Module 6

Presentation Tips PPT

This was a great PowerPoint presentation that provided plenty of tips on how to make a “good” PowerPoint presentation. In fact, I used the slides while I created my presentation of my tutorial highlights. I enjoyed the good and bad examples as this was a great refresher. I never thought of adding a question slide, but it now makes sense because you do not want to abruptly end your presentation without any follow up. I also added an outline slide at the beginning so my viewers knew what was in store for them before starting the presentation. I use to love adding animation and pictures all over my slides when I was younger, but now I understand that it takes away from the information you are presenting. Overall, this was a great PowerPoint to view before making our final tutorial highlight presentation for this course.

 

Kid Pix and PowerPoint Games Resources

My students often use Kid Pix in their technology class during their specials rotations. We have a wonderful technology teacher that instructs our students on various programs such as Photo Shop, Kid Pix, PowerPoint, Kidspiration, etc. My students enjoy Kid Pix because there are numerous art tools and they can be very creative. Also, text can be added fairly easily to any picture they create or draw on Kid Pix. This link had plenty of projects that were created with PowerPoint and Kid Pix. I really enjoyed how they turned the students’ individual projects into books! There are numerous great ideas that I will have to keep in mind as we approach the end of the school year.

Module 5

Effective Classroom Management Video
It is vital that students learn how to work together at an early age.  I agree that students need to be held accountable for their actions and work ethic. I make sure that I do not overwhelm my students when they are working at their centers. I want them to feel that they can be successful at that specific center. I always place my students into groups where they can work collaboratively together. They are reminded of our classroom rule, which is showing C.A.R.E.S. (cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control).  At every center and throughout the school day, students are held accountable for their work. I might have them complete a worksheet, write down their work for math, or create a book much like the students were doing in this video. Overall, it is important that the students know and understand the rules of the classroom which in turn creates an effective classroom and environment where the can learn.

What is Literacy and why is it important Video
I will have to admit that I cracked up when I heard the background song as it is Michael Jackson’s instrumental of “Smooth Criminal”. I enjoyed how this video presented all of the different definitions of literacy. It opened with “Literacy is the ability to read and write” but expanded upon that definition and applied it to our everyday world. There were a lot of great quotes about becoming a reader and what it means to have literacy in today’s world. It also talked about being illiterate and what issues may arise for those that are. One quote that spoke to me was from Gov. Kathleen Blanco. She said, “Think about it: every educated person is not rich, but almost every educated person has a job and a way out of poverty. So education is a fundamental solution to poverty”.  This quote is very true because literacy empowers you, as a reader, to learn more in life. However, motivation comes from within and sometimes people limit themselves due to lack of motivation.  I agree that it would be very difficult to live in today’s world if you were illiterate.  Even something as simple as eating requires you to be able to read the food label or menu.

Using Literacy Centers Video
I agree that small groups should remain flexible. I do not utilize literacy centers since I am a teacher in the fourth grade and our school follows the Reading Workshop model. However, I believe literacy centers are a great way to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills that students have already learned. Literacy centers should be directly related to the curriculum and should NOT be busy work. The students enjoy practicing and applying their literacy skills while at the centers. A teacher must have great management skills so she can better use her time to work with small groups and individuals while other students are at the literacy centers. Literacy centers do take a great amount of planning and setting up, but the outcome is great for both the teachers and students!

Designs for Balanced Literacy Video
I was able to relate to this school because we have a population of over 1,000 students in prekindergarten through fifth grade. That means that we have a lot of students in each of our classrooms. However, the main language at my school is English. I loved (and was secretly jealous of) how large her classroom was! I also try to layout my classroom where the students can comfortably work either in a large group, small group, or individually. We have a large area rug that we gather on for our whole group lessons. We also have a rectangular table that is low to the ground so the students can sit easily on the floor and work at it. Finally, I have a kidney-shaped table where I gather my small groups. The students’ desks are set up in rows and some groups are facing the Smart board so they can work with partners, if necessary, and benefit from the technology available in our classroom daily. I agree that “kids crave structure” because my students know their routine immediately and hate when we have to change our schedule. I also agree with the second grade teacher that if we model our lessons well, children will be able to do the specific skill that was modeled. I always set reasonable but high expectations for my students because I want them to be successful students, not only this school year, but all the school years ahead of them. I model and scaffold their thinking throughout the school year. I also provide them with tools to use so they can develop their skills and behaviors and can become independent citizens of our community.

Spaces and Places Video
I have seen this book in our school library before because I am always one that wants to organize my classroom that is appealing to my students and me. At times, I feel that my classroom is too little with all the furniture I have. J I like how the book is broken up into chapters: planning your space, arranging your room, come on in, using your walls, and organizing your stuff. I feel that I am a very organized but after you place all of the desks in the classroom, the space seems to disappear! I thought I had a great plan this year but then after placing 31 desks in the classroom, the room became quite crowded. We still make it work but would enjoy more storage space for items. I had to buy cubbies for supplies so my students could access these items throughout the school day since they are quite old enough to do so. I think I will re-examine this book at the end of this school year and see how I can redesign my room and use my space more systematically.

Module 4

Literacy across the Curriculum
I agree that literacy should be taught across the curriculum because it is easy to integrate with all subject areas since they all incorporate some aspect of literacy.  It is difficult to teach all of the literacy components separately during the “assigned” reading and writing times. I have been teaching social studies and literacy together lately because my fourth graders are learning to take notes on the S.S. curriculum. They also are responding to events with their own personal reactions and they love completing R.A.F.T. (role, audience, format, topic) papers. With the Common Core, I believe there is a stronger emphasis on spreading literacy across the curriculum because we are raising the text complexity for all students. These “pirate plans” looked interesting and was an entertaining approach to integrate information across all areas including the arts.

RTI Articles and PowerPoint Presentations
I found all of these articles useful and teeming with information. I feel very comfortable with the RTI process here in Georgia since I have always had at least 6 students a year on this tiered system. I have had students go back to tier 1, but have also had students that have been staffed into tier 4 with special education. I believe the RTI program is helpful for early prevention and providing students several opportunities to succeed in their academics.  I wish there was more information about the behavioral side of RTI since I have seen a lot of students lately tiered due to their behavior. I agree with Brozo that that there is more pressure on the teachers to meet the needs of all learners in all subject areas.  I also agree that we need to increase print encounters and experiences with informational text for all students. In fourth grade, I focus a great amount of time on note-taking and reading/understanding informational texts. I am always surprised at how much students do not understand on how to critically evaluate information from nonfiction texts. By the end of fourth grade, my boy students love informational texts especially if they like sports, history, or science. When I read Brozo’s opening statistics in his Response to Intervention or Responsive Instruction? Challenges and Possibilities of Response to Intervention for Adolescent Literacy, I found that I was not surprised by the low achieving scores and how our high school graduates are not prepared for college. I met several friends in college that could not write papers nor understand the basic fundaments of literacy. Unfortunately, a lot of students that are “sweet” and “low-achieving” students get looked over. I have tiered many students in fourth grade that have always struggled but are the most caring children you’ll ever meet. I never want to do a dis-service to my students and I hate to see them struggle. I often use the visual aid of the pyramid and discuss with my families that this is a team effort to improve their child’s education. Why should we let students struggle if there is a program that will offer them different strategies and interventions to help them succeed at school and later in life?

