Double Journal Entry #10

Chapter 3: Language and Identity At Home

1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?

repetition, parallelism, oral story-telling, and the use of figurative language

2. What are the features of Leona's specialized form of language?

Leona's specialized form of language is rather poetic. She specializes on parallelism and repetition. She is interested in making a pattern out of language that generates meaning by comparing and contrasting.

3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?

The academic language requirements stress linear step-by-step events or facts that are organized around one topic that contain no emotional connection.

4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).

The recommendations state that early phonemic awareness and overt instruction on decoding  improve their initial skill levels and improve academic language learning. This research says that students in regions of high poverty will fall behind regardless of the initial reading skill level.

5. What other factors besides early skills training will make or break good readers?

cultural stereotypes that are in place due to evident differences in written and oral language.

6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?

Those academic varieties of language are not taught to coincide with informal ways with words. Instead children do not fell like they belong at a school that doesn't value/recognize their home-based language practices.

Double Entry Journal #9

Responses to the following questions for

Chapter 2: A strange fact about not learning to read.

1. What is the strange fact about not learning to read? 

The ability to read is instilled in everyone. The reason that students struggle is due to not being associated with an "in group".

2. Why is this fact so strange?

The fact that a select group of students who are generally good in school are good as a result of their social status and not their potential and abilities that must be practiced for master. 

3. What is it about school that manages to transform children who at good at learning things like Pokeman into children who are not good a learning?

It is the school's lack of acknowledgement of cultural differences and a child's funds of knowledge.

4. What is the differences between a traditionalists approach to learning to read and more progressive educators?

Traditionalists advocate a sequential, skills- based approach to reading instruction  while progressive educators stress meaning- making.

5. Is learning to read a natural process like learning to speak a language?

No. I agree with traditionlists who say that learning to read is not biologically supported. Rather I think that learning to read is a biological process that is a learned behavior. The human brain capable of learning this behavior may or may not be born into an individual. Although it is rare, I do believe that physical determinants may affect a child's ability to read during and after birth.

6. What is the differences between natural, instructed and cultural processes and which process should reading be classified under?

A natural process is acquired by everyone who doesn't have a disorder. An instructed process is one where something is learned when it its learned.  And a cultural process is where a cultural importance of a skill causes a member of that culture to learn the skill in order to live in the culture. The cultural process involves masters who create an environment rich in support for learners.

7. How do humans learn best? Through instructional processes or through cultural processes? How is reading taught in school?

Instructional processes are least efficient in learning, which is how reading is taught in school. Children who learn to read successfully do so because, for them, learning to read is a cultural and not primarily instructed process.

8. According to the author, what is the reason for the "fourth grade slump."

Students have a difficult time reading in the content area.

9. What is a better predictor of reading success than phonemic awareness?

Early language ability. (vocabulary, the ability to recall  and comprehend sentences and stories, and the ability to engage in extended, connected verbal interactions on a single topic.

10. What is the difference between "vernacular" and "specialist" varieties of language? Give an example of two sentences, one written in the vernacular and one written in a "a specialized variety",  about a topic in your content area.

The difference between the varieties of language is the use of the language. Vernacular is a relaxed variety that is used for face- to - face conversations and for "everyday" purposes. Specialists varieties are used for special activities and purposes.

Vernacular example- John's racecar was zooming around the track last weekend.

Specilaist- John's racecar probably reached the highest velocity of all the competitors in the race.

11. What is "early language ability" and how is it developed? Early language ability is the ability to use language at an early age due to the recognition of vocabulary, recalling and comprehending sentences and stories, and other items. It is developed through family, community, and school language environments in which children interact intensively with adults and more advanced peers and experience challenging talk and texts to sustain topics.

12. According to the author why and how does the traditionalist approach to teaching children to read fail?

The skill and drill approach lacks meaning. This causes readers to have a difficult time understanding content area reading.

13. Are parents of poor children to blame for their children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language before coming to school?

No. If anything, there lack of success in school is due to the school's inability to properly initiate an academic language acquisition process.

14. Did you struggle with reading this text? Why? Are you a poor reader or are you unfamiliar with this variety of specialized language?

I enjoy reading this book.

Student Interviews

Observation: Prior to selecting this female student, I considered a few items. I had managed to make a bridge between many of the students and myself prior to the interview assignment. This student was one lady who didn't seem to be too outgoing, so I felt like asking her to help me complete this task was a good way for us to make that bridge.  She seemed to always be on task and working and never had any difficulty with the work, which is why that bridge was not built as quickly. 

Interview Questions:

• Do you enjoy school? She does enjoy school when she is fully rested. Some days drag for her.
• What kind of student are you? She described herself as a person who often is practicing procrastination. In the end, she seems to do just fine.
• What do you for fun outside of school? She is a very artistic lady and enjoys molding clay, drawing objects around her. She likes to practice shading.
• How would your classmates describe you? Her classmates generally describe her as nice, helpful, quiet in school, and mature.
• Who are you friends with? What do you and your friends do together? Her friend Jess and boyfriend Elijah are important to her. She enjoys playing Xbox or any zombie game (Which was really a surprise for me! We diverged from the interview and talked about the series The Walking Dead. I was glad to have finally made that bridge.)
• Tell me a good memory you have about school?  She'll always remember her lunch table with Alison and the events that happened at the table. Particularly a conflict with some freshmen who tried to steal her table this year.
• Tell me a bad memory you have about school? Recently her male friend, who is also in our class, was involved in a physical altercation with her boyfriend (he instigated the fight). She felt terrible for causing the situation for him.
• Describe a "good" teacher or tell me about a favorite teacher you had in the past. Her favorite teachers were hands- on teachers that taught English and photography.
• What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you? She wanted me to know that she has a hard time with math. I told her that I'd remember that. I also told her that I'm very open and asked her to tell me when I need to repeat myself and to simplify my math when she needed it.

