Building Student Self-Esteem ~ EDU 6526

How can a teacher foster student self-esteem?

The six priorities for affective education according to Carl Rogers (class lecture, 2013) are also ways in which teachers can foster student self-esteem. Establishing trust allows students to feel they are in a safe place to share, to grow, and to learn. This feeling of trust with their teacher and peers can increase overall self-esteem as students feel confident and safe in their surroundings. Incorporating a participatory mode of decision-making allows students to be involved in the class, the discussion and what will be included in their learning. By asking the students to help with the decision-making process and validating their suggestions and ideas, their confidence will increase and they will become more engaged. A teacher should facilitate the learning process rather than just give the lesson directly. By actively seeking answers and learning as a result of self-discovery, students’ self-esteem increases and their desire to continue learning also increases. By helping teachers themselves grow as persons, the education system develops stronger, more knowledgeable and well-rounded teachers. When students witness their teachers bettering themselves, they will emulate this behavior and have the confidence to try new things themselves. Finally, Rogers suggests that by promoting an awareness that the good life is within each of us, students will start to believe that, and do the work that will allow them to reap the rewards. Many students do not receive these messages through their homes, families or peers. Some may be even brutally told they are “no good,” which is debilitating to say the least.

According to Joyce, Weil and Calhoun (2009), people tend to gleam character traits from one another. Bandura’s theory of social-cognitive learning involves learning complex skills through observing the behaviors of others and their consequences. When a teacher is confident, enthusiastic, persistent, fair, and sees the humorous side of life, for example, students are more apt to absorb and mimic these traits. Teachers are often the only other adults that spend as much time with a student as their parents do and sometimes even more. Therefore this powerful mentoring role must be taken seriously in order to develop students with positive self-esteem that will instill good study habits, social skills, and the desire to become productive and successful adults. Sometimes teachers may feel overwhelmed by the influential position they are in with so many young eyes watching.

 

Being a positive role model includes:

Modeling positive choice-making: Show your students how you make positive choices in and outside the classroom.

Thinking out loud: By working out a problem or issue aloud, students will hear how you work through the issue to come to a solution.

Apologizing and admitting mistakes: Students need to know that no one is perfect and when we make mistakes, we need to fess up, apologize and then take corrective action. Kids often want to cover up errors by lying, blaming, or ignoring anything is wrong. Taking ownership is an important lesson for kids to learn.

Showing respect: Show respect to your students, to other teachers, parents and do not tolerate disrespect among students.

Being well-rounded: When kids see that the teacher has outside interests and excels in other areas, takes classes to enhance their own education, and she is balancing her life interests with obligations, they will see that they, too, can have several interests and still be successful in school. It doesn’t have to be “all or nothing,” but they need to learn how to balance.

Demonstrating confidence in who you are: Building self-esteem cannot be done unless the role model demonstrates self-esteem as well. Show students that while you work to improve yourself, you are quite content with your life choices, what is happening today and live in the moment so kids learn to appreciate the “now” (Robyn, 2008).

Marzano (2001) also supports that recognizing effort, if done authentically, increases student achievement which results in greater motivation. “Providing recognition for attainment of specific goals not only enhances achievement, but it stimulates motivation” (p. 59). Student who are motivated generally have higher self-esteem than those who are not. Lack of motivation can often perpetuate a “why bother to try” attitude. Teachers must find ways to motivate students to put forth the effort and see the benefits of doing so.

Building students’ self-esteem is important so they have the tools to enter life outside of school and deal with often challenging situations. Each student is individual and as our student population becomes increasingly diverse, it’s important to consider individuality, cultural differences and gender as we take steps to build strong confident citizens.

References:
Joyce, B., et. al Models of teaching, 8th Ed. Allyn & Bacon: 2009.

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ACSD

McLeod, S. A. (2011). Albert Bandura | Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html – See more at: http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html#sthash.D0FWuHII.dpuf

Silverman, Robyn (2008). Teachers as role models: Seven ways to make a positive impact. The Powerful Word (March 2008). Retrieved from http://powerfulwords.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/are-your-teachers-positive-role-models-for-children/

Read Full Post »

Multiple Intelligence Activities: Are They Practical? ~EDU 6526

How practical are multiple intelligence activities?
Howard Gardner, the “Father of Multiple Intelligence,” identified seven distinct intelligences that make up his theory of multiple intelligences (Edwards, 2009). The initial seven include:

