Summative Assessment

          Over the course of this semester, I acquired an incredible amount of knowledge.  I learned more than skills and ideas for assignments, though.  I discovered that literacy is much more than one’s ability to comprehend and/or produce written language.  It entails a person’s progression from novice to master in any given field.  “Oh, you play softball well?  Then you are literate in that field.”  “You learned how to crochet and now have a wardrobe full of sweaters?  You are obviously literate in the field of yarn creations.”  The point is, if a person is a master of a task, they are literate.  It is my job as a teacher to try to incorporate those multitudes of literacies into my classroom.  Do not get me wrong: reading and writing are necessary for academic success, but they are not the only factors teachers need to consider when giving instruction.  I also know that in order for students to become more adept readers and writers, they must practice as much as possible.  Building proficiency is hard work, and students must learn the skills they will need to succeed.  As teachers, it is our job to model our knowledge and let our students borrow it in order to become masters themselves. 

            When I look back over this course and consider the most valuable learning experiences I have had, three come to mind: my observations/co-teaching at NPHS, the NELMS Conference, and the cooperative learning activities.  I was incredibly excited and nervous to complete the observations and teach two lessons.  I met with Ms. Cellucci, a phenomenal English teacher over at North Providence High School.  She coached me and helped build my confidence when I was unsure of myself.  I expressed some concerns to her at the beginning of my observations about my anxiety of standing in front of a group of seniors who did not know me.  In all honesty, I was panicking—fear of the unknown and all that.  She sat me down and told me that it was normal to be tense; nonetheless, I should never let that stop me.  After talking to her, I still encountered nervousness, but I knew that with her support and guidance I would be just fine.

            After I had completed the observations, Dominique and I met several times over the course of two weeks to create our lessons.  Before this experience, I did not know how much harder it is to make lessons with another person than it is to do the job alone.  Scheduling conflicts made the process troublesome, but the most time-consuming part of the assignment was making sure that my partner and I were on the exact same page.  We had to be specific when we spoke to each other about our ideas to avoid confusion.  As difficult as it was though, I thoroughly enjoyed the co-teaching experience.  I was able to do something I love with a person whose company I greatly enjoy.

            The second valuable learning experience I encountered came when I attended the NELMS 34^th Annual Conference for middle level educators.  Several of my friends from another class were there as well, so we decided to stick together.  We all looked through the brochure and decided which sessions we wanted to attend after the keynote speaker had completed his presentation.  Three of us decided to visit a session titled “Using Writing and Media to Persuade.”  This session sounded the most interesting to me because writing is a love of mine, and I would like to find any way I can to help students feel passionate about writing.  I was not disappointed.  The entire concept of the meeting was to encourage students to write about topics relevant to their strong beliefs and interests.  The speaker used one of her students as an example for those in attendance.  The girl in question was an avid equestrian, and was appalled when she learned of the poor treatment horses receive in circus shows.  She wrote a scathing review that highlighted her staunch beliefs about animal rights, and berated the deplorable way circus animals are treated.  I not only appreciated the student’s viewpoint, but also the way she conveyed her message to readers.  According to the presenter, this student had claimed that she disliked writing assignments in the past; however, when given the opportunity to write on a topic she had strong beliefs about, she completed the task and did a wonderful job.  This goes to prove that if teachers would simply incorporate non-academic literacies into their assignments, students would feel a deeper engagement with their tasks and be more willing to complete the work.

            The last (but certainly not least) valuable learning experience I had during the semester was our cooperative learning day.  Up until that class, I really did not know that there was a difference between cooperative learning and simple group work—in my mind, they were interchangeable.  I have had experience in my past with cooperative learning, but I considered those activities to be excellent group work assignments and nothing more.  When I look back on my academic career, I can see that the most effective experiences I have had while participating in group activities came when teachers fostered cooperative learning environments.  Cooperative learning puts an emphasis on community and structured learning where group work simply thrusts students together in hopes that they will accomplish something.  Once I learned the distinction between the terms, I decided that I would try to use cooperative learning instead of group work as much as possible in my future classroom.  I want to make sure that my students attain as much learning as possible, and group work does not always allow that to happen.

