Entry 4: Course reflection
This course has strengthened my
overall understanding of some of the methods and practices that can be used to
help students who are learning a second language. I am aware that learning content-based
material along-side while trying to acquire a second language can be very
challenging. However, I believe that I have a large repertoire of strategies to
better facilitate their learning and make the transition from their L1 to their
L2 more enjoyable and efficient.
This class will positively impact
my professional practice because I have more knowledge of how to help different
populations of students. As a teacher, we must be prepared teach students that
learn differently from one another, have learning disabilities, as well as
students that have not had as very much exposure to the English language. This means
that we must have multiple methods for addressing the academic challenges they
are facing. In order to do this, teachers need to get to know all of their
students so that they can “draw on their knowledge of language teaching and
learning theories, methods, and approaches to provide the type of learning environment
that builds on their students’ strengths” (Ortega, p.65).
I think that this course should
have one of the vlogs specifically focus on content-area instruction strategies
for ELLs, or some sort of project where students are creating a lesson to
further an ELL’s understanding in either a math, science, or social studies
content area. Wright tells us that, “to be successful in school, and in life,
ELLs must be given access to the core curriculum that equals that of their
English-speaking peers” (Wright, p.292). This was one of the areas of SLM that I
found extremely important because our main focus as teachers is to ensure that
our students are learning the content and meeting the lesson objectives.
This
course has helped me become aware of how much I can impact the learning
environment for my ELLs. I think that the observation videos were very helpful
in allowing me to see first-hand what strategies and methods children respond
to. The math time telling video specifically gave me a lot of helpful hints for
making instruction relevant and providing abundant opportunities for
interactions between students. The conversation with my sister during the
teacher interview also gave me some ideas of how I can help students comprehend
material through taking the time to introduce information from a non-academic
standpoint before loading them with complex terminology.
Participating
in the vlog assignments has given me multiple opportunities to discuss second
language practices. I did not have a lot of experience with this topic before taking
this course, so it was nice to be able to talk to ELLs and some of the people
who work with ELLs on a daily basis. It was helpful to have people in the class
that spoke English as a second language because I was able to hear about their
perspective of the same material that I was reflecting on.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations
for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory,
Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia,
PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hello Morgan! I really enjoyed the math observation video as well. I thought that observation video was a great example of how to teach listening and speaking instruction because this teacher incorporated these two things into his math lesson so well to enhance student comprehension of the subject. One of my favorite strategies he used that was so simple is revoicing. Revoicing is when “the teacher tries to repeat some or all of what the student has said” (Wright, 2015. P. 158). By simply revoicing student’s answers the teacher gave the ELLs and other students another opportunity to hear the reply comprehend what was said. You also mentioned how engaged the class was and I believe this is how the teacher incorporating the productive talk moves into the classroom. “The three productive talk formats teachers use to configure classroom interactions for instruction: (1) whole-class discussion, (2) small-group discussion, and (3) partner talk” (Wright, 2015, p. 159). By incorporating all of these formats into his lesson he maximized student interactions with another which was very engaging.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
I believe revoicing is an important aspect to use when working with ELL students who are not comfortable with speaking English yet. Revoicing is when the teacher repeats what the student said to clarify misunderstandings (Wright, 2015, p.158). On the other hand, I also see this occur when teachers what to correct grammar. If an ELL student says something grammatically incorrect, the best solution would be to repeat what they said in the proper grammar for them to hear without directly correcting them.