Reading Rainbow New Theme Song
I grew up watching the Reading Rainbow and remember loving the adventures I would go on as a child since I was not into reading individually. I did not see much of a difference in the theme song other than they modernized it and made it more “pop” sounding. It still has the lyrics “I can go anywhere, friend to know, and ways to grow” which was the most important part of the message to me growing up because as a reader, you are always growing. I think it is a great program that lets children “go anywhere” and “be anything” while reading and exploring.

Writing Express with First Graders Video
I love how this teacher had the students interact when constructing a sentence! It is a wonderful idea to have all of the students involved as much as possible during lessons. I feel that students learn more when they are actively participating instead of just listening. I appreciated how he stressed the importance of what a sentence actually does. I was surprised that the students knew a sentence has two parts: “name something” and “what it did”. He reminded the students about capitalization and punctuation throughout this activity. Then near the end of the video, he talked about expanding the sentence, which is a concept that many students struggle with. The teacher asked “Where?” which made the students think and expand their sentence. Overall, this was a great lesson with first graders learning about the essential elements of a sentence.

PowerPoint Presentations & Articles of Literacy
I disagree with the quote by Francis that “Children do not outgrow reading difficulties” because I believe that with the correct amount of motivation and scaffolding, a child can become successful. Children need plenty of time to practice their skills and help to guide them. Many students tend to dislike reading because of reading programs that place pressure on them (i.e., Accelerate Reading). Students need to learn how to read for entertainment and should have a choice of what to read. I appreciated one of the presentations that started off saying “Literacy begins at birth, and is a lifelong process!” because I truly believe that it is something that grows with everyone throughout their entire life. The Conquer the Code presentation was very informational about how reading is the union of comprehension and decoding. I have some fourth graders that have excellent fluency but lower comprehension skills. However, most of my students struggle with both fluency and comprehension because they go hand-in-hand. It is vital for students to be taught phonological and phonemic awareness so they can properly decode. I am noticing more and more fourth grade students that do not know the basic phonic rules and cannot decode because of this.  After looking at the 44 sounds in the English language, I understand why it is one of the most difficult and confusing languages in the world today. I guess I never really thought to analyze and separate out all the different sounds in our language. However, students need the ability to “play” with their native language early in their life so they are aware of letters and their sounds before they try reading and writing. I like the different phonological activities they listed in the presentation and agree with all of the examples.  It is important to teach children that learning how to talk, read, and write can be FUN!

WebQuests
WebQuests have become a very popular way to integrate technology within a students’ learning. I have never made a WebQuest but I often use them for my fourth grade students. I frequently use those that are related to our social studies and science curriculum. I know my students love when we travel down to the computer lab to “play” on the computers. I think WebQuests are helpful in a student’s education because it is designed to be interactive where there are specific tasks and questions the students have to discover while on this quest. The students have to search for information on given links, play curriculum-based games, analyze charts/data, read timelines, etc.  The only problem with WebQuests are sometimes the links are out-of-date and do not work. Nevertheless, one of my favorite WebQuests that relates to our science curriculum is http://mrscienceut.net/phasesofthemoonwebquest.html.

Module 3

Encouraging Enthusiasm for Reading Video
       This video was very touching and I believe there are a lot of parents that should watch it. I agree that parents can initiate a love for reading by reading bedtime stories to their children. I really enjoyed B. F. Skinner’s quote that “We shouldn’t teach great books; we should teach a love of reading.” I believe there are numerous ways that parents can encourage a love for reading with their children. Children should see their parents read for pleasure on a daily basis whether it be a magazine, cookbook, or a library book. Parents should read aloud to their children daily when they are younger and discuss the pictures and make predictions. Also, parents can create stories aloud and have their children help add details to the story. Children need to have a “book nook” where they can relax and enjoy their books. Parents and children should visit the library together to rent books. They could also visit book stores or thrift stores where they can buy some books to take on a trip or just read at home. Additionally, parents should hold discussions with their children as they grow up and become independent readers. They could also have their own book club where they could discuss the plot, analyze characters, etc.  These are just some ways that parents could encourage a love for reading and exhibit their own love for reading to their children.

Using the Smart Table for Collaboration Video
       I love the idea of the Smart Table! Our school has one located in our library that is utilized for special rotations. However, I have never used it nor have any of my students. This table actually allows all of the students to touch and interact with it at the same time. My students love my Smart Board, but we always dislike how only one person can maneuver it at a time. The Smart Table requires students to work collaboratively on activities. I believe this technology piece lets students to create, discover and explore new knowledge and information. I like how there are already readymade material on the Smart Table, just like the Smart Board. The Smart Table could be used for extension, remediation, or just a small group with any topic. I feel the possibilities with the Smart Table could be endless just like the Smart Board.

Exploring Social Studies and Technology Video
       This video contained more information about the Smart Table. I found out that the Smart Table can be manipulated in 12 different languages which would be great for students who are in the ESOL programs. I also like how you can control the document camera with the Smart Table. The Smart Table is friendly enough for kindergarteners, but I also think fifth graders would enjoy this technology.  I could see kindergarteners using the Smart Table to make stories using real life photos like the presenter showed on the video. On the other hand, I could see upper elementary school students using the Smart Table for making their own presentation or activity based on their specific topic (e.g., World War II or Benjamin Franklin). I believe you could integrate any subject with the Smart Table. Students could explore social studies and technology by creating interactive sorts, timelines, charts, etc.