            As far as my final grade goes, I do not really know what I deserve.  I tried to do my very best: I did the reading, I participated in class, and I (mostly) turned my assignments in on their due dates.  On the other hand, this semester my classes have been difficult, and life outside of school has been troubling, to say the least.  That being the case, I know that doing my best was not always enough.  I suppose, if I were to give myself a letter grade, it would be a low “A” or a high “B.”  Maybe I am giving myself too much credit—I do not know.  What I am sure of is that I gave every possible effort to be successful in this class.

            When the class began, I was a bit overwhelmed, to say the least.  I saw all of the rubrics and hand-outs and had a “how in the world am I ever going to get through this” moment.  I was able to calm myself down once I got home because I decided to drink “too” much coffee (as if that is possible) and finish re-reading The Return of the King.  When I was reading, I came across a passage that I had noticed, but never paid attention to before.  During this portion of the book, Sam is engaged in an internal argument.  Defeatist Sam says, “You might just as well lie down now and give it up. You'll never get to the top anyway."  Immediately following those lines, Optimistic Sam says, "I'll get there, if I leave everything but my bones behind (…)."  This may sound a bit silly, but that short passage hit me hard.  I realized that I had been fretting over “so much work” and did not consider that I could handle it.  I was able to comprehend that, although there were many assignments and hurdles ahead of me, my track record so far for living through difficult situations has been 100%... and that is pretty good.

            I know the anecdote located mere centimeters above seems out of place for this assignment—what do Samwise Gamgee, heavy workloads, and survival rates have to do with what I learned in this course?  The answer is: everything.  When I think back about all the useful information I was able to obtain over the course of this class, I am struck by the realization that I had not truly considered the amount of work and effort that goes into teaching until I read Sam’s words.  I know that my chosen career will cause me to lose sleep trying to keep up with all my responsibilities.  I also know that I am capable of doing what I must (strictly within the parameters of the law, of course) to accomplish my goals.  Laying down and giving up are not options.  Teachers are responsible for the education of countless not-yet-fully-grown people—that is not something to be flippant about.  I now understand, at least a little bit, how much labor teaching entails, and I look forward to the challenge.

NELMS Conference Letter

Dear Ms. Rief,

            I would like to begin this correspondence by thanking you for your presentation at the conference.  I appreciated you making the trip all the way to Providence from your home in New Hampshire to speak with those of us in attendance.  When I looked through the available workshops, yours stood out to me immediately.  I wanted to find a session which dealt with literacy and writing, and yours provided both.  I think your idea to combine writing and current media events is wonderful, and the inclusion of political comics and videos was inspired.

            I was once assigned a project somewhat like the one you spoke about.  My teacher did not give me or my peers the opportunity to pick topics relevant to our beliefs and interests, though.  Sadly, I do not feel as if my experience with this type of project was successful, but it sounds as if it was for your students.  Since you gave students the opportunity to choose topics which pertain to their lives and personal cares, you gave them an incentive to do their best because they were personally invested.  I especially appreciated that you included a writing sample from one of your students.  I was surprised and pleased to learn that this project helped the young lady want to write.  Furthermore, I would like it if you could pass on a message to her from me.  “Thank you for sharing your beliefs and research on examples of animal cruelty found in circus companies.  I loved reading your essay, and am happy to have found a kindred spirit on a topic which is so important to me.  Please keep writing and sharing your heart.  Every little bit helps make the world a better place.”

            I would also like to commend you for your inclusion of political cartoons and video.  I enjoyed seeing the graphics and videos your students created to complement their writing.  I would like to implement this idea in my own classroom for writing projects one day.  It allows students with different learning styles to interact with the assignment in a fun, constructive way.  This creative aspect of the assignment allows students to play with various mediums of communication which thoroughly enhances their learning.

            Thank you again for presenting at the conference.  Your contribution is one I will not soon forget.

