My So-Called Future Classroom

In my first blog, I emphasized the importance of creating an environment that children will first and foremost feel comfortable within, which still holds true.  As Robin Stevenson explained, keeping everything optional will create and maintain a supportive environment.  If a child is uncomfortable with the writing process, we as teachers should provide them with variety and choice as to how they would like to present their ideas.  

For most children, the act of recording their voices, on a podcast, is a great outlet.  They are still developing their oral language and listening skills throughout the process of interacting with such technology.  As mentioned before, I want my ELA classroom to focus on choice.  If children do not feel comfortable using podcasts, but are comfortable writing, allow them to do so.  Guest author, Robin Stevenson, mentioned that it is important for children to get their ideas down and whichever way they choose to do so should be up to them; this is a mentality I completely agree with.  I would choose to focus on the children’s ideas rather than the way in which they choose to record them.  Of course writing will be a focus in my ELA classroom, however, not all children excel at the same rate, which is something we, as educators, need to be aware of.  If you start children off doing something they are comfortable with, they will gain confidence and eventually take part in the writing process.  It may take more time than it does with other children but it is part of the teachers job to be patient with his/her students and to cater to the different learning styles evident in the classroom.

I feel quite strongly about not forcing children into doing something they aren’t comfortable with, as mentioned before.  Another great way to allow them to grow at their own individual pace is through encouragement.  A great example of this kind of encouragement is seen through the character of Jack from “Love that Dog.”  In the beginning of the story Jack was reluctant to write poetry, which the teacher willingly accepted.  The teacher allowed Jack to grow at his own pace, becoming more comfortable with the writing process and his own writing, and more specifically, the sharing of his ideas with others.  The teacher allowed him the time to realize his own potential, and in turn he became confident in his writing and wanted to share it with others.

Another great way to encourage children’s ideas is to stress the importance of getting their ideas down on the page.  Much as I mentioned with podcasting,  drawing is another great way for children to present their ideas.  Drawing is just as important as writing for early writers (Savage, 41), as it is still story telling.  Robin Stevenson also stresses the importance of drawing.  For a lot of children, writing is a barrier, especially for those with really wonderful ideas.  It is important for teachers to be aware of these children and the difficulties they face with writing and have them focus on their ideas, by drawing and even keyboarding.  We want to encourage their ideas and show them that they all have the potential to be equally wonderful writers.  This is also a great brainstorming process for some children, which may get them on the right track for compiling a piece of writing.  It is important to stress that there are varying ideas on how to approach their writing, but everybody has a starting point (Savage).  It doesn’t matter what that starting point is, it just matters that children find which one works for them.

On a contrasting note, incorporating drama into ELA is something I had never thought of before completing our ELA lesson plan for “Franklin Fibs.”  By involving children in a fun, interactive activity, such as our story circle - which includes a fun story stick - children are still paying attention to the format of the story, but are doing so through creative means.  It is also great because not all children need to participate (that rhymed); if children are shy, they are still developing their oral skills by listening to the teacher read the story.  They are also working on their viewing skills by watching their classmates act out the story.  

When it comes to grammar and punctuation, I feel as though having a variety of fun conventions will prove to be effective.  A spaceman or bookworm (Savage, 43), which will help children accurately space their words, which may actually make the somewhat boring side of writing fun.  This will prove to be rewarding for both the students, and the teacher.  The more fun writing is, the more children will feel inspiration to write and in turn, the more improvement they will make.  Creating a “Look, Write, Check” book, which allows children two chances to spell an unfamiliar word is a great tool as well.  To make this fun for the children, allow them time to decorate their book into something they are proud of.  

Overall, I want to create a classroom that is comfortable and encouraging for the children to excel in.  If you give children choice in their learning, they will gain confidence in what they feel comfortable doing.  They will realize that their ideas hold just as much value as the other students, which not only builds their confidence, but creates a supportive and dynamic classroom environment.  Catering to children’s individual learning styles will allow them to gain confidence, providing them with the foundation for future development.