Integrating Science and Literacy in Early Childhood Video
       I believe that reading and writing can be integrated throughout a child’s daily life at school as well as at home. Literacy will help students achieve goals in their everyday life. I agree that we should focus on students’ strengths in literacy so they can grow as a reader and writer. Teachers should be able to observe children and understand where they are in their current life and help scaffold them to further strengthen their skills. I liked the idea of using an alphabet book with butterflies for preschoolers so these students can learn information about butterflies (science), count how many butterflies are on the page (math), and learn the alphabet (reading/writing). This program was helping students build their literacy and will also help build their math, science, and reading skills. There are numerous real-life experiences (i.e., walking to the park, going grocery shopping, getting dirty by digging in the yard, etc.) that children should have as a preschoolers that provide them with a background for literacy, math, and science.  I agree that it is important for students to interact with nonfiction texts to gather more information about their favorite topics. In my classroom, we constantly have read alouds about our current science topic. I also have students who further research their questions spark a new found love for a current topic in science. Science and literacy work easily together because one can read an abundant amount of nonfiction books to learn about such things as the rainforest or sharks which are normally  places we cannot physically go and visit.

Development of Literacy Strategies Presentation
       I am glad that this presentation offered a “plain English definition” of information literacy, because I was quite confused when I tried to comprehend the original definition. At my school, fourth and fifth graders visit the library as part of their specials rotation because educators have seen a deficit in basic library and informational skills. We were asked to answer “How would you describe literacy development?” after viewing this presentation. I believe literacy development begins before children are in elementary school because literacy is developed during the communication of reading, writing, hearing, and speaking.  I believe that it starts as young as a couple of months old when they are cooing and babbling nonsense sounds and words, scribbling on pictures, and listening to stories. They are not completely clear about their verbal messages but they fine-tune their skills as they watch and imitate others.  It is important that adults interact with children and remember to build their vocabulary (i.e., do not use “baby” talk). Children then start to form words, simple sentences and eventually they are chatting away, reading small picture books, and drawing pictures.

Article Expository Text Structures: Moss
       This article discussed the benefits gained when teachers help students comprehend common expository texts by having them retell with information trade books. I think it is vital that we use expository texts throughout our school day because students have a high interest in nonfiction texts and there is additional vocabulary to be learned. Most expository texts are a higher reading level due to their challenging vocabulary. A child must first understand how to read a nonfiction text by being scaffolded and modeled on the different text features and their purposes. I agree that information is constantly being updated or changed especially since we live in the “Technology Era” where students spend a lot of time with technology whether it is a television, internet, music player, etc. I enjoyed reading the section on “What are Retellings” because I just went over the difference between a summary and retelling with my class and there are adults that still have problems differentiating between the two. I ask for a retelling when I want to check my students’ comprehension. However, I ask for a summary when I am asking about the main ideas and supporting details. The article gave some specific examples of how to teach the retellings using informational books, which is good for teachers who are just starting this type of reading skill in their classroom. In my opinion, if we expose our children and students to expository texts as early as kindergarten, they should be able to extend their knowledge as they reach the intermediate grades and become experts on topic with further research and reading.

Smith-Kathryn: Effect of Explicit Instruction on Reading Preferences
       This was a research action project performed with second grade students that explored the effects of explicit instruction on voluntary reading preference.  I enjoyed reading this article because I often wonder if gender plays a role in our academic or social lives. I was not surprised to learn that most classrooms have an abundant amount of fictional titles. I have two bookcases full of fiction but also have one entire bookcase full of nonfiction because I know older boys tend to like to read about the “world around them”. I am not surprised to see that students tend to increase their selection of nonfiction because my students tend to be excited about our academic subjects when I intertwine them with our reading workshop. I believe that nonfiction texts are not “too hard” because children learn about the world and challenge their reading skills though these books.

Module 2 Summary

Goals for Differentiated Instruction Video

     This video discussed differentiated instruction goals for a teacher. I agree that differentiated instructions help meet the learning needs of all students. I continuously engage my students in all curriculum areas. I believe it is important for all students to be engaged throughout their school day. I let my students choose their individual reading book because I feel that it is important for the students to be interested in the topic as well as feel a sense of ownership. I also engage my students by designing opportunities that enhance their creativity and challenge their individual needs. I provide appropriate scaffolding throughout my lessons so I can watch my students prosper. Additionally, I provide flexible approaches to content instruction and products. This allows the students to work in varied instructional formats. In conclusion, I agree that one major goal for differentiated instruction is to establish learner-responsive, teacher-facilitated classrooms.

The story of Differentiation by Tomlinson Video

     This interview was interesting to watch and listen to and I was hooked in when she discussed her first teaching experience when she had half of students above level and the other half below four grade levels. I think some teachers tend to teach to the middle because it is the easiest. However, we are not serving justice to our students. This is very common in schools. As teachers, we always want our students to work together and excel within the curriculum as well as everyday life. I agree with Tomlinson that we need to use flexible grouping throughout our school year. I use it in math and language arts because students’ knowledge changes almost daily. My students enjoy having different centers or homework in mathematics. Yet, they also love reading their own books at their level. I often remind the students that doctors wouldn’t give a Band-Aid to a person with a sprained ankle or broken arm…only the one with a cut would receive a Band-Aid. This analogy helps the students see that they all learn at different levels and speeds.

Learning Theories PPT

     This PowerPoint discusses the various learning theories. I agree that we need to pay attention to students’ learning styles and teach our lessons with that in mind. I also like the slide about what life really is because I agree that it is creative, abundant, full of surprise, and diverse. My students and I often talk about how boring it would be if we were all the same and acted the same. Students need to learn though discovery and a problem solving curriculum. This helps them become engaged in their learning as well as responsible for new knowledge. They should have technology to utilize while learning new skills or practicing old skills. I like how this PowerPoint encouraged us to “stop reinforcing a curriculum that’s a mile wide and an inch deep” because Common Core has challenged us to change it to a curriculum that is an inch wide and mile deep. We have shifted to a more critical thinking and problem solving curriculum where the students have to develop higher order thinking skills at a much younger age than what we expected prior. I am excited to see how the Common Core changes the ways teachers teach and students learn.

Planning Strategic Reading Lessons PPT

     This PowerPoint provided vast knowledge regarding the definition of strategic reading lessons and how to develop them. Strategic reading is a teacher-directed instruction approach that allows for students to be grouped together based on which strategy they need to review. We utilize strategy groups at my school during reading workshop which is a great way to have students review the basic reading strategies (i.e., comprehension, inferring, fluency, comparing and contrasting, etc.). However, I try to use the students’ texts so they become more interested in the lessons and groups. I personally have never used the format that was discussed on this PowerPoint although I do use parts of it. I always plan with the end in mind so that students know the purpose for reading. I have seen my students’ attitudes increase positively towards reading and thinking critically. They also gain knowledge of other books that they might not have thought of prior to the group.