Sincerely,

Denise Roberts

Teacher Candidate at Rhode Island College

D&Z Ch. 12

            The final chapter in Daniels and Zemelman’s book functions somewhat like an overview of previously discussed material.  Some of the points which struck me the most are things that I have believed for a very long time.  1.) Students need to read a lot; volume, quantity, and practice count.  In this case, D&Z use studies to back up their claim that students who read more will do better on standardized test reading scores.  They do not simply cite claims to support their beliefs.  In fact, they go so far as to mention opposing claims and refute them with their research.  Opposing views mention that some students read more because they are better readers, instead of students becoming better readers because they read more.  Although I have not done research on either of these viewpoints, I would think it only logical that students who do more reading would become better readers.  That is not to say that students must read books by Stephen Hawking or Jane Austen all the time in order to become better readers.  Give them a copy of Harry Potter and let them have some fun.  Even if their reading levels do not improve, the worst that could happen is that they read a book—I’m not exactly seeing the bad there.

            Another point I would like to highlight from the chapter claims that students need to read plenty of material at a comfortable reading, recreational reading level, not frustration level.  I think these two points go hand-in-hand.  Students do not need to read “hard” books in order to glean knowledge.  For instance, think about literary theory.  Students do not need to read Saussure’s essays on linguistics in order to discover that assigned words are arbitrary in nature; give them a wordless graphic novel and they will discover that on their own with very little prompting.  My point is this: reading does not have to be incredibly difficult for students to learn from it.  In fact, studies have shown that students’ reading improves if no more than 10% of the content is difficult for them to grasp.  Reading material does not have to be hard to be important.

 

 

 

D&Z Ch. 11

            I think we have all heard the old adage, “do as I say, not as I do.”   Here’s the problem with that: life doesn’t work that way, and neither does teaching.  Typically speaking, this phrase is used as a cop-out for authority figures who want to enforce the rules for others, but have the opportunity to break the rules for themselves.  This sort of elitist attitude does not normally compute with young people, or older people, if I am being totally honest.  In a perfect world, the phrase would be, “do as I say, and I’ll show you how by doing it myself.”  In chapter 11 of Subject Matters, Daniels and Zemelman discuss this concept as it pertains to teaching students how to interact with text.  Here is the point behind their discussion: instead of telling students what to do and expecting them to do it, show them how to do it.  The most effective teachers are those who allow students to borrow their expertise in order to become masters themselves.

 

            Reading comprehension is not an instinctual action; the brain does not see a configuration of letters and automatically understand the words and how they connect to each other.  Just like reading itself, comprehension must be taught.  D&Z suggest that “teachers use ‘think-alouds’ to demonstrate meaningful thinking, giving instruction rather than just instructions.”  This means that teachers should be doing what they ask their students to do, instead of just telling them what to do.  When I think about modeling in this case, baseball comes to mind.  I could have a group of people sitting in a classroom listening to me explain how to catch a grounder.  If I do not show them how it is done, however, they will never truly understand how the process works.  It is the same with teaching students how to be effective readers.  They may have a general understand of what is being asked of them in theory, but without modeling, the chances of them being able to convert theory to practice is slim.  As educators, it is our job to show them how to bridge the gap.

 

D&Z Chs. 9-10

           Chapter 9 in Subject Matters deals with book clubs and how to implement them in the classroom.  I just want to say that book clubs can be an excellent learning tool.  The whole idea of letting students work together in collaborative groups while reading a book to escape typical “school time” is awesome.  If it is done correctly, book clubs offer students the opportunity to experience books outside of common reading lists, build vocabulary, practice respectful interaction with peers, and become elf-regulated learners.  There is one, large set-back, though.  Some teachers may wonder how they can get students to participate in the activity.  Never fear: D&Z were kind enough to offer some suggestions to this problem.

 

 

            Student participation is fundamental in utilizing book clubs.  In fact, I have been involved with a couple—some were successful and enriching for me as a student, and some were absolutely not.  The common denominator for those groups which were successful for me was student-decided norms.  In those classes, my teachers let individual groups decide what the rules would be.  The ineffective book clubs did not involve students’ input on the norms for the group.  I think letting students decide how their clubs will work offers another layer of motivation to complete the work and participate in discussions.  Furthermore, students will hold each other accountable to get the work done. 

