Entry 1: Introduction
ENTRY 1: Introduction
Here is my first entry. Leave comments down below.
Entry 2: Interview with Lynnie
Reflection I have known Lynnie for at least 12 years, but we have never discussed how she learned English after their family moved to the United States. I knew that we both shared the same home language, Tamil, but was unaware that she had no prior knowledge or exposure to English while she was growing up in India. However I was aware that she was placed in ESL when she started school here. I was extremely glad to hear that her teachers were patient with her as she was learning English. In the text it states that “the ways teachers organize their programs and practices helps students adjust to the everyday practices, the system of values and beliefs, and the means and manners of communication at school and in society” (Wright, 2015, p. 29). While it was not mentioned in the video, I had asked Lynnie if she ever experienced feeling like an outcast because she knew little to no English when she started school here, but she quickly responded with “No I was so young when I began le...
No matter what the languages are, I think it is so beneficial to be bilingual, especially as a teacher. “ELL students are among the fastest- growing demographic groups of students in the U.S.” (Wright, 2015, p.1). I am sure that you have had experience in working with ELLs in your student teaching placement and hopefully you have seen just how diverse they can be. In your video, you mentioned that ELL students could have high levels of anxiety in school and I could not agree with you more. I have personally seen how teachers try to fully immerse students in English, but this ends up discouraging them and leads to them not wanting to participate in fear of rejection or teasing.
ReplyDeleteYour idea of your interactive word wall for your math class seems great. I also have something similar planned for my future math class. As teachers, we should be aware of our students’ individual differences and find ways to incorporate that information into our class. Involving ur students’ parents and outside life in our class can lead to great benefits (Wright, 2015). Imagine how much more comfortable and less anxious our students could be if we got to know them and their individual qualities. I believe that there is always room for improvement and with the help of this class and others, we can find ways to successfully lead our students to success.
Excellent point in regards to teachers trying to fully immerse ELLs in English, but it results in less participation and like you said fear of rejection from their peers. In fact I saw this happen today with one of my students. He usually does not speak in whole group discussions because for one, his English is poor, and two, he just does not feel comfortable speaking in front of the class, but we had a guest speaker who called on him a few times and I could hear the hesitation and fear in his voice. As educators "we need to know which language problems will resolve themselves and which problems need attention and intervention" (Wright, 2015, p. 29). I think a way to achieve this is to first do what you mentioned and be aware of our students' individual needs. We cannot make appropriate instructional plans without first getting to know the ins and outs of all our students.
DeleteHi Maggie
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching your video, the language your speaking is really beautiful. I think is really important to always where are you came from and your cultural roots. I believe the language experience you had will help you in your future classroom, according to Wright," knowing the student's home language or language allows the teacher to provide primary language support". (P.17) I look forward to knowing you better in our class.
Thank you so much Fei. Tamil is truly a beautiful language and the culture surrounding it is just as beautiful. Knowing the students' home language can definitely expedite their process of learning and acquiring English. I mention culture specifically because Wright talks about students' cultural backgrounds. I believe teachers should do everything in their power to become knowledgeable of their students' cultural backgrounds and how their culture influences how they learn (p. 17). Especially in the Houston area, our schools are so diverse, and instructional strategies/practices in one school may not be appropriate or successful in another school with an entirely different makeup of students. The more we know about a student's experiences and what their norm is, the more he or she will be willing to learn from you.
DeleteMaggie,
ReplyDeleteI loved learning more about you, and was fascinated about Tamil as a language and its roots. The way you learned Tamil was very similar to how I learned sign language. Although the languages are completely different, they were taught in the same manner. The alphabet was taught first, and was then used to help us learn other words. This was similar to how you learned Tamil, except we did not have to learn sounds that came with each letter. I am also not fluent in my second language, but like yourself I know enough to get by. It’s interesting that you watch Tamil movies, and I think that will also help develop your fluency in the language!
I have been watching Tamil movies and shows for over half my life now, and I believe the consistent exposure I have to the language helps me to never forget it. When I think about ELLs and their exposure to English, it could vary from student to student. While I believe it is important to create opportunities in the classroom for ELLs to use the language, whether it be oral or writing activities, I also do not want to cause any feelings of unnecessary stress or anxiety while they complete such activities. How do we as educators be sure we are not overwhelming our ELLs with the workload? How do we make a smooth transition from using their home language to their second language with ease?
DeleteHi Maggie
ReplyDeleteMy name is Crystal, I admit that I am a bit envious of you for having family that was determined that you know the native language. This being said my family would teach my brother and I Spanish words when we were children, though left it up mostly to our high school classes for us to learn the bulk of our adaptably limited Spanish. You mentioned think pare share in your video, I think that that would be a great way of bringing the students to be comfortable speaking and feel free of criticism from their classmates. Making sure students feel comfortable and safe in their classroom in my opinion is one of the keep point to address before jumping into their academic instruction, along with the history of the student (S) themselves. As Wright states “experience leads to expertise, the more the teacher knows about a student’s experiences, the more they can assume about the expertise that the students is likely to have” (p. 17)
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Did you find your high school Spanish classes to be beneficial? Did they aid in your learning of Spanish? I know you said "limited Spanish," but I am curious to know if that also entails your ability to comprehend the language when it is spoken aloud. Now as for creating a classroom environment in which students feel safe, this is truly the foundation of my teaching philosophy. The way in which our students learn the content, and for our ELLs, the language it is being presented in, depends on the learning environment. While I understand this class is focused on English language learners, I hope to also acquire some new knowledge on how to improve classroom management so I can lead my students to success.
DeleteMaggie
DeleteFor my only knowing a few words or phrases in Spanish, I would say that yes my high school classes did help me expand my Spanish speaking ability a far more than it was before. What I mean by limited Spanish is that I can speak at what could be seen as simple kids level of speaking, so introductory level. I am better at understanding what is being said in a conversation if the speakers are using simple terms and at a slow pace. I am able to read and sort of write in Spanish but as I said at an introductory level.
When it comes to replying, that is where my trouble is. Broken up sentences that are either stilted or wrongly congregated with a word or two forgotten.
I also hope to improve my classroom management skills to better the students learning and to build a community with the students so that they feel as part of the class and not just visiting students.
Your introduction video is very professional and you express yourself about methodology really well. I hope this class will allow you to achieve all the goals you have in mind.
ReplyDelete