Reading Response 1 - 400

The reading "Toward an Educationally Relevant Theory of Literacy Learning: Twenty Years of Inquiry" by Cambourne was about the different theories of learning and the best ways to successfully learn. It also went through the eight different conditions of learning, and what each of them mean. Applying the different conditions, such as responsibility or engagement is also important to know how to do, and this led to the "Principles of Engagement". For example, "Learners are more likely to engage deeply with demonstrations if they believe that learning whiter is being demonstrated has some potential value, purpose, and use for them." (pg. 55). I agree with this, because if the learner does not feel like they are being taught anything that will benefit them in their lives, then chances are that they will not care much to learn it. In the updated reading "Is an Educationally Relevant Theory of Literacy Learning Possible? 25 Years of INquiry Suggests It Is" also by Cambourne, it goes into what the characteristics of an educationally relevant theory, and origins of this theory. Teachers realized the importance of engagement in their classroom, and then reassessed the "Principles of Engagement." "Learners are more likely to engage with demonstrations provided by someone they like, respect, admire, trust, and would like to emulate." (pg. 61). This goes to show what an important job being a teacher is, and how crucial it is for us to work hard to make our classroom a place for our students to want to come to everyday ready to learn. The reading also touched on the "Oral-and-Written-Language-Are-Significantly-Different-From-Each-Other" Critique, which is saying that reading and writing can be as natural as learning to talk.

In Patrick Shannon’s “Reading Instruction and Social Class” article, the main topics that stuck out to me and that were bolded in this article were: social class and ability grouping, teacher expectations and social class, and social class and teachers’ unequal treatment of reading groups. I thought this article was very interesting in what it was saying. The main point was about students, their education, and their social class and how it all ties in together. The expectations teachers had for their students was not necessarily fair, because the teachers based it off of the students social class standing. The students are even treated differently when it comes to their reading groups. The students in the lower reading groups are interrupted more and are given harder books to read in which the article stated that they will at least misread one out of every ten words. Where as the students in the higher groups are given easier reading materials, because they are basically “above everyone else”. The lower reading group seemed to work harder and continue practicing at their reading and it still did nothing. It all goes back to their social class. Shannon states, “Wilkins (1976) argued that these expectations are actually unconscious manifestations of a general societal philosophy which states that citizens are personally responsible for their position in society – that lower class people posses intellectual and character flaws which account for their lack of previous success and inhibit their prospects for the future – and that middle – and upper-class people are successful because they are resourceful and industrious.” All in all, change needs to happen in reading discussion and reading groups; teachers need to start this change and design their own lesson plans without social class being involved.  

The animation that is connected to the articles shows a study of how teachers have an effect on their students.  Studies have shown that teachers who care and show they care are getting better results from their students in academic achievement.  http://coe.unomaha.edu/moec/briefs/EDAD9550larson.pdf

401 Reading Response 1

The article "Multiple Sign Systems and Reading" by Cousin & Berghoff is about using different methods to construct meaning, such as art, music, mathematics, and language. These ways are useful when words just do not seem to be enough to express yourself. "Fortunately, we think more alike than not, and our constructed meanings are usually quite similar or parallel to the meanings expressed." (pg. 520). Multiple sign systems are used by children even before they begin school, and this can really help them make sense of the word through ways they can understand, such as drawing or singing. New ideas are constantly generated through using a multiple sign system. They can even involve nonreaders into the classroom activities by using different methods or techniques to reach out to them.

In the article, "The Arts, New Literacies and Multi-Modality" they state, "The authors in this issue challenge the reader to consider the ways in which everyday literacies that their students bring to the classroom are valued by inviting students to develop an awareness of how and what they represent, and to encourage a transformation of thinking when the arts, multi-modality, and new literacies are introduced as significant parts of new literacy practices." (page 18). It is said that the children are learning more about literacy outside of the school rather than in school. The main point is how, how do we build on what the children already know and what the children already bring with them.With the technologies that are offered to us today, students can take common things (photos, videos, projects, etc.) and fix them up with different types of technology. The arts, literacies, and multi-modality have their own principles and all that put together redefines literacy and what literate really is. Using these technologies in the classrooms could be almost close to impossible, but they are becoming a huge part in the literacy learning