1. Visual-spatial- learners are aware of their surrounding environments and enjoy learning through models, graphs, drawings, and imagery.
2. Bodily kinesthetic learners use the body and physical movement to learn through physical activity and hands-on learning.
3. Musical– these students show sensitivity to rhythm and sound and learn best through lyrics, speaking rhythmically, tapping out time.
4. Interpersonal intelligence is the understanding, and interacting with others. These students learn through social interaction, group activities, seminars, friends, dialogues. Cooperative learning as described by Marzano et. al. (2001) is a perfect example of a beneficial technique for the interpersonal learner.
5. Intrapersonal intelligence includes understanding oneself and being in tune with one’s inner feelings. These students are highly intuitive and motivated. They enjoy independent study, introspection, journal writing and privacy.
6. Linguistic – these students have highly developed auditory skills and tend to think in words. The best tools and techniques for learning are word games, making up stories and poems, multimedia and books.
7. Logical mathematical learners use reasoning calculation skills, think abstractly, and conceptually. They prefer to learn through logic games, investigations and solving mysteries.

 
Some teachers from the old school of thought may feel there is only one way to teach all children. They may find the idea of teaching to multiple intelligences cumbersome, time consuming and impractical. Howard explains during his interview with Edwards (2009) that this daunting task of change is not so much changing because of the theory of multiple intelligences itself, but change in general. He further asserts that a teacher who is a “keen observer” can distinguish the learning styles of his students. In addition, there are several ways to teach multiple learners using the same or similar tools and techniques. Thanks to digital media, individualizing has become much easier and more practical, according to Howard.

 
In a video clip “A Classroom of English Language Learners” (2011),  Ms. Fernandez, a teacher at Coral Way Bilingual School, demonstrates how she uses a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate various learning styles. Her strategies include music and song, repetition, verbal interaction, kinesthetic techniques such as dance and acting out, and interpersonal methods through buddies and partnering activities. By the end of her lesson on homophones, for example, she has provided several styles of teaching to accommodate all of the various intelligences in her classroom. The lesson flows smoothly and easily, and all the students are actively engaged. Ms. Fernandez demonstrates how practical the multiple intelligence activities are, and how little, if any, additional effort she exerts. Of course, her talent and experience is evident, but all teachers regardless of experience should be skilled enough and care enough to put forth the effort to conduct such a classroom environment.

 
While some students may fall more heavily into one of these seven categories, many will possess a combination of more than one multiple intelligence. Howard suggests that being taught through a variety of methods will develop more well-rounded individuals. As students develop their learning styles throughout their academic careers and studies become more autonomous, they will determine which way or number of ways they learn best and be able to accommodate their own learning style to ensure success.

 

 

References:

Edwards, Owen (2009). An interview with the father of multiple intelligences. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-howard-gardner-interview

Marzano, Robert , et. al. Classroom instruction that works. ADCD: 2008.

SchoolTube. (2011). A visit to classrooms of english language learners [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.schooltube.com/video/acaca0e86f20635ba97e/A

Read Full Post »

Successful Instructional Strategies for All~EDU 6133

There are several strategies utilized in teaching English Language Learners (ELL’s) and students with disabilities that connect with the emphasis in the TPA on academic language. From the video clip A Visit to Classrooms of English Language Learners (2011), we learn some instructional strategies include comprehensible input, contextualized language, verbal interaction, active involvement and anxiety reduction. There are several methods in which these strategies are incorporated into the classroom.

Comprehensible input is that information given to the students to assist learners to understand the basic meaning of the language and might include pictures, physically demonstrating, and providing examples. For example, the teacher can say “raise your hand” as she raises her hand to show the students what she is saying, until they understand the concept. Use of visuals such as pictures, graphics and maps also help students learn basic concepts.

Cooperative learning or “Buddies” provides students with a support system to build confidence, trust and positive learning environment. According to Marzano, Pickering and Pollock (2001), there are five basic elements of cooperative learning:

• Positive interdependence (a sense of being “in it together”)
• Face-to-face promotive interaction (helping each other)
• Individual and group accountability (each has to contribute for group success)
• Interpersonal and small group skills (working as a team)
• Group processing (reflecting how well the group functions together) (pp.85-86)

Marzano et. al. (2001) also suggests that the buddy system should be heterogeneous. In other words, students do better when they work in diverse groups in order to learn from one another and build on their knowledge strengths and skills.

