TPA

At the beginning of the TPA layout, there is a short introduction that says where the framework came from and some basic instructions on how to read the TPA layout. I found this beneficial because it helped me to understand reasons why Eastern adopted this TPA layout. The instructions also helped to clarify what is expected when we write our own TPAs.

Under the first section, context for learning, the questions really help direct our focus on whom we are teaching and not what we are teaching. Some questions really get me thinking. One that may often be overlooked is, “what are the represented socio-economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the students and how might these influence planning, teaching and assessment?” This is a powerful question that can seriously affect the way we teach a specific lesson. I like that the questions really got me to focus on the students and the impact they have on preparing a lesson.

When I work on something, I often have a goal in mind. The same goes for the TPA. A section is allotted to established goals. I believe this is important because when we plan out lessons we should have something we are reaching for. To come up with goals helps to focus our lesson.

A section I always stumble on is academic language. I know it is important to list vocabulary words that the students will be learning, but I don’t quite understand what instructional language is. If it is supposed to mean, discussing, sharing ideas, asking questions and summarizing, I believe this is something that just comes naturally when we are teaching and interacting with the class, it does not need to be in a TPA.

Formative and summative assessments are two things that I put a lot of thought into when I plan out lessons. I believe this is a valuable part of a TPA and the questions are very clear in directing us in the way of student understanding. It is vital to have a formative or summative assessment that measures concepts accurately.

The TPA, as a whole, may be a pain to do, but it really does help. It focuses on many important aspects such as student voice, differentiated instruction, and lesson rational, all things that are key components to having a good lesson.

The TPA is a plan that we create before we teach the lesson. It prepares us in many different ways. I believe it would be beneficial if it had a section that was to be filled out after teaching the lesson. This way we could look back on it and be able to see that the lesson was a success or failure. Feedback is always good!

Differentiated Instruction Exploration

In my exploration of differentiated instruction, I found it most useful to visit teacher blogs. It is easy for me to relate and understand what they have to say versus reading about differentiated instruction in a scholarly journal. I found a few website that helped me to better understand what it means to differentiate what we teach.

The first website I found is located below this post, it is for elementary education, but the terms and examples were very simple and easy to understand. It explains differentiated instructions as tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. As teachers we can differentiate four areas of our classroom: content, process, product, and learning environment. I had never looked at differentiated instruction in this way before. When we apply different instruction tactics to these four areas, the instruction looks very different. Content involves how students can access what they need to learn. Some examples would be to convey content through visuals or audio. Process deals with activities teachers use while teaching content such as group work, games, contests etc. Product is the type of assignment we want students to have an option of doing, projects, small assignments, skits or speeches. The last area is learning environment, some students may work better alone and in silence, while others with groups and more active atmosphere. This is a tricky one to accommodate to everybody’s needs, but a big part of teachers job is to experiment!

The other two websites are linked to one another. One is an article on five strategies to set up a classroom for differentiated instruction and five things teachers can do everyday. The other website discusses different ways to differentiate!

I have found that effective differentiating instruction begins with knowing your students. It is okay to ask for their opinions on what they want to do.  Teachers also need to discuss how a classroom should work, if it should be a classroom of students or a community of learners. When you work as a community, each person comes together to support one another. After relationships, and classroom environment are established, teachers are ready to differentiate instruction.  I have learned that this is a trial and error process. It can be scary because not all students will be assessed the same.

We also need to remember that there is no “correct” way to teach. Teaching can look different but still be effective. Teachers may feel uneasy of students want to sit on top of their desks to read instead of in their seats. I say to heck with it, if that is what will help a student to stay on task and learn, lets do it!

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/263/

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2012/01/response_ways_to_differentiate_instruction.html

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/01/17/tln_ferlazzo_hull-sypnieski.html

Access Tools: Appendix B

Silent Reading Record

Name: Whitney Leavitt

Read for 30 minutes and then stop and complete the following:

1.    What did you read? (Include title and page numbers)

13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. Pages 36-53

2.    In four or more sentences summarize what you read.

Clay Jenson is listening to cassette tapes that Hannah, a girl who committed suicide, had recorded. In the tapes she says that Alex, a classmate, is her second reason for committing suicide. She describes how a simple list that he had created of who is hot and who is not, could have a rippling affect on the actions and emotions of others. Hannah describes an instance where the “list” led to others treating her as an object.  While Clay listens to Hannah’s experience, he feels sick to his stomach and partially guilty for not doing anything to stop it.