 

“Through writing children express themselves, clarify their thinking, communicate ideas, and integrate new information into their knowledge base” (IRP, 5).  What can we learn from this quote?  For me, it is a way of letting teachers know that writing involves so much more than grammar, punctuation and spelling.  It involves creativity and individual expression, which allows children to explore and work out their thoughts and ideas.  It is our job as educators to teach children the fundamentals of writing in whatever way we choose.  To begin, I think it is extremely important to approach writing with a positive and open minded attitude (unlike the teacher in the cartoon above).

Having the opportunity to participate in decision making about their learning, while engaging in the classroom community (voice) and having options (choice), are things teachers should always offer their students (IRP, 26).  For those students who have a lot of great ideas, but are reluctant to write, why not give them the opportunity to type on a computer?  This allows them to get all of their wonderful ideas down without the stress of writing.  As Robin Stevenson explained, there are many different ways to expand a story, it doesn’t always have to be written.  If a child would rather act out the story or illustrate it, let them.  It is just as valid as writing it down.  Drawing is just as important as writing for early writers (Savage, 41).  It is still story telling.  It is crucial that teachers focus on their students ideas.  Some children’s writing development may come later than others and that’s perfectly fine.  Not everyone progresses at the same rate.  Focus on what they can do and go from there.

Providing children with resources to aid them with their writing is important as well.  These don’t have to be complicated resources, in fact, the simpler the better.  A great tool to use with children is the “Look, Cover, Write, Check Book,” (image 1 &2) which consists of a stack of scrap paper stapled together that has been divided and cut into three sections.  The student will then write a word under the look section, then they cover it, then try and write it again (2 times) without looking.  After they practiced their spelling two times, they can go back to “look” to check if they spelled it correctly.  If you choose to emphasize the fluidity of writing, have the students continue writing, leaving a blank space for words they aren’t sure how to spell (Bainbridge et al., 329), perhaps writing the first few letters (so they remember what the word is), or starring the words they aren’t sure of.  Let the students know that they can to go back to try and spell these words.  After students have been using these resources over a period of time and become more comfortable with their ideas and perhaps the writing process, they may feel comfortable sharing them.  It is important for educators to create an environment that will never judge a child or their ideas. Another great way to encourage writing is by showing them that writing can be fun!

Image 1

Image 2

When I think back to writing in elementary school one word comes to mind: fun!  We were never told to sit down and write about something that didn’t interest us.  It is important to make writing fun for children, by incorporating it wherever possible.  For example, if you choose to have students write for five to ten minutes at the beginning or end of class, why not give them a fun topic to write about or give them the beginning of the story and ask them to write about what they think will happen next? If it is something that is fun and interesting they will be more motivated to write and share their ideas!

A PLO for grade one (C10) is for children to be able to “use some features and conventions of language to express meaning in their writing and representing, including appropriate spacing between letters and between words” (IRP, 54).  A great way to satisfy this while incorporating fun is to provide students with a toy to help space their words.  A spaceman or bookworm (image 3) are great examples of such toys (Savage, 43).   This will make the somewhat boring side of writing fun for the kids and; therefore, rewarding for the teacher.  The more fun writing is, the more children will feel inspired to write and the more improvement they will make! 

Image 3

It is also important to stress that there is no right or wrong way to go about writing.  Just as Robin Stevenson explained, some children may prefer to lay out the details of their story, including the characters and events that will take place before they begin the writing process and some may have one idea that they start with, which gradually develops into their story as they write it. It is important for children to experiment with writing to find what is right for them.

As educators, it is crucial that we stress the importance of revision as well. The C6 Prescribed Learning Outcome for grade one explains that children must “use a strategy after writing and representing to improve their work ”, such as revision (IRP, 54).  Many children will not know what revision is, or why it is so important, especially at primary level; therefore, teachers must educate them on this.  A great way to introduce revision as a non intimidating practice is to do it together as a class.  This can be as simple as the teacher putting up a piece of writing with obvious errors on it up on the overhead/smartboard and ask the class to find the problems and work together to find what should be changed.  Once children are familiar with the revision process, it is important to introduce them to peer revision.  

