craft at a younger age is to give them a variety of mediums to write and illustrate on. One example from the book was that lines on a page a can either restrict the student to write less than they possibly could or make them feel pressured to write too much.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Coffee Shop Literacy Dig
The term "literacy dig" was a teaching technique that I had never heard of before. I enjoyed "digging" and finding literacy in small things, like coffee shops. So I packed my notebook and headed off to Seattle's Best Coffee shop located inside Borders.
One of the things I noticed was the inviting atmosphere. Warm colors, like reds and golds, were splashed throughout the shop. A faint saxophone played jazz over the intercom. Customers also had the choice to sit at a spacious table or a cozy chair. All of these attributes made this coffee shop condusive to reading. While people sipped their coffee, most were reading books, magazines, laptops, newspapers, or textbooks. Who knew coffee and literacy would go hand-in-hand.
Now most of us have visited a coffee shop before and expect to see people sipping their cup of joe while reading something, but what about the lingo? Seattle's Best, like most, is a coffee shop with its own flair to literacy. Latte. Espresso. Fair Trade. Fruitkula. Cremekula. Javakula. All of these words were unique to Seattle's Best's lingo. People were not only reading and deciphering things in their own books, but just ordering things off the menu required defining what some of these terms mean.
Coffee shops are not the only place where 'literacy digs' can be completed, but was an interesting way to take a look at some of the ways people read throughout their everyday lives.
One of the things I noticed was the inviting atmosphere. Warm colors, like reds and golds, were splashed throughout the shop. A faint saxophone played jazz over the intercom. Customers also had the choice to sit at a spacious table or a cozy chair. All of these attributes made this coffee shop condusive to reading. While people sipped their coffee, most were reading books, magazines, laptops, newspapers, or textbooks. Who knew coffee and literacy would go hand-in-hand.
Now most of us have visited a coffee shop before and expect to see people sipping their cup of joe while reading something, but what about the lingo? Seattle's Best, like most, is a coffee shop with its own flair to literacy. Latte. Espresso. Fair Trade. Fruitkula. Cremekula. Javakula. All of these words were unique to Seattle's Best's lingo. People were not only reading and deciphering things in their own books, but just ordering things off the menu required defining what some of these terms mean.
Coffee shops are not the only place where 'literacy digs' can be completed, but was an interesting way to take a look at some of the ways people read throughout their everyday lives.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
"That's Online Writing..." Response and Opinions
I found this article about incorporating technology, such as online blogs, into student English curriculum to be very informative. I had never considered using blogging in my future classroom until I read the article.
Shelbie Witte was an 8th grade middle school teacher who was familiar with the moans and groans of students as she asked them to write in their journals. One student in particular, "Cassandra", normally did not participate. A parent-teacher conference revealed that "Cassandra's" lack of enthusiam was not for writing, but the medium used for writing. Through a brief discussion Ms. Witte began to understand how to make her student's enjoy writing even more. Most of her students were "hungry for writing" and blogging became the answer.
Ms. Witte's Talback Project began in Spring 2005, but it wasn't until November 2005 that all the bugs had been worked out. Teachers responding to the blogs were showing students how to appreciate, understand, and relate to texts that they were reading. It "gave them a voice".
I fully support Ms. Witte's use of blogging in the classroom. Part of the problem with students not participating is that they are not engaged. I even liked that she protected the student's privacy by giving them all pseudonyms. While I hope to teach at an elementary school one day, not a middle school, I think that it can still be incorporated in the classrooms with younger students too.
Shelbie Witte was an 8th grade middle school teacher who was familiar with the moans and groans of students as she asked them to write in their journals. One student in particular, "Cassandra", normally did not participate. A parent-teacher conference revealed that "Cassandra's" lack of enthusiam was not for writing, but the medium used for writing. Through a brief discussion Ms. Witte began to understand how to make her student's enjoy writing even more. Most of her students were "hungry for writing" and blogging became the answer.
Ms. Witte's Talback Project began in Spring 2005, but it wasn't until November 2005 that all the bugs had been worked out. Teachers responding to the blogs were showing students how to appreciate, understand, and relate to texts that they were reading. It "gave them a voice".
I fully support Ms. Witte's use of blogging in the classroom. Part of the problem with students not participating is that they are not engaged. I even liked that she protected the student's privacy by giving them all pseudonyms. While I hope to teach at an elementary school one day, not a middle school, I think that it can still be incorporated in the classrooms with younger students too.
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