DeleteI thought that the revoicing strategy was very helpful as well. It gave students multiple chances to listen and try to understand what the teacher said, as well as what their peers were saying. His use of turn and talk throughout the lesson was also very productive for increasing both listening and speaking opportunities. Wright tells us that, “through the context of discussions, stuents develop logical reasoning and learn how to make and support arguments” (2015, p.159). This teacher really understands the importance of ELLs needing to communicate during both whole-class discussions and partner interactions.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
I agree with you that the environment plays a huge part in our classroom, and it also plays a huge part with regards to our ELLs. Wright states that if we create an accepting environment in our classroom, our ELLs will have a higher chance of succeeding (Wright, 2015). I feel like this small thing can play a huge role. I also believe that throwing our biases out the window can make a huge difference as well. There are some teachers who bring their biases with them into the classroom, and I believe that if a teacher does that then their students will not do well because they are in a hostile environment. I also like that you brought up the fact that an ELL will learn a lot from speaking to students who already know English. Wright states that ELLs should be partnered up and have interactions with students who know English so they can learn little things like social cues (Wright, 2015). My mom was not born here. She was born in El Salvador. She has learned most of her English by just interacting with people who speak English, and she is now almost fluent. It is something that can be overlooked, but I also plan on implementing that in my classroom as you stated.
ReplyDeleteThe best way to rid yourself of your biases is to confront them and realize why you have them in the first place. You cannot hold a child to the same standards as an adult, considering that their situation solely relies on that of their parents. We should also not make any assumptions about the culture or home language of our students based on the country that they came from. According to Wright, “a growing number of immigrant students come from indigenous groups within these countries and have their own languages and cultures” (2015, p.10). Rather than assuming the first language that your students speak, you should make an attempt to learn about them and their backgrounds.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
I completely agree. I believe that there has to be a hidden reason for someone to have biases. I also believe that we should not make assumptions about an ELL because of the country that they are from. I also believe that getting to know a student's background and culture is very important to make them feel welcome. I also believe that it can help us to find things to talk about with them, and it can be a way that we can help to introduce that student to our students who may not know about that country or culture .
DeleteHi Morgan! I have not had any experiences with the topics in this course either so I am glad we have been able to gain a lot of knowledge on accommodating ELLs in our classrooms. There are many different approaches and methods so "teachers should keep in mind that adherence to a specific method may restrict a teacher's creativity and professional judgement. Current knowledge is always changing, and no one method or approach is applicable to every language classroom, everywhere in the world" (Wright, 2015, page 64). It is important to focus on the needs of our students so we can make decision on what strategies to use based on their strengths and the instructional goals. Overall I do not see myself sticking to a certain method or approach because just from observing different classrooms I am very aware on the differences in students.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
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DeleteThis is why it is more or less just important for us to be aware of multiple methods rather than predetermining exactly what we plan to do in the classroom. It is hard to say before actually meeting our students and knowing what their strengths, weaknesses, and needs are. Wright tells us that, “when teachers know their students well and understand the sociocultural contexts of their classroom, school and community, they can draw on their knowledge of language teaching and learning theories, methods, and approaches to inform their own approach” (2015, p.65). Rather than just preparing one or two ways to help your ELL students, we should créate a survey for each of them and use that to determine the methods that might enhance their learning the most.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
I also enjoyed the blogging aspect of this class because it gave more opportunities for productive discourse. Being able to discuss how we can implement strategies in our classroom, hearing and discussing the experiences of ELL teachers and students, as well as offering opinions on multiple topics helped me make more meaningful connections. I also think that you made an excellent point about focusing on content area instruction. When I begin teaching in August, I'll be teaching a third grade math/science class that will most likely include ELL students based off the school's demographics. It would've been helpful to have discussed with others how they plan on serving ELL students in specific content areas. I know that I can apply the re-voicing strategies to gently correct students, or I can apply the strategies for whole group and small group teaching to ensure all students are engaged, however it'd still be nice to hear other thoughts on this matter (Wright 2015).
ReplyDeleteHi Morgan! I feel that this course also gave me a great understanding to how best to work with English Language Learners. I agree with you that the use of blogs also helped build on my understanding of working with a second language learner. I feel it gave me other people's insight and gave me the opportunity to learn from others. When it comes to working with English Language Learners I believe that it takes more than one educator. Weight states, "A further problem is that VAM is based on the assumption that all student learning across the year can be attributed to a single teacher." (2015, p.146) Having to interact without peers gave us an idea of what it would be like to have to work with other teachers on the ESL team.
ReplyDelete