This Coming Week

Social Studies Methods:

I recently was given information on an alternative school located in Albany, New York.  For Tuesday, September 18th I would like for you to visit the school's website.  Read through the description of the school and the history of how the school was started.  It is a very interesting place and I am thinking of bringing you folks for a visit.  The website address is:  http://www.albanyfreeschool.org/about.  You folks know that I am a strong supporter of explicit instruction for literacy (at least), so it is important for me to balance my own biases toward alternative schools and consider what each offers in order to see what kinds of benefits such institutions offer for children.  In other words, I don't want to cram my philosophy of education onto you and that is why I think I should expose you to this school.  ;) Also for Tuesday, read Parker chapter 3.  Your first unit lesson plan is due for Tuesday as well.  If you have questions, concerns, or need help on the lesson plan you can come to see me during my office hours this Thursday from 11:00-2:15 or by appointment.  It probably is best for you to try to connect with Casey McGill (the Ed tutor in the LC) before coming to me, but regardless, you know that my door is always open.  Do not try to get help from Casey outside of her LC hours. As a side note, your lesson plan should be 100% free of spelling and grammatical errors!!!! 

For next Friday, September 21 (not this Friday): In an effort to ensure accountability for the readings I will be collecting your Parker books to note that you've highlighted, taken notes, etc.  As an alternative option you can turn in an outline of each chapter.  If you haven't read the text (which I sincerely hope that you have), please get on it.  There is way too much information for us to cover in class that you need to have thought through.  You will also have reading materials provided by Praxis Group B (Group B- be prepared to hand out the reading on Tuesday).  Now breathe!  You will get through this semester and this course! 

P.S.  We are booked for the "Memory" conference on Killington for Thursday, September 27th.  If you are attending and will be missing classes that day please notify your proff's NOW.  Tell them that they can send me an email if they have questions. Also, $20 buckeroos when you can.  If it is a hardship please let me know.   

Example of Tracy's Unit Proposal

Tracy Hewitt

Unit Proposal

Citizens of a Democracy: Elections in the United States

This unit will give students an overview of how democracy works in the United States. Students will have opportunities to examine how laws are made and go through a process of creating their own law. Students will also look into ways that changes have been made within the United States, especially based on diversity. They will examine issues that are important to them and that may be controversial within society. They will relate these issues to themselves and their school. The students will conclude the unit by doing a mock election within their classroom.  

Lesson Plans and Standards:

-  How does our Democracy work?

 H&SS5-6:15 Identifying the basic functions, structures and purposes of governments within the United States.

- The Election Process

H&SS5-6:15 Defining criteria for selecting leaders at the school, community, state, national and international levels. i

- Creation of Laws

H&SS5-6:15  Describing how rules and laws are created (e.g., participating in a simulation about creating a new law).

- Society and Ourselves

H&SS5-6:14

Explaining their own point of view on issues that affect themselves and society; being able to explain an opposing point of view (e.g. bullies, victims, witnesses; voting age; smoking; violence on TV). I

- Changes within our Society

H&SS5-6:16

Citing examples, both past and present, of how diversity has led to change (e.g., foods; internment camps; slavery). I

- Mock Election

H&SS5-6:14

Giving examples of ways in which political parties, campaigns, and elections provide opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process. i

Greetings!

Social Studies Methods:

Last week I asked you to read chapter two in the Parker text which is centered on teaching diverse children.  Much can be learned from that chapter and I sincerely hope that your journey in considering and understanding the complexity of the students in your classroom will be one that you are always revisiting.  Please come to class on Tuesday, September 4th with 3-5 questions that you would like to pose to the group that you have identified in connection with chapter two.  Also, if you have an existing blog you should have updated it for today.  Be sure that you have updated it once more by the 14th.  A possible prompt is as follows:  What is meant in saying that "Good teachers walk a sensible path between ignoring diversity and being immobilized by it"?  If you choose to answer this prompt it will probably be helpful for you to include the prompt and the response on your post so that readers know why you have responded in the way that you did.

Cultural Knapsack Paper:
Some of the key concepts that can be identified in the Parker text are: demography, race, social class, ethnicity, culture, religion, language and dialect, gender, sexual orientation, gift and challenges, and multiple intelligences.  Reflect on your own background growing up to the age that you are now.  How have your personal life experiences shaped who you are, how you think, and how you believe you will perceive and interact with your students?  Walk me through a brief journey of your life and how it will influence you as a teacher in decision making and in relating to your students.  This paper should be no more than 3 pages, double spaced, and ABSOLUTELY FREE OF ERRORS.  It is due EITHER on Tuesday, September 11, or Friday, September 14^th. 