It is a great idea having students communicate with one another, giving feedback using techniques such as “two stars and a wish.”  This gives the child positive reinforcement about what they did well, which will allow them to take the “wish” into better consideration.  The fact that children are working together during this exercise is important because it creates a sense of community within the classroom, which allows children to be more open with one another. 

It is important to show that even you, as a teacher, can make mistakes.  If you make a spelling error that a student notices, for instance, thank them, and emphasize that everyone makes mistakes, even teachers.  If children know they aren’t dealing with an academic who writes flawlessly, and doesn’t make any mistakes they will feel more comfortable, willing to try new things and share with their teacher and their peers.    

Let students know that it’s okay not to finish a piece of writing.  If they begin writing and are frustrated with it, they don’t have to continue.  They can simply throw it away and start over again.  Nothing is written in stone (especially if you write in pencil - tee hee). They are still practicing writing and character development.  The mechanics of writing are being learned despite if they finish it or not. 

References

Bainbridge, Joyce, Rachel Heydon and Grace Malicky. “Assessment and Conventions of Writing,” from Constructing Meaning: Balancing Elementary Language Arts.  Nelson Education Ltd.: 2009.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. “English Language Arts, Kindergarten to Grade 7: Integrated Resource Package 2006.”

Stevenson, Robin.  EDCI 302: Guest Lecturer.  October 21, 2011.

Savage, Jennifer. “How can I effectively use the First Steps Writing program in my classroom?” 1-20.

Elementary School Children and Podcasts

I think it is such a great idea to use podcasts as learning tools in the elementary classroom.  Children today are a lot more technologically savvy than I was when I was their age, but as educators, we should not look at this as a hindrance.  If technology excites children, we should embrace it and incorporate it into our lesson plans wherever possible.  Because most children use technology everyday, and it is something they are interested and excited about, a lesson that incorporates this will motivate them to learn and more importantly, make the lessons fun!  When I was searching for podcasts, I came across this one that I think would be extremely useful and fun for elementary children (higher grades).  Not only could it be used inside the classroom, where you could do it together as a class, but children could work on it on their own outside of the classroom, in the comfort of their home.

Kids say the darndest things :) Do you remember that show? It was so cute and funny!

Elementary Podcasts

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/elementary-podcasts

A blurb from the site:

"Practise your English language listening skills with the Elementary Podcasts. Listen to them on your computer, or download and save them on your mp3 player.  Each episode is accompanied by a range of activities to help you learn new vocabulary and focus on the language you hear.  You can also download the support packs which contain the tape scripts and extra learning activities."

When you click on a podcast, it gives elementary students (most likely higher grades) instructions as to what to do while they listen, how to make it easier and how to make it harder.  I think this is a wonderful inclusion because it allows students to challenge or make easier for themselves.  Elementary students are diverse and it is important to consider all of their individuals needs.

Here is what the Elementary Podcasts site posted:

While you listen

Elementary Podcasts are suitable for learners with different levels of English. Here are some ways to make them easier (if you have a lower level of English) or more difficult (if you have a higher level of English). You can choose one or two of these suggestions - you don't have to do all of them!

Making it easier

• Read all the exercises before you listen to the podcast.

• Look up the words in the exercises that you don't know in a dictionary.
• Play the podcast as many times as you need.
• Play each part of the podcast separately.
• Read the transcript after you have listened to the podcast.

Making it harder

• Listen to the podcast before you read the exercises.

• Only play the podcast once before answering the questions.
• Play the whole podcast without a break.
• Don't read the transcript.

Now, listen to the podcast and do the exercises on the following tabs.

This podcasts allows children to put their listening skills and comprehension to work.  They listen to the story, the questions they ask and a good understanding of the story is important in order to answer the questions.  Children put their writing skills to work if they choose to answer the questions asked by the Elementary Podcast.  If children have the desire to do so, they can read the supplementary questions the site offers such as: choose all the sentences that are true, put the days of the week in order etc.  This challenges their reading skills.  Overall, this site incorporates many areas of the language arts, which is why I thought it was very useful and interesting.  It’s definitely worth looking at.