Literacy Content Reading & Scaffolding PPT

     This PowerPoint identified ways to use content area reading materials to support reading comprehension along with listing materials and resources available for us to accomplish this. I find it easier to integrate all academic areas with each other. I am currently teaching science and social studies via my reading and writing workshop. We are learning how to take notes on the science and social studies curriculum and read nonfiction text. It is important to scaffold students throughout all academic areas so they can become successful. I agree that all students need scaffolding before, during, and after reading. Once you incorporate this method, you will learn which students need more or less scaffolding. It is important that the teacher prepares his/her materials and identifies vocabulary, text structures, and prior knowledge before the students dive into the text. I try to gain my students interest and motivate them to read about our curriculum by showing them video clips or reading a fun read aloud book. I really enjoyed the charts on slides 15 – 16 showing the pattern differences that we can teach using science, social studies, math, and literature materials. All of these literacy skills (i.e., identifying main idea, locating facts and specific details, organizing material mentally, vocabulary comprehension, summarizing, etc.) are vital to have because they will them throughout their lifetime at school and into their adulthood out in the business world.

Module 1 for EDRD 7718

Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers Video
Reading is the pinnacle for all academics. Not having the foundation for reading detrimentally affects students. Phonological awareness is only taught in primary grades but I agree that it should be taught throughout all grade levels. Phonics seems to be difficult because English incorporates over 40 sounds. I like the idea of saying nonsense words like during a game of “war”. In fourth grade, I tend to focus on the fluency of reading so the students can read accurately and quickly. I like the idea of reading the same piece three times in a row to build a child’s fluency – building their confidence and fluency levels. I also focus on building vocabulary. In fourth grade, I teach students to use context clues but oftentimes we have to use a Frayer model (definition, synonym, part of speech, sentence, and picture) to learn a new word. This helps the students learn the new word and gain more knowledge about this word. I loved the idea of using an ice cream sundae as an example of a main idea and its supporting details. I always use box and bullets but appreciate the use of graphic organizers for my students who are lower leveled readers.

Trip to Hawaii Videos
I really enjoyed this assignment because I have only been to Hawaii once and would love to go back, especially since I had to scrape ice off my car this morning! This reminds me that I should always hook my students into my entire lesson – I often use simulations or grabbers in an effort to get them involved. I agree that graphic organizers should be used because they can help maximize students’ exposure, knowledge, and organization. I use them a great deal with my students who struggle with reading or writing or cannot organize their thoughts individually. However, I use foldables and other organizers daily in all subjects. Many students are now visual learners due to the technology they are continuously interacting with, and graphic organizers help students “see” the picture. Since I am a fourth grade teacher, I have often allowed my students to create their own graphic organizers either on paper or the computer. They need to take ownership of their graphic organizers because this helps them complete them and actually use them throughout the lessons. I agree that we constantly are working on improving their cause and effect skills in fourth grade. This video was a great review of the different graphic organizers in grades K – 5 and how they build upon each other as students become older.

Expository Texts – Understanding Text Organization PowerPoint
I believe it is important to teach organization with all texts because this sets the students up for improving their comprehension for both fiction and expository stories. I believe that most people remember more information if they make notes while reading. It is important to teach students how to compare and contrast. This is a skill we are currently working on in fourth grade because my students can talk/write about their differences but have a difficult time seeing the similarities between ideas, which surprised me. I like the idea of telling them about the “signal words” and will introduce this concept to them next week. As I mentioned in the trip to Hawaii summary, I really love having the students involved in making and completing their own graphic organizers (they love to decorate them to their liking).

Expository Text Structures - Lewis and Clark, Website/Reading
The PowerPoint began by comparing expository and narrative texts and I believe most students understand the difference between the two styles. I do agree that boys prefer non-fiction based on the fact that I always have four to six boys that I cannot get to read a fictional book but they love reading the non-fiction books. This was an interesting PowerPoint since “Expanding West with Lewis and Clark” is a fourth grade standard. It is always challenging to have fun with this topic because it is at the end of our school year. I liked the idea of sequencing events with a timeline – my students in the past have used a computer program to create a timeline for their biography project. This helps students see the big picture in chronological order. I have never used the Problem and Solution graphic organizer but like the idea of the flow, and believe that we could use it when we start talking about the American Revolutionary War in a few weeks! I think it is difficult to find primary sources for our students to be exposed to but this is an important standard in fourth grade because they must know the difference between primary and secondary sources and then be able to compare the sources. Finally, I really enjoyed reviewing the SQ3R since I am tutor for studying skills and just printed off slides 45 and 46 to use with my students. It is important to get the students involved in their reading and finding out information about the topics instead of the teachers always being in the front of the classroom.

Fry Readability
I chose to examine the reading level for Number the Stars since I just finished it for another class and did not have any of my fourth grade teacher edition books at home this weekend. For the 100 word passage, there were almost 6 total sentences. The average amount of syllables per 100 words was approximately 130. This indicates that the book is in the fourth grade section on the Fry Readability Graph. This was a difficult task to complete and would not like to do this for every book I had read – very thankful for DRA and AR levels.

Module 8 - Video

Reading Recovery Video
       This video focused on the Reading Recovery program. It is a short-term program that is low cost and designed to produce outstanding results that last a long time. I agree that without early intervention, students can face a future of school failure and discouragement. It is difficult when I have a student in fourth grade who cannot read because their confidence levels are extremely low and they are close to hating reading and school. As an intermediate grade teacher, I allow my students to choose books they want to read and then I work with them to strengthen their weaknesses. Reading Recovery is a program where a student works one-on-one with and a highly trained teacher. The lessons only last for approximately 30 minutes, which surprised me. However, after a full series of lessons (12 – 24 weeks), children can achieve grade level and leave the program. The training for teachers includes weekly classes where they study with other reading researchers and trainers. Additionally, teachers can teach and observe lessons with students who already participate in the Reading Recovery program. I was really interested in the “behind the glass” observations. It was like an interrogation room because the mirror was actually a one-way window where teachers/trainers would sit on one side and observe the lesson being taught on the other side. This is a great way to observe a lesson and the child can be more at ease. I always find my students become tense and sometimes silly when we have “guests” in our room.  Overall, this program pushes their trainers to think about theory and practice. This program sounds successful for both students, parents of the students, and teachers.

