Double Entry Journal #10

1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?
 Features include: Children telling regular events as stories, parents reading to children, and children using clear language to answer questions.

2. What are the features of Leona's specialized form of language?

Leona groups her lines into stanzas where each line tends to have a parallel structure with other lines in the stanza to match them in content. Gee states that her stanzas are very complex because each one makes a pattern. All the features are reflections of Leona's home life.

3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?

 Leona's story was not accepted at school because  it was written in a different way (not like a report) which is what most teachers expect. They do no not expect any type of poems.

4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).

Snow states that the "Black-White Gap" in reading test scores was closing fast from the 1960's until the mid 1980's. Snow contradicts himself when he admits that this improvement was much greater than any progress that has been made as a result of the early phonemic awareness training that he recommends.  

 

5. What other factors besides early skills training will make or break good readers?

Other factors besides early skills training that will make or break good readers is a sense of belonging, and the use if modern technology. If students do not feel supported  because of their form of language they might give up. Modern technology has made it very easy for students to use their own language and not be tested or judged on what/how they are saying it.

6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?

Students find school-based languages alienating because is they can't find a since of belonging at school when their home-based language is ignored.

 

 

 

Double Entry Journal #9

1. What is the strange fact about not learning to read? 

The majority are poor or come from minority groups whose members have faced a history of prejudice and oppression.

2. Why is this fact so strange?

This fact is strange because it is well known enough to be taken for granted.

3. What is it about school that manages to transform children who at good at learning things like Pokeman into children who are not good a learning?

In school, we tend to focus on the "skill" of reading rather then what is fun about reading therefore, taking out what the students might be interested in.

4. What is the differences between a traditionalists approach to learning to read and more progressive educators?

•  Traditionalists approach reading as being skill-based.
•  Progressive educators approach reading as being meaning driven.

5. Is learning to read a natural process like learning to speak a language?

No, because a natural processes happen when a child is exposed to the right sorts of input and environments, which is not usually the case with reading. 

6. What is the differences between natural, instructed and cultural processes and which process should reading be classified under?

• Natural: ALL would learn to read.
• Instructed:speaks for itself.
• Cultural: some will succeed and then teach others.  
• Reading should be classified under the cultural process because it ensures that whatever is being taught that everyone who needs to learn, learns.

7. How do humans learn best? Through instructional processes or through cultural processes? How is reading taught in school?

Humans learn best by doing which is more of a cultural process. Reading is taught in school through an instructional process.

8. According to the author, what is the reason for the "fourth grad slump."

Students who can "read" in the sense of decode and assign superficial literal meanings to text, but can not "read" in the sense of comprehension. 

9. What is a better predictor of reading success than phonemic awareness?

Early language ability, semantic and syntactic skills.

10. What is the difference between "vernacular" and "specialist" varieties of language? Give an example of two sentences, one written in the vernacular and one written in a "a specialized variety",  about a topic in your content area.

Vernacular is someones everyday language. Specialist language is a special learning purpose or activity. For an example of vernacular I might say to a child "I have to take the dog to the animal hospital because he is very sick and he is going to go to doggy heaven. An example of specialist is "I have to to the do to the veterinarian to have in put to sleep.

11. What is "early language ability" and how is it developed?

Early language abilities are prototypes of academic language that is developed at home. 

12. According to the author why and how does the traditionalist approach to teaching children to read fail?

It is not started early enough, and it does not take into account each child's early language ability.

13. Are parents of poor children to blame for their children's inexperience with specialized varieties of language before coming to school?

In my opinion, it doesn't matter if a child is poor or rich if the parent isn't willing to take the time to help their child then the child is not going to learn. I did not come from a high class, but my mom and dad always stressed reading and writing along with other academics. If you don't have the parents help and support it can be a hard and long process getting the child to read. 

14. Did you struggle with reading this text? Why? Are you a poor reader or are you unfamiliar with this variety of specialized language?
I did not struggle with this text because the author did a fine job at giving examples. Reading is something that I have always enjoyed and has been a easy process for me.

Double Entry Journal #8

1. What is the main challenge being addressed in this book?

The main challenge being addressed in this book is "how to get all children- rich ans poor-to be successful in school, but to ensure also that all children- rich and poor-are able to learn, think, and act in new ways fit for our new high-tech global world" (James Paul Gee, 2004).