Repetition is another strategy used predominantly in teaching ELL’s and students with disabilities. Just as we teach children their native language by repeating words and demonstrating when they are babies, a lot of repetition is required when learning a second language. Ms. Fernandez at Coral Way Bilingual School demonstrates how much repetition she uses in the classroom by repeating phrases, as she continually acts out the concept, and having the students repeat and act out phrases. Teachers can use pictures, acting, facial expressions and ‘realia’ to assist in the learning process until the concept is contextualized in a way the students will remember.

Through verbal interaction students work together, and learn academic language. Again, this may be done through cooperative learning via small groups or pairs, or within the larger context of class discussion. Singing songs is one example of verbal interaction where students learn by singing together and listening to their peers and the musician on the tape.

Active involvement or kinesthetic learning is another strategy used to instill academic language in a way students will remember. Students learn by doing, whether it involves listening to an instructional song and acting out the movements, listening to the teacher’s instructions and completing a physical task, or working on a group project that includes a physical activity.

These instructional strategies work for ELL students and those students with disabilities, as well as those students with “double disability,” that is those students with disabilities who come from diverse cultural backgrounds (Sink, 2013). Furthermore, they are good common practices for all teachers. Working together with colleagues, being aware and knowledgeable about disabilities and different cultures and getting to know the students and their families will make incorporating these strategies in the classroom easier and more effective increasing the academic language base that will lead to successful cross content learning.

References:

SchoolTube. (2011). A visit to classrooms of english language learners [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.schooltube.com/video/acaca0e86f20635ba97e/A

Sink, C. A (2013) Language and Students with Disabilities Slides:  Retrieved from https://bbweb-prod.spu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_831476_1%26course_id%3D_62826_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J., Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ACSD

Read Full Post »

Bias in Curriculum~EDU 6133

While it is true that most of my English Language Learners will be young teens and likely want to learn about American teen and pop culture whether they are in the United States permanently or temporarily, the curriculum should still encompass a multicultural dimension to include an array of opinions, attitudes, and perspectives. Most students will invariably want to learn of the culture of their American peers and ‘fit in,’ but many will also want to learn about other cultures with which they may be unfamiliar. For example, in working with a diverse group at the Seattle Central Library, the ESL students are curious and eager to learn about their classmates’ cultures, their countries, beliefs and cuisine, as well as American culture.

In a high school setting it is even more important for teens to learn how to be curious and develop a sense of empathy and compassion for their classmates as well as the world. This week in reading the article “The Right to Be Out: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in America’s Public Schools by Stuart Biegel (2010) and “Education Comes in Diverse Shapes and Forms for U.S. Bilinguals” by Eugene E. Garcia (2005), we learn how biases can easily slip into the school system even unintentionally.  When I have spoken to some people from other countries, they have told me that gays don’t exist in their country.  I am fairly certain that what is true is that it is not acceptable to admit to being gay in their culture. So this concept of a different sexual orientation from what they are accustom may be troubling and confusing to some students from different cultures. By including LGBT issues, historical movements, and the people involved, along with those unsung heroes from other cultures, students get a well-rounded perspective and history and how we arrived at today.

Garcia (2005) observes how some schools have achieved success in developing a wide range of programs for linguistically and culturally diverse students. One problem he points out, however, is that “many English-speaking children share the negative stereotypes of their parents and society” (p. 153). Therefore, as educators we must include a multitude of perspectives in our curriculum.

In reviewing an ELL Text Book, “Vocabulary in Use- Upper Intermediate,” I attempted to view it with the eyes of a non-Native speaker of English from a non-European country. Most of the pictures included white people with few exceptions.  In the unit teaching idioms, the picture about the phrase “too many cooks spoil the broth” showed a group of heavyset ethnic looking men with thin mustaches, large sideburns or beards (p. 168).

In the unit about shopping at the grocery store, the foods were American, like peanut butter and cereal, or in American-type packaging.  However, there was a picture of a jar of salsa (pp. 132-133). The sections on animals only included the types of animals we have here in North America, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, cows etc.  There was no inclusion of animals from around the globe (p. 146).

Furthermore, in one section there was a sample of a Spanish-speaking student’s work, but there was no evidence of any other culture represented in the book in this same way (p. 55).  Another unit focused on the U.S. and U.K. governments, but there were no vocabulary words or discussions about other governments (pp. 108-109). Admittedly, these units provide a basis for the teacher to expand and provide additional materials that include various countries’ governments, animals, cuisine etc. But I think the text sends a message that if you’re learning English, these are the only lexis you’ll need to know. There could be much more inclusion within the text for further cultural representation. The text book did include a section on nationalities, world regions and people and races which would open the door for additional discussion and materials to include a variety of cultures (pp. 62-63). Also, I felt the book gave equal play to genders within the course of the text. So while the publisher attempted to be fair and equitable, there is still room for improvement.