TO IRP, OR NOT TO IRP...that is the question!

How does the IRP help and/or hinder you as a beginning teacher?

As I read through the Integrated Resource Package for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel intimidated.  The lengthy lists of what teachers should consider while teaching English Language Arts, specific Prescribed Learning Outcomes and detailed diagrams left me with an overwhelming feeling of anxiety.  

I didn’t realize there were so many areas to consider when formulating a lesson plan for teaching language arts.  After a week or so of letting this information soak in, I decided to read through the IRP once again.  My experience the second time around was a little different than the first.  Yes, I still felt intimidated, however, this intimidation eventually lead to relief.  Relief that there is a resource for new teachers to get ideas from and PLO’s to base their lesson plans around.  The information presented in the IRP is intended as a guideline for teachers to work around and to help them “develop their school practices and plan their program delivery to meet the needs of all learners” (IRP, p. 11).  The rest of the work is up to the teacher.

I feel as though the IRP encourages individuality and creativity to emerge from teachers, rather than hindering it as other structured documents may do.  That’s not to say that all new teachers will allow their creativity to shine through during their first few months of teaching, in fact, most new teachers will be intimidated by it.  The general nature of this document, allows for some wiggle room, which may put a lot of pressure on new teachers to perform in a certain way.  Often times a structured lesson plan is the crutch they need to root themselves into their new position and find their confidence as a teacher.   

Each and every teacher has their own ideas and teaching methods and the IRP is a means to guide them in whatever direction they choose to go in.  The general nature of this resource package allows for new teachers to take ideas from it and use their imaginations to create engaging teaching methods and lesson plans, which will result in children of different backgrounds, abilities and interests, to continue developing strong language art skills.  This is who today’s ELA students are, which is another reason why the IRP is so significant and helpful for new teachers.  

Prior to reading the IRP, I was aware of the diversity in the classroom, however, I was not familiar with the different ways to accommodate children depending on their individual needs.  Although it only touches on this subject, such as working with the Aboriginal community, children with special needs and ESL students, it offers alternative resources designed specifically for teachers who haven’t had much experience in this area.  Often times in documents such as this, alternate resources are mentioned, however, they do not always prove to be beneficial.  In this case, they are extremely helpful and offer valuable information on how to approach these situations. 

The IRP also mentions that the curriculum “has been designed to create opportunities for greater balance and integration” (IRP, p. 8) in ELA, which I find very exciting.  It also touches on the ways in which teachers can incorporate the six language arts: speaking, listening, reading, writing and viewing.  As a future teacher, I found this extremely interesting as well as helpful.  When I first thought about teaching ELA, I thought it was necessary to follow a structured curriculum, teaching the six language arts separate from one another.  After beginning our ELA class, I realized that you can teach children language arts without them even realizing it, which has proven to be even more beneficial.  Language arts can be incorporated into all subject matter, just as the IRP points out (IRP, p. 18), allowing the complex ideas they encounter in other subjects to come to them easier, allowing them to “advance through the grades” (ibid).

Who today’s ELA students are and how they learn:

When I think about who today’s English Learning Arts students are, the first word that pops into my head is: diverse (just like my background!).  This has come up numerous times throughout the discussions in our ELA class.  Every child is an individual who learns differently and at a different rate than everybody else.  In the Physical Education class we are taking we were presented with a variety of games that can altered depending on the ability of the child.  If the goal of the game was met, for example, such as hitting a large target, a smaller target took its place.  This created an alternative challenge for the child.  If the student was unable to hit the target, and this proved to be enough of a challenge, the larger target would stay as is.  The same goes for language arts.  

In order for students to become successful learners, teachers must adapt their teaching method in response to their diverse needs (IRP, p. 26).  The teacher must be completely present within the classroom and take it upon themselves to form a relationship with their students so they get an overall sense of who they are and their capabilities.