Creating Critical Multiliteracies by Crafton, Silvers, and Brennan shows the importance of new teaching methods.  The article gives an example of how one classroom teacher allowed her second graders to shape the learning of the classroom.  "Whole learning experiences can not be planned in detail before students get involved. Learners must be integral contributors to the decision making process, not sideliners waiting to implement someone else's best laid plan"(p.92).   What this quote is saying is that there should only be a skeleton of what is going to be learned in class.  When a child finds something interesting though, allow them to expand on that interest and move the learning in their direction.  In the example, the teacher reads a story about dog sledding knowing that there is a large race in Alaska in the coming weeks.  When the children finish readin the story they want to know more about dog sledding and she leads them into the direction of researching and updating themselves on the upcoming race.  They use books, newspapers, and the internet to do so.  She involves all types of media and strategies for the groups to learn.  By having the children be an important part in the planning and structure of the learning you will find that they become more interested in the topic because it is something they want to know more about.

This link shows an example of how children can elaborate on their interest and still be learning.  The teachers allowed the children to find a topic that interest them and spent the next months going more in depth about the topic using different texts and technology. http://edtap.psu.edu/video/zines/

LL ED 400 Class Expectations Veronica Detwiler

      Over the course of LL ED 400, I expect to gain a lot of insight knowledge and some tricks. I hope to learn how to handle different situations and be able to help children in more ways than one. This course is going to shape me as a professional, because it is going to teach me how to teach my students to the best of my ability. Within this course, I plan to give all that I can give and in return, I hope that I can give all that I can give to my students. Along with the course, I hope I can learn a lot from other professors and other students as well. No one is the same and we all look at things differently. I want to be able to look back on this course in a couple years from now and say to myself that I am the teacher I am because of it. I also hope to retain as much as I can and pass it on to my future student teachers that I encounter. All in all, I plan to learn how to be the best I can be and learn how to pass that along to other students/staff. 

LLED 400 Brittany Gladish Class Expectations

I expect to gain knowledge neccessary for my success in the classroom when it comes to reading.  I want to be able to walk away knowing what books are appropriate for different age groups along with how do I approach reading them.  I want to be able to know how to add a book to a curriculum but also how to form a curriculum around a specific book.  I want to learn how to approach children with learning how to read and what I can do to support them and continue to improve their reading skills. This will shape me as a professional because I will have the skills needed to be successful in a classroom.  When applying for jobs I will be able to discuss my goals for a child's reading and be able to show a school district that I am prepared and professional enough to work in the classroom.

Childhood Object

Lauren brought to class the movie The Brave Little Toaster. The movie reminds her of her childhood because it is a movie she would watch everyday. She would come home from school and put the movie on and it became part of her routine. When asking her why she loved it so much she can not remember exactly why she just loved the movie and it is something that reminds her off her childhood.

Childhood Object

When Brittany's sister started coming to Penn State in the fall of 2008, the family as a whole started a new tradition. Since both of her parents went to Wisconsin and when Brittany went to Penn State in 2010, it was Brittany and her sister against their parents. As a tradition, they would go to the Penn State vs. Wisconsin football games. They even have some Penn State decorations and Wisconsin decorations in their house since her parents support Penn State by having both of their daughters there. This is a picture of their Christmas card they do each year, the family at a Penn State vs. Wisconsin football game.

Childhood Object

Veronica Detwiler has been showing horses since she was one year old. The trophy she brought in was won by her horse Sony, who was one of the 35 horses she used to own. Now, she is down to 4 horses, but her love of horses has never gone away. She lives right next to the barn where the horses are, so she sees them everyday when she's home. Her favorite breed of horse is a quarter horse, and all four of her horses are that breed. She likes to feed them apples and carrots, and they love to be taken out and about with Veronica. Since she grew up with horses, she hopes that one day her children will also be able to grow up with them as well.

LL ED 400 Course Expectations - Lauren Foreman

I expect to gain the knowledge of how to properly assess which books are appropriate for the classroom, and other techniques of engaging my students and holding their interest. I want to be able to understand the best ways to approach the ideas of reading in the classroom, and how to keep my classroom excited about reading. I hope that it will also enhance my classroom using books as well as activities that connect the book to the curriculum. I think that this class can help shape me as a professional because it will allow me to expand my classroom's understanding of the material, and I will need to pick an appropriate book. I believe that reading is a crucial part of the classroom, and this course should enable me with the tools to properly incorporate reading.