3.    As you were reading, what were you thinking? Write at least four sentences. Did you make any connections? What were you wondering? What opinions do you have about what you read?

While I was reading, I was thinking how a simple thing, such as a list, could have such a negative affect on people. Alex when making the list probably wanted others to get a laugh, but what he didn’t realize was the effect it could have on others. What he did was what led to Hannah’s suicide! This got me thinking back to when I was in high school. There would be those few people who thought they were above everybody else, they would spread rumors about their peers who they thought were the scum of the earth. Once word got around, the people who were the subject of the rumor would be shunned. I can’t imagine how they felt. Suicide is real and it doesn’t take much to bring somebody to rock bottom. I can associate with Clay, I feel like there is something I could have done to make the situation better.

I Read It, But I Don't Get It''

This text was very helpful to me.  As I was reading it I applied one of the strategies that were mentioned, read with a purpose.  Next week, my 8^th grade students will be reading The Giver. Last year, I observed students reading books in class on the Holocaust and most were not interested in it. First off, the teacher had a group of students listening to a tape on one side of the room, making it hard for the students who were reading on their own to pay attention. Some students were also passing notes or making faces at one another. While reading I Read It, But I Don’t Get It, I visualized myself in the classroom and what kind of techniques I could teach my student’s to get them to understand what they are reading and enjoy it. The Giver is one of my favorite books and it surprises me that many students don’t want to read it. Now I wonder if it is really a lack of interest or maybe they just don’t know how to read!

For the most part, when I read I can comprehend what I am reading. I ask myself questions, I constantly redirect my thinking back to the book and I reflect. I have also had instances where I am reading and I am simply  saying the words but not trying to make sense of it. I know this is the case for most of my eight graders.

I picked out a few strategies that I think will really help the class I teach and observe.  I believe that asking questions is one of the best ways to stay connected to the text. When we ask questions, we either read on in hopes that it will be answered or make assumptions about what might happen. Asking questions helps us to focus and think deeply about what we are reading.  It also helps us to remember.

Another strategy (this one should be the first one to address to students) is to read with a purpose! I loved the highlighting activity where the students read a text 3 times, the first was highlighting what students felt important and the last 2 pertained to a specific question or theme. Highlighting with a purpose makes it easier for the reader to understand what they are reading and what to look for.

Lastly, I also think it is important for students to know when they get lost. I know that while I'm reading, I sometimes let my mind wander off. When this happens, everything I read from there on does not make sense. I have to retrace my steps and find the point where I got lost in order to make sense of the text. It never occurred to me that some students do not realize when they are lost. It is important to make this know and give strategies for this problem such as visualizing what is happening, rereading or highlight confusing text/words.

A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature

Every time I read an article, I think of how I can incorporate it in my teaching. My view of what a teacher is has changed so much since I started the education program. I used to fill inadequate. I thought that in order to be a teacher, I needed to have all the answers, I needed to know the curriculum inside and out, otherwise, I wouldn’t make it. 

When I went to high school, I had this idea that teachers were always right and that there was a right answer to every question. After reading up on a few articles, especially this one, “A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature” by Judith Langer, I have found that teachers don’t need to have answers, but they need to help students to understand that there is more than one answer to every question.

In the article, it discusses two different kinds of text, literary orientation and discursive literature. My all time favorite part was when Logan explained the concept of horizon.  “ . . .Referring to the fact that horizons never lead to endings but continually advance . . . “ This is what literature is all about! I have been in English classes where we are discussing a poem, our questions lead to more questions and even though we never reach a conclusion, when class ends we keep thinking. Those are the times when I feel I have learned the most.

After reading about the concept of horizons and how literature should be a tool that helps students to see beyond the information, I have found in the classroom I observe at, that my teacher limits students’ ability to think outside the box. We were discussing the move, “Finding Nemo,” trying to pinpoint when the father, Merlin, decided to become a hero. Students were shouting out different ideas, I had an idea, but the teacher, without letting the students explain, decided that his answer was the right one. I was caught off guard when it was not the same answer that I was thinking. I had a strong desire to raise my hand and tell him my idea and my reasoning behind it. Instead, the students agreed, with the teacher and we moved on. This instance goes against what I have been learning. This discussion could have demonstrated the horizon concept, but instead students were told that the question only had one answer.

As I read about different pedagogy's and observe my cooperating teacher, I am finding what kind of teacher I want to become. It is great to see that I can take ideas from what I learn and combine them to form my own unique style. This has been a great learning experience for me and I hope my views on education continue to grow and shift.