            Another thing to consider is group size.  D&Z suggest that the target group size is four members.  Two or three members do not offer enough diverse input, and smaller groups are too vulnerable to absences.  Groups of six or more allow some students are able to hide and rely upon other members to do the work.  Four people, however, will be able to share equal responsibility.  This target number will also offer a good range of input from a diverse group. 

 

            (The video below offers a visual over-view of many of the concepts discussed in the text.)

D&Z Chs. 6-7

         After reading Chapters 6 and 7 in Subjects Matter, I considered the idea of classroom community.  How can teachers foster empathetic relationships between students?  How can people see others as worthy, even though they may look or act differently than what we are used to?  Honestly, this is a terrifying thought for me.  I realize that I am going to be in charge of so many students, and before I can effectively teach them, they need to feel safe.  I will be responsible for creating a safe and nurturing environment which caters to each of my students.  What a daunting thought.  Really, when you think about it, each and every one of us needs to be conscious about overcoming our prejudices—and these do not always have to do with race or sexual orientation. 

            Fear of the unknown is an ugly beast.  Until we get to know someone, they are simply a number lumped in with a group of people outside the norm for us.  How can we, as human beings and teachers of future generations, create and foster an environment of compassion and empathy?  How can we help students understand that no matter how different their peers are that they are still human?  I know I am asking a lot of questions, but they are not rhetorical.  I do not have solid answers for these questions.  I find myself scared of things I do not understand all the time, so how can I help my students look beyond their worldview to really see another person if I am scared to do the same?

            Over the years, I have gotten advice from my Aunt who has been a teacher for almost 20 years.  She has always told me that, in order to get past fear and prejudice, we need to see others as people who are worthy of love and respect on a fundamental level—just because they are people.  Her strategy for doing this involves asking her students to work with people they do not know in class.  She says that once you see a person instead of a member of a different group, empathy develops.  So far, she has had a fairly high success rate.  No one should ever be made to feel like they do not belong.  As teachers, our job is to make sure that they are able to participate and learn, no matter what.

Strong Ch. 6

            After reading chapter 6 by Strong, I realized that this type of writing assignment has been the most successful for me as a student and as a teacher.  I remember teachers giving me writing assignments that follow this “CRAFT” (or even “RAFT”) format and they were the ones loved to write.  They allow students to play and be creative.  Furthermore, they allow students to put a piece of themselves into their writing by owning it and taking control.  What is better than letting students own their writing so they enjoy it?  Nothing!

            A couple semesters ago, I was asked to create a writing assignment based upon the graphic novel “The Arrival” by Shaun Tan. 

First of all, I highly recommend this book to all of you.  The art is incredible and the blending of the different story lines is outstanding.  (I am not exactly an emotional reader, but one of the stories made me tear up.)  Without words, the author is able to pull his readers into his story and make them understand what it means to be an immigrant in a foreign country.  Anyway, I created this writing assignment and decided to test it out.  I lent the book to three middle school students who I tutor.  After they finished the story, I asked them to create short pieces of writing based on my assignment.  The results were great.  None of the kids were very enthusiastic about writing, but my assignment made them want to do more.  I was so excited!  I realized that, with a little extra effort, I could help students love to write.  For anyone who is interested, here is a shortened version of the assignment:

           

Consider the written language in The Arrival (see photo). Interpret images from the book and become one of the characters.  You may compose letters, form journal entries, or record a video diary describing how this unknown language has challenged you in this new world.  These letters may either be addressed to another character from the book or your own family members/ friends.

 

Requirements:

You must have 3 entries of at least 100 words each.  Be as creative as possible in order to develop characterization and tell the story of your imaginary persona.  After planning and writing original drafts, you will work in pairs for team revisions.  Once the entries are completed, you will be asked to choose one and share it with the class.  *If you choose to create a video diary, be sure to include 3 scripts of at least 100 words each (one script per video entry).