Module 8 - PowerPoint

Factors Involved in Reading and Writing Difficulties PowerPoint
       I thought the very first bullet which stated “Elements of success include effort, drive, health, self-esteem, and parental support” is very true. A child’s success relies on all of those components especially when they are in elementary school. A lot of my students this year have a low self-esteem and/or confidence level, so I am making sure I build up those confidence levels by making them justify their answers and using positive discipline. I feel that it is important for the students to choose a topic they are interested in for their reading books because if they are not interested in the book that you give them, they oftentimes never finish it. The most common difficulties within our students relate to the cognitive, linguistic, psychological, social-emotional, physical and educational areas. Cognitive factors deal with students who have difficulties with retaining information and paying attention. I feel that a large amount of students struggle with this difficulty. Visual processing deficits relate to students who reverse the letters which is actually common in the pre-primer grades when the students are first developing their letters. Language factors correlate to articulation/speech and word-finding problems. A child who struggles with word-finding difficulties will also probably struggle with word recognition and comprehension. Social-emotional deficits affect students’ fight or flight mode and self-efficacy. Parental pressure also has a major impact in a child’s social-emotional area. It is important for parent to be involved with their child’s studies while remembering to not be overbearing. Parents need to remember to set positive role model behaviors for their children and provide a rich-learning environment at home. It is also important for teachers to provide a safe, stable, and inviting learning environment at school where she promotes independence and give student choices whenever possible. Physical causes such as neurological factors, hearing impairments, and vision impairments can also cause children to have difficulties with their academics. I think that it is great that my school requires every first and fourth grader to pass vision and hearing tests. Overall, as teachers, we should support all of our students and inspire them to become life-long learners who enjoy learning new knowledge and accepting challenges. Teachers must effectively instruct their students throughout the entire school day. Also, parents should read to their children or with their children while they are young. Finally, I agree that children should be verbally stimulated throughout the day with rich conversations, explanations, and interactions that will build their language and vocabulary.

Module 7 - Video

Analysis of a Video: Robert Slavin - Scaling Up Success for All
            Success for All is a package of professional development programs for mostly high poverty and Title 1 elementary schools. There is a facilitator located in the school that assists teachers with teaching skills. There is also a solutions team that deals with all of the problems outside of school and integrates with other sources in the community. I agree that you cannot solve just one problem in an education system because everything is interconnected. Success for All is located in 1,000 schools in approximately 47 states. I was surprised how he skipped over the slide on the “research behind Success for All”. I wonder why he did that. I feel that it is important to understand what type of research this program has completed thus far. I like the idea that there is a strong emphasis on coaching within the elementary school. I believe there should be plenty of professional development options, especially since education is continually changing and adding new topics or materials.

Module 7 - PowerPoints

Perspectives for Tutoring PowerPoint
            I agree that it is vital that we attain students’ opinions/views of their reading/writing when assessing them. It helps me understand a child better if I know their opinion on how they feel they are progressing with the different subjects. I love to converse with my students to gain an understanding about their abilities along with their dislikes/likes. I try my hardest to know my students personally since I am with them for 8 hours a day. I love getting to know my students and their families. I take time out of my weekends to visit my students during their extra-curricular activities and show my support for them both academically and socially. I socialize with the parents during the students’ extra-curricular activities which gives me additional insight into my students’ behaviors and overall interests. My students chose/read books that interest them and are on their independent/instructional levels. Reading something they are interested in helps them become stronger readers.

Comprehension Strategies PowerPoint

            I found it interesting that the three common causes for lower reading comprehension is unfamiliarity with the text features/demands, undeveloped attention strategies, and inadequate cognitive development/reading experiences. Many of my students have a wonderful oral reading rate and show great fluency. However, they struggle when they are tested on overall comprehension. Throughout this class I have come to the realization that “comprehension is the reason for reading” and I added more emphasis on this skill in my classroom. My students know that they should read as much as possible and to always read with a purpose so they can make connections with the text and build their schema. I use the “think aloud” strategy when I read any texts to my students to demonstrate the skills necessary to become a great reader. My students use sticky notes and their reading journals to record their thoughts, new ideas, questions, summaries, connections, etc. I pull small groups according to the students’ weaknesses and strengths in order to strengthen their reading skills (i.e., predicting, inferring, synthesizing, evaluating, etc.). I believe writing about their reading helps students think through difficult parts in the text and become stronger readers.

9 Best Practices PowerPoint

            Whenever I introduce a new topic, I always determine my students’ schema and background knowledge of that topic. I then can model and scaffold my students’ learning to best fit their needs. I often have my students take notes or summarize their readings. I agree that this task promotes greater comprehension because they have to write about what they’re reading in their own words and therefore, they are seeing it for a second time. In fourth grade, we take notes in our journals and use two-column notes, outlines, and an abundant amount of graphic organizers or flipbooks. I agree in providing effective praise as well as constant feedback to my students because they look forward to the personalized comments. Effective praise and personalized comments build students’ confidence levels and students in return will be more tenacious and dedicated to the tasks at hand. I like the slide about assigning homework and practicing skills because I believe students need to review notes and extend their learning outside of the classroom; however, I really enjoyed when it stated, “parent involvement should include facilitating the process but not solving problems for their children” (slide 28). I still find parents completing homework for their children in fourth grade and it is aggravating when the students “understand it at home” but then “crash and burn in class”. I stress that the importance of homework is to practice the skills they learn at school and to become more efficient and effective with these strategies and topics. Overall, I use several of these strategies because my main goal as an educator is to increase student achievement and success.

Module 6 - Videos

Why I Flipped My Classroom Video

            I really enjoyed watching this video because our local middle school is a pilot school for the “flipped classrooms”. In fact, one of my team members is currently taking a class on flipping her classroom. I found the research and videos to be very interesting because I oftentimes feel like I am teaching to the middle of class. I do get nervous that students will not watch the videos for homework. However, the teacher said that she allows students to watch videos on the computer during morning or lunch time in order to catch up. I think this is a great idea because we could really use our time wisely to differentiate and meet the needs of all students. I always say that I could teach math centers all day because I need to first model/scaffold my students for a good thirty minutes on a lesson before I have them work individually while I pull small groups and extend or remediate as required. I cannot wait to hear more about my co-worker’s experience or the middle school students’ experiences with the flipped classrooms. I would be interested in the idea of flipping a classroom for all subject areas and how it would work in subjects like reading and/or writing.

Using Assessment to Improve Instruction

            This video was created by an educator who wanted to share his ideas about using assessments to improve instructions and to dispute another educator. I agree that some assessments (i.e., CRCT) can take away from instruction time. A woman name Pat Cross, once called assessment the “zipper between teaching and learning” which makes sense because we teach students then assess their knowledge on that learning. Great assessments really cannot be separated from great instructions. I agree that an assessment is “an act of observing, attempting to understand and provide feedback on the ways the students are grasping, integrating and applying the material/concepts they are learning in the classrooms.” I tend to use students’ work like their journals as a source for assessments because it is authentic. Also, I understand that assessments can take a great deal of time, but it is worthwhile to be able to gauge how much the students grow throughout the school year. I believe that learning does matter!

