I submitted my Reflection Paper #2 and gave a presentation on the article, "Children's Literature: A Motivating Context to Explore Functions" by Esther Billings and Charlene Beckmann (NCTM, 2005).
I presented how teachers may present enriching material on functions with students, anywhere from K-12, using the delightful picture book based on a Chinese folktale by Lily Toy Hong, titled "Two of Everything."
Teachers may create a resource, explained by the authors of the article, of functions based on a captivating story that are obviously arising from the book, adapted from the book, or somewhat hidden, which may describe aspects that are suggested by the book if the students care to explore the nuances of the story further.
I tried the book out on my ESOL Kindergartners at School A and ESOL Second Graders at School B. There are numerous ways to present concepts and differentiate, from drawing pictures to using counters, to function or rule machines, to graphs. There is even the related English vocabulary of doubling, tripling, and quadrupling :)
Thursday, April 18, 2013
April 18, 2013
I am going to have to dig deep; I am having to dig deep. We are in the thick of spring, and I'm thinking about my transition to new teaching positions which may involve teaching newcomers and incorporating even more picture clues and grammatical communicative tasks.
This morning, I was thinking about my beloved French teacher from middle school, Madame P. I need to think about how much fun I had learning French, and how I was fascinated by her ability to prepare--by hand, with her whimsical sketches--her quizzes and tests. They were both fun and challenging.
I also need to think about the high school ESL teachers who seemed to have a similar spirit in being able to work on the fly,quickly preparing picture support to accompany supported text.
It can be done...I can make it challenging and fun!
This morning, I was thinking about my beloved French teacher from middle school, Madame P. I need to think about how much fun I had learning French, and how I was fascinated by her ability to prepare--by hand, with her whimsical sketches--her quizzes and tests. They were both fun and challenging.
I also need to think about the high school ESL teachers who seemed to have a similar spirit in being able to work on the fly,quickly preparing picture support to accompany supported text.
It can be done...I can make it challenging and fun!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
April 12, 2013
Victory: The shy fourth-grade girl who has been characterized as "selective mute" at School B actually initiated a conversation with me! It's hard to believe, as I can hope for little more than a smile and a hello from ANYONE during morning hallway duty. This is great progress for her and me, and it happened naturally in the context of our ESOL writing activities. When I mentioned to her in passing that "We will be writing today," she created an exchange by inquiring whether Jose F. received our letters. This shows genuine interest in the communicative writing activity, concern for her former classmate/school friend, and a meaningful response to my greeting. Praise be to the Lord!!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
March 21, 2013
I am still wincing from this more than two weeks later: it's so demoralizing for a teacher amidst classroom chaos when a young student protests or even just announces gleefully, "But we're not learning anything!"
A lot can be chalked up to classroom management. But a comment like that immediately compels the teacher to check himself or herself on the acuity of the objective. Of course, my knee-jerk response was to put more pressure on that student to respond to my warm-up queries and make the injunction that they all model proper student behaviors when responding to a teacher-directed question.
The need for more student-directed inquiry is a tough nut to crack. It involves engaging them first, and somehow creating a meaningful context.
As for routines--it's a sad fact that students will rely on a set structure as not only an aid, but as a crutch for any actual learning. Students expect....Watch out!!
A lot can be chalked up to classroom management. But a comment like that immediately compels the teacher to check himself or herself on the acuity of the objective. Of course, my knee-jerk response was to put more pressure on that student to respond to my warm-up queries and make the injunction that they all model proper student behaviors when responding to a teacher-directed question.
The need for more student-directed inquiry is a tough nut to crack. It involves engaging them first, and somehow creating a meaningful context.
As for routines--it's a sad fact that students will rely on a set structure as not only an aid, but as a crutch for any actual learning. Students expect....Watch out!!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
April 2, 2013
It's bizarre that it hasn't been until recently that it has occurred to the Baltimore County Public Library system to cull out the juvenile non-fiction books from the general non-fiction books. I had to figure this mystery out when for the umpteenth time my son was resistant to checking any storybooks or chapter books out. So, I asked at the information desk and was promptly and considerately directed to the beginner's atlases and books on planets with large text for strictly amateurs. My kindergartener was so enthralled!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
March 27, 3013
It was nice getting in touch with Marianne, who it turns out, now teaches all three of the ESOL kids who transferred out of my Schools A and B, to whom we wrote individual friendly letters. The classes involved were, in order of our meetings, School B- First Grade (writing to Kevin), School B- Fourth Grade (writing to Jose F.), and School A (writing to Alejandro F.)
The children put such care and thoughtfulness into their letters to their old classmates (whom they missed to varying degrees--some poignantly. And some barely knowing them, but writing considerately or even by means of introduction), personalized writings, some with illustrations and spring break decorations.
It was a heart-warming, authentic, communicative writing experience!
I think my students and I appreciate a meaningful writing task. Besides, I would have felt terribly guilty for promising the students on those departure days that we would keep in touch...and not follow through!
As for the students who suddenly have to move out of state or even return to their home countries...I have much less control over that situation...only a prayer ;)
The children put such care and thoughtfulness into their letters to their old classmates (whom they missed to varying degrees--some poignantly. And some barely knowing them, but writing considerately or even by means of introduction), personalized writings, some with illustrations and spring break decorations.
It was a heart-warming, authentic, communicative writing experience!
I think my students and I appreciate a meaningful writing task. Besides, I would have felt terribly guilty for promising the students on those departure days that we would keep in touch...and not follow through!
As for the students who suddenly have to move out of state or even return to their home countries...I have much less control over that situation...only a prayer ;)
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