As Garcia (2005) points out, educators need to determine what the native-language and English-language characteristics are of the students they are serving and develop instruction that supports the development of ethnic identity and anti-racists attitudes among children.  Through unbiased curriculum teachers should build upon the cultures of the families and foster the preservation of those cultures (pp. 148-149).

References:

Biegel, S. (2010). The right to be out: Sexual orientation and gender identity in america’s public schools. Chicago, IL: University of Minnesota Press.

Garcia, E.E. (2005). Education comes in diverse shapes and forms for u.s. bilinguals. In E.E. Garcia, Teaching and learning in tow languages: Bilingualism & schooling in the united states. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Gorski, Paul C. (1995-2012). Stages of multicultural curriculum transformation. Multicultural Curriculum Reform.  EdChange project. Retrieved from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/curriculum/steps.html

McCarthy, M. and O’Dell, F. with Shaw, E. (1997). Vocabulary in use-upper intermediate. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.

Read Full Post »

Values are Caught Not Taught ~ EDU 6526

Life lessons have been best relayed through parables, stories, songs, movies and experiences, thereby “catching” the attention of the receiver through a resonating effect. A child receiving information this way remembers the lesson and is more apt to retrieve it more concretely than an abstract statement about values and virtues. The architecture of citizenship education includes service, honesty, civility, kindness, participation, and commitment. These are virtues children should be witnessing, reading about through classroom curriculum, and experiencing in their everyday lives.

Children are often told “honesty is the best policy,” but no one really explains why. Surely every child has told a little white lie and gotten away with it. Through stories, examples and experiences children will learn that honesty is generally the best policy and why. The lessons from the stories will most likely stick with the child more than an adult just telling them why. Furthermore, the first time a child gets caught in a dishonest act and experiences the repercussions, they begin to learn firsthand why honesty is the best policy, and begin to develop strong values about honesty.
Because lessons are often absorbed through stories, songs, and the media, children can get the wrong message from the wrong kind of programming. Therefore, students should obtain a value system by witnessing those role models and mentors they are in contact with every day. As educators it is our duty to demonstrate what it means to be a good citizen and involve our students in our actions. For example, being “green” is very important to me. I don’t own a car, I recycle as much as possible, I shop thrift stores and donate items when I am finished with them. I live in a “green built” home and generally do my part to save the environment as much as possible within the reasonable bounds of my lifestyle. I could instill these environmental values in my students by supplying recycle bins in my classroom, use paper infrequently and recycle paper when we do use it. If an opportunity arises to discuss environmental issues within a lesson, we could talk about them folding them into the discussion.
As an English Language Arts and English Language Learners teacher, there will be many ways to include moral instruction in the curriculum through literature. I also believe in the power of suggestion and would display posters, pictures and famous quotes around my classroom for students to absorb peripherally all year-long. With regard to technology and social media, there are many opportunities to ‘teach’ about values and citizenship in the ways students use these tools in and out of the classroom.

In our ever-growing multicultural environment, the importance of education for a global citizenship is even more important. Through working on projects together, role-playing and learning about each other’s cultures in a diverse classroom, student learn the basis of global citizenship. Role –playing specifically teaches children many lessons in both personal and social dimensions of education (Joyce, Weil and Calhoun, 2009). It provides a sample of human behavior so student can:
• Explore their feelings,
• Gain insight into their attitudes, values, and perceptions,
• Develop their problem-solving skills and attitudes, and
• Explore subject matter in varied ways. (p.291)

Role-playing exercises help children develop an empathy and compassion for the other viewpoint.
Through examples, personal experiences and observation, values are “caught not taught.”  According to Kirk (1987) virtue “can be learnt, though more through a kind of illative process than a formal program of study…”
References:
Joyce, B., et. al Models of teaching, 8th Ed. Allyn & Bacon: 2009.
Kirk, K. (1987). Can virtue be taught? The wise men know what wicked things are written in the sky. Regnery Publications.
http://kids.dadabhagwan.org/magic-box/stories/moral-stories/honesty/

Read Full Post »

Excellence Through Constructivism~EDU 6526

Does constructivism promote academic excellence?

Before we can answer this question, we need to know more about what constructivism means. Constructivism is a theory that learning which asserts knowledge is not passively received. Through constructivism methods of teaching, students construct their knowledge actively through experiences rather than just mechanically ingesting knowledge from the teacher or the textbook (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004).