Praxis presenters for next Friday- be sure that you have the assigned reading ready to hand out Tuesday.  Set the bar for us with your presentation!   

Readings: Due Tuesday- Armstrong, Gardner, and Wilson articles

We are creating Blogs!!!

Hello Everyone!

I am so thrilled that you are all creating blogs.  Yes, there is a learning curve, and yes, you will have to fiddle around to better understand how things work, but YOU CAN DO IT!  My goal for you is to go home and play with your blog for a while.  Try to make it look presentable, and plan on sharing the blog in a week or so with your classmates.  Good luck and have some fun! 

Rommy

Quizzaroni Number One & Announcements

Nice job folks!  Many of you did well on the first quiz.  Hard work pays off.  Now that we have passed mid-semester, it is time for us to delve into some phonemic awareness activities.  We will be visiting Leap Frog Nursery School and you will have the opportunity to play phonological games with the children.  You will each work with a partner to develop age appropriate tasks that you think the children will benefit from- using the guidelines that I will give you of course.  We will also be visiting Poultney Elementary-kindergarten- so that you can try out your phonemic awareness lesson plan in a couple of weeks. Vavavooom!  We are off and running once more!

P.S.  REMEMBER THIS: Doogie woogies have NOTHING to do with letters!!!  You are working at the phonemic awareness level ONLY when you do a minimal pairs chain A.K.A. "Doogie Woogie" lesson!!!

Phonology Quiz and Midterm Exam

My Lovely Students,

Some reminders as we approach quizzaroni number one and the midterm exam...

1.  Remember that you must focus on the number of phonemes in a word FIRST.  Do not let yourself become confused by letters.  The first thing that we can know about a word is how it sounds.  You need to be able to identify the phonemes in any given word and justify your identification (e.g. some of you like to chunk r-controlled vowels / liquids which makes sense because of the elusiveness of the vowel phonemes surrounding the liquids- just be sure that you know that you're doing it).

2.  Beware of voicing confusion in your own identification of phonemes for a given word (e.g. voiced vs. unvoiced inter-dental fricatives).

3.  All syllables have a spoken vowels, however, lump affixes into a "does not always apply" category.

4.  Nasal phonemes as well as liquids create ALL KINDS of trouble for people!!!  Why?  They change in how they are articulated because of co-articulation in spoken language.

5.  Schwa is probably making more sense as you encounter it over and over again.  Remember:  Schwa is an unexpected vowel phoneme that is found in the unstressed syllable of a multisyllabic word. CALL THE DOG to find out the stressed syllable.

6.  YOU NEED TO KNOW THE CHARTS FOR THE MIDTERM, but not for the quizzaroni.

7.  Phonological processing is the "big umbrella" that includes many domains.  Know these components for the midterm.  I will put great emphasis on the importance of phonemic awareness instruction as well as the different levels of phonemic awareness (think umbrella).

8.  If you have trouble "feeling" the phonemes on the chart, use a mirror and continue to practice.  

9.  BREATH!  You can do this.  If you need me over break, call me.

"The difference between good and great is a little extra effort."

10.  You all have the potential to be phenomenal teachers.  It will be a long difficult journey to get there.   I know that this is new and very difficult material for you; I felt that disequilibrium with the material myself when I first learned it.  I expect you to learn it and that will take a lot of work.  I wouldn't insult you by expecting any less. 

Off and Running

Now that week #1 is under our belts, we are getting into the thick of things.  To recap: there is a distinct difference between oral and written language, good reading instruction is a national priority, and reading IS NOT a natural process. Further, as teachers, we must pay attention to what has been proven to work instructionally.  It is all too easy to gravitate toward materials or approaches that may feel good, but are not truly effective for teaching children to read or backed by scientific research.  Children deserve better.  As we move on through this long and wonderful journey together, you will learn may teaching strategies that are effective, but also exciting for students!  Please be sure that you have read chapter #1 in the Moats text and get ready to learn IPA!  You will truly get a sense of what it feels like to learn to read for the first time and you will better understand the complexities associated with putting speech to print.