2. What does the author mean by the phrase "ways with words?"

I think the author means that "ways with words" is simply the way you speak. There are some people that when they speak you believe what they are saying maybe not because it is true, but because how they are saying it. It could also mean a certain way of saying words like in a restaurant or in different culture they have ways of saying words that doesn't make sense to everyone.

3. What is the core argument being made by the author of this book?

"The core argument of this book will be that people learn new ways with words to which these words apply compelling" (James Paul Gee, 2004).

4.Give an example of a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" you have learned outside of school?

I worked in an Italian restaurant for 4 years and we didn't always speak the words, but we would write them. For example, a large pepperoni, italian sausage, green peppers, onions, black olives, and artichoke hearts would be written.... LG pep, it saus, gp, on, bo, and art <3. Not everyone understood what that meant unless you worked there and had understood the "way with words" that were used there.

5. According to the author, how do people learn a specialized variety of a language or "way with words" best?

People learn a specialized variety of language or "way with words" when they can connect those words to an experience or situation.

6.  If people are to be successful in the 21st century, what must they become?

They "must become 'shape-shifting portfolio people'; that is, people who gain many diverse experiences that they can use to transform and adapt themselves for fast-changing circumstances throughout their lives" (James Paul Gee, 2004).

7. The author states that  learning academic language is NOT sufficient for success in modern society? Do you agree? Why or Why not?

I agree. Just learning the language in school is not the only thing you need in order to succeed especially in today's society.

8. What do you think about this author's "way with words"?

I really enjoyed the authors "way with words." I thought the introduction was very easy to read and  it felt like the author was talking directly to the reader.

Source:

Gee, James Paul, Situated language and learning: a critique of traditional schooling. New York: Routledge, 2004. Print. 

Student Interview

Observation:

Within the first 2 weeks of being at my 75 hour clinical in a kindergarten classroom. I was able to find the two students that I wanted to do my student interviews with. My struggling student comes from a low income family she missed several days my second week there and she rarely ever comes to school with her homework done. She is struggling with almost everything my host teacher introduces to the class. My host teacher also breaks the kids up into three tables... table one being the high performing students, table two being the average students, and table three being the struggling students, she sets at table three. My high performing student obviously sits at table one. He speaks very well for being in kindergarten and he is always the first to raise his hand to answer a question. One day he was asked if he did his homework because it wasn't in his folder. He accidentally forgot it at home and almost burst into tears because to him that was a sign of failure. I have noticed he has a little trouble with his reading skills, but he talents in other subjects are outstanding.

Interview with the struggling student: 

Question: Do you enjoy school?
Student: Yes

Question: What kind of a student are you?
Student: A nice one.

Question: What do you do for fun outside of school?
Student: Play with my sister and baby dolls.

Question: How would your classmates describe you?
Students: Nice

Question: Who are you friends with?
Answer: Brooklyn and Elizabeth.

Question: What do you and your friends do together?
Student: Play on the slides.

Question: Tell me a good memory you have about school?
Student: Getting moved to the hard worker board.

Question: Tell me a bad memory you have about school?
Students: Nothing.

Question: Describe a "good" teacher or favorite teacher...
Student: Could not give me an answer for this.

What is on thing you wish your teacher knew about you?
Student: That I like princesses.

Interview with high performing student:

Question: Do you enjoy school?
Student: Yes.

Question: What kind of student are you?
Student: A good one

Question: What do you like to do for fun outside of school?
Student: Play video games, play with my friends, and play outside.

Question: How would your classmates describe you?
Students: Nice and Fun.

Question: Who are you friends with?
Student: Jaydon, James, Brandon, Braydon, and Carson W. 

Question: What do you and your friends do together?
Student: Play on the twirly slide and play freeze tag.

Question: Tell me a good memory you have about school?
Student: I got to move to the excellent student and hard worker board.

Question: Tell me a bad memory you have about school?
Student: I had to sit in the "take a break" chair, but only once.

Question: Describe a "good" teacher or your favorite teacher...
Student: Mrs. Rogers

What is one thing you wish your teacher knew about you?
Student: That I liked to play Plants vs. Zombies. 

Double Entry Journal #7

What are some challenges to inquiry approaches to learning? The challenges that many teachers come across in inquiry approaches involve projects. They are very complex and if teachers don't fully understand them they might have trouble giving directions to the studens. They may also have trouble providing scaffolding and assessment of the project. The challenges that students face in inquiry approaches come from a lack of experience with these types of projects.