Constructivism includes seven basic characteristics:

• There are multiple representations of reality
• Knowledge construction over reproduction
• Authentic tasks in meaningful contexts
• ‘Real world’ learning over predetermined sequences
• Thoughtful reflection on experience,
• Context-and content-dependent knowledge construction
• Collaboration through social negotiation rather than competition

Constructivism taps into and triggers the student’s innate curiosity about the world and how things work. Students become engaged by applying their existing knowledge and real-world experiences, learning to hypothesize, testing their theories, and ultimately drawing conclusions from their findings (p. 1). According to Marzano, et. al. (2001) cooperative learning has a notable positive effect when compared with strategies where students work independently and compete with each other (pp. 86-87). In addition, when students are grouped heterogeneously, they tend to show more positive results. In other words, those students of low ability grouped with other low achieving students don’t perform better, but rather studies show they perform worse (p. 87). These studies would indicate that constructivism does, in fact, promote excellence in student learning.

By working together as a team, students use their strengths to inquire, perform group investigation, analyze, and solve problems using a democratic process. In addition, by rotating the tasks, students learn to develop their weaknesses with the support of the group.  Students learn to help one another by dividing the labor for the good of the whole (Joyce, Weil and Calhoun, 2009). This is an invaluable life-skill as we prepare children to earn a decent living, become good citizens, and make a good life for themselves. Another benefit is that constructivism allows students to experience learning through meaningful real-life situations that allow them to connect with the world around them and to each other.  It was Dewey’s (1897) belief that it is the school’s responsibility to represent present life, the life that children are familiar with in their homes, neighborhoods, or on the playground.

While constructivism does promote excellence, there is still a need for balance with regard to socialized group learning. This method should be shared in conjunction with individual exercises in order for students to have an opportunity to reflect on the learning, work quietly on a project and then come together again as a group to share or complete the project.  As Marzano, et. al. (2001) state, “Any strategy, in fact, can be overused and lose its effectiveness” (p. 91).

“Without the cooperation of its members society cannot survive, and the society of man has survived because the cooperativeness of its members made survival possible…. It was not an advantageous individual here and there who did so, but the group. In human societies the individuals who are most likely to survive are those who are best enabled to do so by their group.”

 (Ashley Montagu, 1965)

References:

Dewey, John (1897). My pedagogic creed. The School Journal

Educational Broadcasting Corporation (2004). Concept to classroom. Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html

Joyce, B., et. al Models of teaching, 8th Ed. Allyn & Bacon: 2009.

Marzano, Robert , et. al. Classroom instruction that works. ADCD: 2008.

Montagu, A.  (1966).  On being human.  New York:  Hawthorn. Retrieved from http://clearspecs.com/joomla15/downloads/ClearSpecs69V01_Overview%20of%20Cooperative%20Learning.pdf

Read Full Post »

Culturally Competent Teaching Today ~ EDU 6133

Culturally responsive teaching means more than just learning about the cultures of other countries and acknowledging various holidays throughout the year. It means digging deeper into the meanings behind the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and lifestyles so there is true understanding and compassion among one another.  It means addressing students’ individual needs and concerns to help them gain the most from their academic careers, getting their parents and families involved, and setting expectations that everyone understands and agrees upon.

Student-centered instruction involves getting students actively involved in the process of their own learning. Many other cultures are not familiar with this idea, and may not understand the relevancy. They may see the teacher as the authority figure, and the student is to just listen and absorb without question. Through constructivism methods of teaching, students construct their knowledge actively rather than just mechanically ingesting knowledge from the teacher or the textbook (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004). This method may be very foreign to some students. The idea of a student-centered approach is beneficial in a diverse cultural setting. Students have varying backgrounds and methods of learning they may be more accustom to that differ from the student-centered approach.  Through student-centered instruction, students have a responsibility, with the teacher’s guidance, in setting goals and determining how they will achieve those goals. Such tools as portfolios and self-assessment techniques help students determine if they are on the right track. These tools can be tailored to the student’s individual style in order to accommodate those from a varying array of cultural backgrounds.