It is the teacher's responsibility to make sure each of their students is having a beneficial learning experience within their classroom.  Another way for the teacher to understand the needs of the children is to ask them.  Having the opportunity to participate in decision making about their learning, while engaging in the classroom community (voice) and having options (choice), are two important elements the teachers should always offer their students (IRP, p. 26).  These two crucial elements can also be reinforced at home, by family members.  

The IRP explains that family members can support learning by encouraging their child/grandchild/sibling to use the six language arts in the context of real life (IRP, p. 11).  In our class discussions we have mentioned how conversation around the dinner table, for example, can prove to be an extremely encouraging activity and teach children about oracy. The parents/caregivers could ask questions about what they are learning about at school or a book they are reading.  Because the classroom is what children associate with learning, they won’t feel as though they are being taught a lesson.  The parents/caregivers may not feel as though they are teaching one either, but this interaction is important for their child’s development in ELA, which is carried forward into the classroom.  Many people may not view this as a beneficial approach to teaching language arts, but that may be because reading and writing were the privileged language arts of the past; the essentials to a higher education.  That may still be true, but they are no longer the only essentials or the most important ones.  Oh, if only educators knew then what we know now!

Some thoughts on English Language Arts

Hello fellow bloggers!

Welcome to my blog.  I called it "My So-Called Classroom" because, well, I'm not a teacher yet, and; therefore, don't have a classroom.  That being said, I am going to treat this blog as if it were my classroom and each post as a lesson/discussion.  So, what does that mean for you guys? You get to be my students!  This blog is a way for me to discuss my ideas about topics we will be covering in future lectures, as well as a way for us to learn from one another, helping each other become the best teachers we can be.  I currently have another blog, so I am familiar with the blogger world; however, this is going to be entirely different and I can't wait!  Let's get to it shall we?

For this weeks post, we are focusing on Language Arts in the elementary classroom, which is going to be a lot of fun to discuss. To begin my discussion, I'd like to talk a little bit about my experiences as a child in my elementary school.

Growing up, I absolutely loved school. L.O.V.E.D it! Chatting with my friends, playing four square at recess, playing on the jungle gym at lunch - what more could you ask for? Oh, and the learning part was great too. The people I looked up to most growing up were my teachers, especially my elementary school teachers. They had such an impact on me and are one of the many reasons I chose a career in teaching. They made each and every lesson, project and test fun and exciting, which is one of the many reasons I remember it so vividly.  If you are able to create a lesson plan in a fresh and exciting way, the children will begin to associate learning with fun and nothing but good things can come from that.  It's all about balance!

this is such a stunning photo...fall is such an amazing season!

When I think about what English Language Arts should look like in an elementary school classroom my mind automatically shifts towards aesthetically pleasing posters and projects pasted all over the walls, and hanging from the ceilings (I always loved crafts that hung from the ceiling!). Now, some people may think that having a warm and inviting environment isn't what school is all about.  But how many children will want to come back to a school that they are unhappy being in? None. By creating a comfortable and inviting environment, the children will be at ease and more willing to learn without being fully aware of it.  I looked forward to going to school each and every morning and hope that my future students will feel the same way.  Once the happy environment is created anything is possible.

Students may be different from what we were like when we were in elementary school, but they have one main thing in common with our not-so-technologically savvy elementary school selves: we are open and ready to learn. The only thing that is going to change is the approach we take to teaching.  As teachers we have to take into consideration the modernism that is taking over the world at the moment.  If this is what children are so focused on, why not incorporate technology into lesson plans? Use computers, blogs, Facebook for communication? This is a topic that I look forward to learning more about.

I am already thrilled with the Elementary Education PDPP and all that is has to offer.  The hands on approach to learning is what I am so happy with.  It is so different from an undergrad degree.  No sitting for hours on end, frantically taking notes until your hand falls off required! I am anticipating nothing but wonderful things and can't wait for the future :)

Hope you all have a wonderful, happy day!
Until next time,
Amy

I had to include a picture and video just to put a smile on your face!

She just doesn't understand why somebody won't wipe the boogers off of her friends face...