CI 545 Summer 2017

 Because second language readers cont have the level of understanding of the English language to anticipate how a sentence should sound or how a story will likely unfold, the process of them reading literature is "slower and more arduous" than that of native English speakers. For this reason, one strategy to help second language readers is to teach them about text structures and the predictability that this knowledge can offer. Second language readers should also be encouraged to chose their own books that are in genres and about subjects that interest them. Along with this agency of choice however should come instruction in how to select a book that is at an appropriate reading level for the student. Finally, it is important to do regular assessments of student reading to offer feedback of their growing skills and to address any student needs for differentiated instruction in a timely manner. As a side note, it is my personal opinion that Accelerated Reader is a pr...

 Becoming a proficient writer is something that many people have struggled with. I have even met some college students who have still not mastered the process. When we think about writing, the task can sometimes seem overwhelming. No matter whether you are teaching first grade, ESL, or Adult Education, one strategy that can help make writing seem a little less intimidating is to break down the writing process into smaller, more manageable tasks. This way, the instructor can model these smaller steps to students through direct instruction. Another strategy that is useful for teaching both reading and  writing is to have students begin by making connections to their experiences and culture. This strategy positions students as "already knowing" when so much around them is confusing and new. Writing about what they know also shows that the students own experiences and culture is valued. As I've mention here before, compartmentalizing reading, writing, listening and spea...

My name is Marla Jane Tovey Martin.  I was named after my grandmothers Mar garet and Vio la  and my great, great grandmother Jane. I am proud of my name because it connects me to the strong, brave, smart, independent, educated women that came before me. Their story is my story.   Part 1: The Welch in The Wild West This is a matriarchal story that begins in Malad, Idaho. Margaret Thomas, born 1858 Ephriam Thomas, born 1855 Pictured above are my paternal great, great grandmother and grandfather Margaret and Ephriam Thomas. They were homesteaders in Malad long before Idaho was a state. I don't know a lot about them except that they were both first generation U.S. citizens. Their parents were adventurous, hard working immigrants from Wales. Click on the link to learn more about the history of Malad , Idaho and its rich Welch heritage. Margaret Barnett, (center) Dee Barnett (left) Joe Barnett (right) The little girl in the middle is my paternal grandm...

 Understandably, many students go through a bit of an identity crisis when they leave one culture and they are plunged into an new culture where they have to find a way to survive. This process entails finding a new version of one's self within the new culture. Some may feel sadness in this process if they see it as having to give up some of the traditions and ways of their past. The Six Principles for Writing Practices are strategies that both honor where the students come from as well as help develop a new awareness of who they are. These principles include having students write about their own experiences, keep a journal, express their thoughts and feelings through multiple genres, discuss similarities and differences between their native language and English, and encouraging students to write in both English and their native language. It is also important as the instructor to offer frequent feedback to students to validate their work, experiences, and feelings.

 It seems that when learning to read and write, whether it is in your first language or your second, the process seems pretty much the same. Also true is that whether the student is a six year old in first grade, a sixty year old in ABE classes, or a sixteen year old sophomore learning English as a second language, oral language as well as reading and writing can develop simultaneously. Language immersion is a good place to start when teaching a second language, but there will still be occasions where direct instruction in needed. When looking at some of the suggested instructional strategies, I found many of them that would be easy to incorporate into an ABE/GED classroom. These strategies would assist students who are from other cultures or who's second language is English. Some of these include teaching functional uses for language, reading, and writing such as job application forms, reading letters from school, or direction for cooking. It is important to focus on the functio...

It never occurred to me before how different cultures use their oral traditions for such different purposes.The folks of Roadville used their stories to build up a sense of community and camaraderie. In Trackton however, stories were told to promote one's self. I also found it interesting how these two communities viewed what they considered "good stories" so differently. In Roadville a good story is a true story that shows conformity to their cultural values. Sometimes these stories are told just for a laugh, but other times are told to illustrate a lesson to be learned. By comparison, in Trackton, stories are very loosely based on actual events, the details of which are fictionalized to the point where very little to none of the story that is told is actually true. I thought about students I've had over the years as I read through this chapter. I've had some good storytellers and great entertainers over the years. I wonder how many kids in schools across the n...

 Before reading chapter three, the concept of sheltered instruction still seemed rather vague to me. Now, what I gather is that sheltered instruction combines teaching grade-appropriate themed units with language instruction needed for learning that specific content. The teacher also uses a variety of student grouping to enhance social language learning through the experience of learning about content within the core curriculum; and all of this is done while accommodating for the individual learning styles, cultural differences, and language proficiency of each individual student. That's not too much to ask, right? It seems like a lot, however many of these strategies are ones that I use already. I think that sheltered instruction is more about shifting my focus about the purpose of using these strategies from just content to also including the language needed to understand the content.    Chapter five seemed to tie into the strategy from chapter three of supporting ora...