Often, parents and family members are also unfamiliar with such a democratic learning style they may be confused about what their children are learning and whether they will pass exams and be able to compete in the market after their academic careers. Getting parents involved early on will help in the educational process, and prepare them for what lies ahead during the school year.  According to O’Malley and Valdez Pierce (1996) parents should be informed early and often about the purposes, procedures, and benefits of such teaching methodologies as the democratic process, portfolios, and authentic and self-assessment. Parents and families should be given notices about upcoming conferences, and encouraged to be collaborators who provide input on student progress (p. 49). Furthermore, Dewey (1897) believed that school life should grow gradually out of the home life, and it is the business of school to deepen and extend a child’s sense of values and morals nurtured in his home. This idea supports the necessity for teachers to be educated and have an understanding of each child’s cultural history that can be supported in his learning environment.

Setting expectations for students and their parents is important to enable open conversations, set clear goals, and result in positive outcomes. When children are not clear what is expected of them, or are under the impression that not much is expected, their motivation and willingness to participate declines.  Studies have shown that when lower ability students are grouped with other low ability students, they are less motivated to apply themselves (Marzano, et. al., 2001) and actually perform worse. The expectation has been set; they infer that they are not expected to achieve much. Children need challenges to improve and grow. When teachers set the expectations, students are clear about what has to occur in order for them to move forward. Through the self-assessment techniques, students participate in determining for themselves whether or not they have met the goals as expected.  Getting the parents involved encourages additional support outside the classroom. Again, this may be unusual for some parents who come from regions where this type of collaborative approach is uncommon; however, hopefully everyone will see how such approach provides a sense of community and self-motivation to learn.

When working in a diverse classroom, teachers need to be fully aware of the needs and backgrounds of each student. In order to be a culturally competent teacher, this takes time, effort and understanding.

Dewey, John (1897). My pedagogic creed. The School Journal

Educational Broadcasting Corporation (2004). Concept to classroom. Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html

Marzano, Robert , et. al. Classroom instruction that works. ADCD: 2008.

O’Malley, J. Michael and Valdez Pierce, Lorraine (1996). Authentic assessment for English language learners. Addison Wesley.

Read Full Post »

Gaining Awareness in a Culturally Diverse America – EDU 6133

Gaining Awareness in a Culturally Diverse America-Mid-Term

Read Full Post »

Making Practical Use of Advance Organizers- EDU 6526

As I teach English Language Learners (ELL) and English Language Arts (ELA), advance organizers will be useful and practical for both groups. As Joyce, Weil and Calhoun (2009) point out Ausubel’s primary concern is to “help teachers organize and convey large amounts of information as meaningful and efficiently as possible” (p. 249). Advance organizers assist teachers in achieving this goal.

In literature there are often many complex and abstract ideas within a passage or poem that may be confusing or overwhelming to students. Using advance organizers can set the stage before the reading begins. In phase one, I would clarify the aims of the lesson, what the students are about to read, provide and discuss some vocabulary words within the text, and discuss what we’ve read up to the point, i.e. recap and summarize what the students already know.  In phase two, the students read the passage together, aloud maintaining attention. After the reading, phase three, we would again address the content together, interpretations, vocabulary words actively engaging student involvement. The students would use their critical thinking, and discuss what they have learned clarifying meaning and the author’s intent.

Advance organizers can be especially helpful in teaching English Language Learners, and using an “intellectual scaffolding” to structure ideas is a perfect way to build on ideas that the students already know. Learning idioms can be challenging even for more advanced language learners. Advance organizers can be used to first clarify what the students already know. They know the basic vocabulary and what the words mean literally independently, such as beat, around, bush. But they may struggle with the meaning of “beat around the bush.” Using an advance organizer with visuals is a good way to introduce idioms to ELL students.  The next stage may be to read individual sentences using the idioms they are learning, i.e. practice. And finally, the students can read an entire passage where various idioms are put into context. The students can then discuss the meanings and in what circumstances they might use the various idioms. From that point the students can write sentences of their own and share them with the class.

Advanced organizers serve three purposes:

1. To direct attention to what is important in the coming materials.
2. To highlight relationships amongst the ideas that are presented.
3. To remind students of important information they already have (http://suite101.com/article/advanced-organizers—thinking-strategies-for-classroom-use-tle10-a311954).

The application of advance organizers includes the explanation of concepts and propositions, so by the end of the lesson students have gained perspective on the entire area being studied (Joyce, Weil and Calhoun, 2009). Various advance organizers, i.e graphic organizers, visual aids, reading activities, will be beneficial for my future students in ELL and ELA courses.

Advance Organizers-Thinking Strategies for Classroom Use. Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/advanced-organizers—thinking-strategies-for-classroom-use-tle10-a311954

Joyce, B., et. al Models of teaching, 8th Ed. Allyn & Bacon: 2009.

Read Full Post »