Module 6 - PowerPoints

Reading Strategies PowerPoint

            This PowerPoint included reading strategies that I will be using from now on! I already utilize a majority of these strategies such as the think alouds during my reading/writing lessons as well as the KWL charts throughout my science and social studies lessons. Additionally, I have my students complete anticipation guides or textbook activity guides during social studies and science lessons. I always want to build on my students’ prior knowledge so they have a strong foundation to support the new knowledge. I use the 3-2-1 strategy in the form of a pyramid or column notes when my students watch an educational video. Although I rarely use RAFTs, I customarily use them during social studies where my students accept a role as a historian or the person we are currently study. I love using graphic organizers, especially spider webs/maps because the majority of my students are visual learners. We often use Kidspiration where the students build their own maps using the computer software. Also, I built my very first word wall this year because of all the readings in this class. This PowerPoint had some great pointers that I will include within my word wall this year and years to follow. I agree that the word wall should be in an obvious spot where the students can easily see it. My students often go up to our word wall throughout the school day. I include vocabulary from all academic areas on this word wall. I make up the word on Microsoft Word and try to include a picture whenever applicable. The only problem I have run into is that I am already running out of room under common letters. I wish I had a much bigger wall! I like the idea of guessing the word which would help build identification of the word and students would also practice the spelling of the words. I think I will use WORDO before the CRCT this year and I will call out the definition instead of the word itself to make it more challenging. Overall, this was a great PowerPoint to refresh my memory about all the wonderful reading strategies that are available. I agree that an effective teacher should teach and model the strategy and then supervise the children so that all students can succeed with the specific strategy.

Differentiated Instruction Goals PowerPoint

            This auditory PowerPoint discussed differentiated instruction goals for a teacher. I agree that differentiated instructions help meet the learning needs of all students. I continuously engage my students in all curriculum areas. I believe it is important for all students to be engaged throughout their school day. I let the students choose their individual reading book because I feel that it is important for the students to be interested in the topic and feel a sense of ownership. I engage my students by designing opportunities that enhance their creativity and challenge their individual needs. I provide appropriate scaffolding throughout my lessons so I can watch my students prosper. I make sure that I provide opportunities for students to work in varied instructional formats. Currently, my students are working on writing a fictional story in my classroom. Yet, in the computer lab, they are currently working on their own podcasts. In conclusion, I agree that one major goal for differentiated instruction is to establish learner-responsive, teacher-facilitated classrooms.

Considerations for Assessment PowerPoint

            This PowerPoint was very helpful because it offered information on assessments that I am not familiar with. I have never been a fan of standardized assessments because I tend to “psyche” myself out and end up making lower test scores than I ever thought possible. I am not familiar with intelligence tests nor have I ever seen the results for anybody’s test. However, I would tend to agree that low test scores cause students to have low expectations. I believe in self-fulfilling prophecies such as where a student believes they are a horrible mathematician and eventually it comes true because that is what they are always thinking about and believing. However, one can have a positive self-fulfilling prophecy (e.g., a student believes that they are the best speller ever and that child will strive to be the best speller he/she can be). I also have never heard of the Wechsler Scales. It seems like poor readers do not score well on the arithmetic, digit span, information, and coding assessments. However, they receive higher scores on non-verbal and visual aspects. I feel that these assessments are used for testing students who are labeled as “struggling students”. Some of these assessments sound similar to the ones that I hear about during my RTI or IEP meetings. I think I would better understand these assessments if I was able to see an example of the questions.

Module 5 - Video & Readings

Rubric Video
       I often use rubrics throughout my entire curriculum. I use a rubric for their interactive journals and the students also grade themselves before turning in their interactive science or social studies notebooks. I feel that it is important that the students understand how I am grading them. Also, I feel rubrics help students see what they need to strive for as well as what they can achieve.  I like that the author used the chocolate chip cookie as an example. I agree that as humans, we are constantly judging events and objects around us.  I never thought of using percentages because as an elementary school teacher, I have always used points since my students do not turn in huge assignments that are weighted differently than other assignments. This school year, my team and I collaborated and developed a rubric for our three topics in writing which was very helpful when I went to grade my students’ narratives last week. I felt like I could use it with every student since they knew the requirements beforehand. This rubric also allowed for teacher comments so I could annotate areas of improvement as well as their major strengths.
 
Chapter 13 - #2 on pg. 335: Some teachers in your school system feel that elementary-grade children are too immature to learn study skill techniques. How would you convince these teachers that this is not so?
       My school is actually going through this scenario currently since we are establishing an after-school enrichment program that focuses on students improving their study skills and organizational skills. We first had to convince the other staff members since there were only 5 teachers (including myself) that felt there was a need for our students to be offered some sort of study skills program. We just held our first study skills workshop where we partnered with Huntington Learning Center. It went well and we had a great turn out. I think teachers are starting to get on board with this program because they are seeing how it is positively impacting their students’ overall grades and confidence levels. However, we are only offering this program to intermediate students (fourth and fifth graders) due to how crucial note-taking is in those two grades. We are taking teacher requests first then parental requests for this program. Our hope is that teachers, parents, and students will see a positive change in their study and organizational skills.

Module 5 PowerPoints

High Frequency Words, and Fluency PowerPoint
      As a fourth grade teacher, I do not teach high frequency words out of context. However, I constantly remind my students when they are reading or when we are completing spelling activities, to remember their vowel sounds (I catch myself saying a short “a” sounds like apple or short “i” sounds like itch). We use “Words Their Way” for our weekly spelling words. They break up the students’ spelling words based on common patterns that we see. This helps the students learn those patterns and experiment which other words that fall into those categories. Once a week they will sort their weekly words just like the PowerPoint suggests, which I believe is a great additional reinforcement. Although I think it is important for students to know the high frequency words by sight, I also like steps 8 and 9 of word building where the students spell and write the words using the specific patterns. I love the idea of including the high frequency words on our word wall. However, I feel like my one word wall would have to turn into several word walls since I already post their curriculum terminology as well as some new vocabulary. I did like the idea of playing “secret word” where the student gets five clues to guess his/her high frequency words. I feel like there are endless games in which we can engage our students that would expand their high frequency words and in turn help their oral fluency.