As a follow up, I felt that she was using the bridge that was created as a result of the interview. The next time I was in the class she was heating a chemical in a test tube for the first time. She felt security with me around during the process.

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  Observation: I originally had planned to interview a different gentlemen, who is VERY shy in my Earth Science class. The student is in a crowd of fellows who could be labeled as "at risk". Again, I wanted to make that connection. Upon asking him with the interview he declined because I didn't require him to work with me. Instead, I selected another guy in the class who is very easy to talk with. He seemed to appreciated the previous lesson that I had taught, so I thought it'd be a good idea to follow up and get some feedback. The student seems to struggle in school because of his association with the self- proclaimed "at risk" class.

Interview Questions:

• Do you enjoy school? He said, "yeah"
• What kind of student are you? He immediately referred to grade level as a way to measure the type of student he is by saying " C student. I have trouble in math and sometimes science classes." This indicates to me that he has a false self- concept. Although he has high self- esteem, the young man doesn't realize the capability of his brain. He already has obtained many skills and knowledge regarding science (such as chemical and physical properties) through his experiences. Being in the current classroom probably prevents him from developing a better self- concept.
• What do you for fun outside of school? His interests include welding (like most guys in the class who are in welding classes), wood cutting, hunting, fishing, outdoors.
• How would your classmates describe you? He says most of the classmates would say that he is joyful, playful, and has a sense of humor. (I would agree that he is light- hearted.)
• Who are you friends with? What do you and your friends do together? He is close friends with many of the guys in our classroom. He just moved to the school from another region in the state.
• Tell me a good memory you have about school? He remembers having class for 4 years in a row with one of his good friends. He thought that was cool and will always remember that.
• Tell me a bad memory you have about school? His only bad memories are from when he has failed a test because he hasn't paid any attention.
• Describe a "good" teacher or tell me about a favorite teacher you had in the past. His favorite teachers were also hands- on teachers. He mentioned that he thinks I do a great job. He enjoyed getting out of his seat during my lesson. He also felt like the content that I presented was meaningful for his life. (INSIDE I WENT YES!!!!!! :P)
• What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you? He didn't really have an answer, so I asked him to share his life plans after high school. He had said that he wanted to continue welding or to take a profession like his fathers in oil drilling.

As a follow up, I just want to say that Brad is a patient guy who is really going to enjoy life as a result of what he has learned in high school. He enjoys earth science because the topics can be easily adapted to knowledge for his life. He also was excited to know that I am a dirt track racer in Elkins.

Questions for Introduction of Situated Language and Learning

Situated Language and Learning: A critique of traditional schooling by James Paul Gee

 Introduction

1. What is the main challenge being addressed in the book?
     There are different ways with words because different tools are used to get different sorts of jobs done.   Generally, it addresses feelings about academic and school- based forms of language and thinking.

2. What does the author mean by the phrase "ways with words"?
     The use of words in a particular fashion. Words may be used jargon and academic language.

3. What is the core argument being made by the author of this book?
    The core argument of the book is that people learn ways with words, in or out of school, only when they find the worlds to which the words apply compelling.

4. Give an example of a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" you have learned outside of school?
     I was a huge Pokemon fan and still am. James Paul Gee expresses this specialist language varieties  best on page 4 of his book. In addition to this, I've learned special terms used to explain what is happening during a dirt track race.

5. According to the author, how do people learn a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" best?
     Have more learning experiences outside of school that is important for their futures.

6. If people are to be successful in the 21st century, what must they become?
     People who gain many diverse experiences that they can then use to transform and adapt themselves for fast- changing circumstances throughout their lives, which the author termed as " shape- shifting portfolio people".

7. The author states that learning academic language is NOT sufficient for success in modern society? Do you agree? Why or Why not?
     I don't agree. For the same reason that the author states that non-academic language is important. "shape- shifting portfolio people" have the ability to distinguish use appropriate languages according to the situation. Academic language is still important for many purposes. For example, a team of workers at a hospital will use a degree of academic language in order to communicate during a crisis or emergency situation. My point is that the understanding and application of academic language is important during situations that occur everyday just as non-academic language is important during daily events.

Challenges Facing Inquiry Based Instruction

Initially, teachers who are not comfortable with the structure of inquiry- based instruction tend to feel that their is no structure at all, which results in an untrained teacher who views inquiry approaches as unproductive. The largest challenge associated with inquiry is successfully training and altering the perception that teachers have on their instruction. This is a major concern as students who initiate in inquiry are those who find school more interesting and meaningful.

One of the consequences of a teacher who is not practicing inquiry approaches in their classroom is that students are not easily adaptable to the demanding activities associated with Project Based Learning (PBL) activities, which is a form of instruction incorporating inquiry. This unfortunate consequence is also true in the case of a teacher who is not sufficiently implementing inquiry- based instruction in the classroom.

Because these practices help students create meaningful, self- driven questions that requires them to collaborate as a group of individuals solving a real life problem or scenario, the teacher's role is even more important. Teachers must be able to provide students with technology that is current with the dilemmas of everyday life in order to coach their students during these activities (Why use old technology to solve a current problem when new, improved technology can provide more insight??). This is true for more than just technology. This presents teachers with the challenge of stepping out of their comfort zone.

In addition, teachers are faced with the careful planning, development of collaboration, and assessment techniques involved with inquiry- based instruction.This all takes time. I believe that many teachers, which I wish not to disclose, fear that the time associated with this teaching method will take away from the time they need to provide content to their students. To me, this shows the need for training and practice so that teachers can make the transition, first outside of their classrooms, to providing the desired types of content with this meaningful learning style of teaching.