Vocabulary Development PowerPoint

      I often see students struggle with using context clues to determine a word’s meaning and I focus on this type of strategy a lot. Although intermediate students are able to decode most words, they sometimes come across an unfamiliar word. I have noticed that some students are capable of deciphering the new word’s meaning because of the context clues that the author provides, yet other students cannot determine the meaning and have to refer to a dictionary. I frequently use teacher prompts like, “Does that sound right?” or “Do we know what that word really means?” or even “Do you see parts of this word that you are familiar with from another word?” while my students and I are reading texts. I use these prompts because I am trying to foster strategies based on the semantic, syntactic, and/or phonics of the sentences. I agree that self-correction is proof of reading for meaning but I also believe that some of my higher readers add miscues that enhance and make sense with the text. I never knew that approximately 50% of the words in a text are high frequency words. After viewing this PowerPoint, I am now wondering if using high frequency words with my students who participate in the ESOL program would benefit their fluency and overall comprehension. Those students currently read along with pre-recorded books online with RAZ Kids. My class is paired up with one my best friend’s second grade class, for book buddies. My fourth graders have prospered from these book buddy sessions because they feel that they are setting an example for those second graders. I have seen many of my students’ confidence levels increase. Both classes look forward to their time with their book buddies because they can see the books their partner is currently reading, talk about their books, or alternate reading. One of the last slides really validated my feelings that I have this year with reading, which is “Fluency can be fostered by the amount of reading students do” (slide 22). Several students tell me that they only read at school because they do not have time at home. This saddens me because a lot of my students need that extra practice outside of school with family members or even by themselves. I wish I could impress on parents how important constant reading (at home and school) is and how it can enhance their student’s fluency and comprehension levels.

 Assessing Vocabulary PowerPoint

      I never thought about words being broken into different tiers based on their usage in our language and everyday lives. However, this does make sense to me. I agree that vocabulary is one of the strongest contributors to comprehension because if a human has to stop and think “What does this word mean?” he/she might lose track of the entire picture in order to focus on the unfamiliar words. I have seen students in my class who have a lower vocabulary, struggle with reading comprehension because they are so worried about decoding and making sense of the new words. This is why I implemented read-alouds that use rich language and constantly hold discussions where all students can interact with the texts that we use in mini-lessons. I liked the idea of using the “everyone gets 5” quiz because I can differentiate the vocabulary words for my students and expand their vocabulary based on their individual needs. However, I have difficulty finding these vocabulary words other than in our curriculum. I have used the vocabulary rating scale in social studies, math, and science when I introduce new terminology and this is also helpful when I plan my lessons. I also liked the idea of the “meaningful uses” of vocabulary questions along with the quick vocabulary-checking activities to gauge a student’s overall understanding of new vocabulary.

Module 4 - PowerPoints

Assessment: Formative & Summative PowerPoint

I loved the comic strip that this PowerPoint opened up with because I feel like students should get partial credit if they attempt a problem just like we should get “credit” for facing the world today. I didn’t realize that “assess” was Latin for the verb “assidere” which means “to sit with”. I do not believe that during assessments, we should sit with the learner especially if we want to see the students’ progress and overall growth on a specific topic. I agree more with Harlen, Gipps, Broadfoot, and Nuttal that an assessment is the “process of gathering, interpreting, recording, and using information about pupil’s response to an educational task” (slide 5). I also agree that formative assessments have the greatest impact because it is something teachers can see right then and there. I believe that I formatively assess my students without even thinking about it because I am constantly looking at their work while they are working individually during all subject areas. We, the teachers, can then fix the misconception or confusion quickly or extend the students as needed. I laughed out loud when I saw the comic on slide 11 because I sometimes feel rushed while teaching because there is so much material to cover before we have our summative assessments. I enjoyed reading the “Garden Analogy” about summative versus formative assessments because this created a great visual in my mind about the two assessments and how they differ. I tell my students that they all learn at different levels and speeds because it is more interesting to have different friends and learn from each other. This allows me to put a strong emphasis on the individual student instead of getting caught up in comparing my students which can easily happen. Through formative and summative assessments I am confident that every student will progress at their own individual pace and can improve to become a stronger learner.

Identifying Reading Disabilities PowerPoint

This PowerPoint helped explain and identify reading disabilities. I did not realize that discrepancy actually meant that “students had a learning disability if there was a significant difference between their measured ability and their achievement” (slide 2). However, I was shocked that this approach did not identify students until third grade or later. My school uses the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach which helps students who struggle with various strategies and probes. I am a visual learner and I think the pyramid that was presented to me when I first started teaching is very helpful in understanding the RTI tiers. I have never heard of functional definitions but it is interesting because it provides additional instruction for those students who have the lowest achieving reading scores. I also like that it judges whether or not students’ reading difficulties interfere with life circumstances. I was shocked at the high percentage of fourth graders who are unable to function on a basic level according to NAEP. However, I do notice several fourth graders who do not possess the basic concepts of comprehension, inferring, drawing conclusions, and retelling when entering fourth grade. I was happy to see the scores decrease as the students become older but was dismayed that the percentage did not change between eighth and twelfth grades. I agree that students differ in reading difficulties because they have different schema. I gained knowledge about some basic principles for programs for readers who are low-achieving. I agree that prevention is better than correction and I will continue to build on what the student knows and foster independence. I believe that all students grow when they have personalized instructions that engage them in learning a new topic and continually assess and monitor their progress.

Module 4 - Videos

Running Records Videos

The Running Records video demonstrated how to record Running Records. These videos would be great for a brand new teacher or someone that has never taken Running Records. I take Running Records daily with my students. I use Running Records to determine a student’s reading level and overall fluency level. However, I do not mark my Running Records the same as the teacher demonstrated on these videos. I feel that a lot of teachers find what works best for them on Running Records and stick with those marks. I use similar markings to what the teacher demonstrated. However, I do not use tick marks (checks) above the correctly pronounced words with my fourth graders because there are more words in our passages and sometimes they read faster where I cannot possibly check above each word they read. I tend to use editing marks on my Running Records because they make sense to me. For example, I use a caret and write the word that a child incorrectly inserts above the caret. Also, I circle the word and draw a curly arrow (similar to the proofreaders’ “delete” editing mark) when a student omits a word. I write s/c when a child self-corrects themselves and I do not count those toward their miscues since they were able to self-correct without any teacher prompting. If a child says a different word than what was written, I put one slash mark through the written word and write the word they said above the text. I think Running Records are helpful but every teacher has to find their own writing marks that will work for his/her teaching style and students.

Analysis with Running Records

I enjoyed how the student knew his reading goals and what he is currently working on. Students should always know what they need to work on, especially older students. I also make sure I do this with my students. All students need to learn how to assess their own fluency and comprehension in an effort to become stronger readers.  I also like to show my students where their miscues occur and re-examine their miscues. Students often do not see their miscues while they’re reading, so it is important to draw attention to their miscues so they can work on monitoring their own comprehension and fluency. I often ask my students, “Did that make sense?” This allows them to stop and think about their miscues and self-correct them instead of me saying the correct word. If they are unaware of the new word, I ask if it looks like another word that they already know or if they can they sound it out. My tutee and I are jotting down difficult words on a sticky note and then analyzing what they mean using context clues or the dictionary. This will help build his vocabulary and overall fluency/comprehension levels while reading. Also, I looked around the www.litdiet.org website and really enjoyed the word work video where the teacher played “Wheel of Fortunate” with new vocabulary. The teacher introduced new words for the word wall and math word wall in a “Wheel of Fortunate” and “Hangman” style where the students took educated guesses to find out the new words. I want to try this out in my classroom because I have a word wall that includes all academic words. This would help my tutee and other students since they could refer back to this word wall throughout the school year.

Module 3 - Article

Formative Assessments: Simply, No Additives Article Reflection
            This article opened up by discussing the reading assessments as a whole and then looked specifically at formative assessments. I agree that reading has to do with “frequent, interactive checks of student understandings, and skills to identify learning needs and to adjust instruction” (p. 534). I feel that I glean a lot of information when conducting an informal assessment during reading workshop. I am able to scaffold learning immediately and help my students whom might be confused on a concept when conducting a formative assessment. My formative assessment can be as simple as a “thumbs down if you are still confused” which helps me close the gaps in my classroom of 31 students. Although I did not know the technical term, I find myself using “feedback loops” where I give my students constant feedback, instructions, and modeling to pull my students into achieving their specific reading goal. I give feedback during individual conferences, small groups, and/or strategy groups. I agree that “Formative assessment needs to occur in a culture that cultivates a learning orientation” (p. 538). I think students will strive to do better when they know specifically what to work on individually. I know that over time and with lots of patience, practice, persistence, and purpose, I can develop into a professional reading teacher who is deeply knowledgeable of all aspects of reading.

Module 3 - PowerPoints

Overview of Assessment PowerPoint
          I agree that assessments should be integrated daily throughout our instructional plans so as we can constantly learn about our students’ weakness/strengths and adjust our teaching accordingly. Assessments give me a chance to reflect on my students’ progress throughout the school year. Students can be moved up or down levels according to their levels of knowledge. I record their progress in my data notebook and frequently conference with my students during reading and writing workshop to update them on their growth. Slide eight reminded me that at the beginning of every school year, teachers receive colored-coded (green – exceeds standards, yellow – meet standards, and red – did not meet standards) “spotlight reports” which are based on the students’ previous CRCT scores. I found it interesting that validity and reliability came up during this slideshow because I just studied these two concepts for ECE 7531 and how they relate to my action research. I believe all assessments should demonstrate validity and reliability because they should fair and encourage further learning. I did not know that “According to No Child Left Behind, ELLs who have been in the U.S. school for at least 10 months are required to be assessed in English reading” (slide 15). I have three ELL students this year and two of them have been in U.S. schools longer than 10 months which means they will take the CRCT with the rest of my students. I think this is unfair because they still do not fully comprehend the English language and have difficulty with lengthy directions. Nevertheless, I will work with all my students so they can perform their personal best on the criterion-referenced test in April.

 

Phonics Evidence and Strategies PowerPoint
          I have to be honest and state that I did not know what slide three said or what it meant. It looked like a foreign language which I guess is what students who do not understand the English language see when they try to read an English book. I agree that phonics is important because one must understand how to decode words since there are numerous different integrations of sounds for each alphabetic letter in the English language. I agree that readers decipher words by using decoding, spelling patterns, analogizing, sight words, and context clues. However, I still have students in fourth grade who struggle with decoding because they do not understand basic phonics instruction. I see several of my students struggling with the itemized difficulties that are listed on slide ten. Every Friday, we have a pre-test for our next week’s spelling words and I am always amazed at some of the ways students spell basic words because they are unaware of phonics. In fact, I still see students write “thay” instead of “they” in their writing pieces. We work on the spelling pattern in whole group every week since most of the students do understand the pattern. Common spelling patterns focus on the six syllable types that were featured on slide 25. In fourth grade, we also focus on prefixes and suffixes with basic root words since that is part of our standards. It is also helps the students break apart more difficult words if they understand and know how to pronounce the affixes correctly. I will continue to work on spelling patterns throughout the week by using our Words Their Way sorts along with reviewing affixes whole group.

Module 3 - Videos

Strengthening Students’ Phonemic Awareness, Grades K - 1
          This video showed a teacher in kindergarten/first grade. The teacher focused on building students’ phonemic awareness by showing sounds and the letters that corresponded with them. She worked in small groups and whole group to focus on phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is vital for learning how to spell and read. I agree that it is difficult to understand the smallest units of speech especially since the English language has a large number of different sounds. Students will build their phonemic awareness as they gain more understanding and control of the sounds and language.

 

Phoneme Segmentation Assessment Video Reflection
          This video demonstrated how the teacher used blocks to break up phonemes in basic words. However, within the first minute, I found something that I would change. The teacher used the blocks facing her. The teacher pointed to the blocks from right to left instead of mirroring what the student should do which would be left to right (the way we read). It was almost like the student was spelling the word backwards because she started with a block to the right then built it to the left. I was excited when the student enunciated the second word “shop” and realized that “sh” made one sound because it is a blend. As the video progresses, the child starts to manipulate the blocks to her liking. She started to move them right to left because it is the way we read but the teacher took the blocks back up to the middle of the table. At times, I felt that they could have use a different manipulative that would have been less distracting. The child had difficulties with shorter words that had more blends like “flew”, “chalk”, and “bolt”. This video reminded me of the Fundations program that is offered at my school for primary grade students. Overall, this video helps teachers distinguish if students have the basic phoneme segmentation.

Module 2 - Reading Inventory Demo Video Reflection

       I enjoyed watching this video because it was useful and informational. I will conduct a reading survey verbally using the Fountas & Pinnell questions as a guide. The teacher at the beginning of the video sounded like she was also asking a couple of questions from this survey. The teacher asked the student to read the word list. I noticed that she said that the student can “skip” any difficult words. I would want my students to try out the words instead of just saying “skip” to words they are able to sound out. I think this word list would be her instructional or frustration level because she had to sound out and think about most of the words. She also skipped two words after attempting the beginning sounds of those words. I did like how she corrected herself on the first word “focus”. I could tell that she was breaking the words into syllables or beginning/ending sounds. I would encourage my tutee to try all of the words on the list so I can gather a word automaticity rate along with levels for frustration, independent reading and instructional reading.