Lead a Fluency Activity

Date: 3/19/08 ~20 minutes

Summary:

The students all choose an animal which they wrote a five paragraph essay on. During this activity the student had to re-read their report to me, while I typed it for them.

Reflection:

This activity may have seemed simple enough, but in order for me to successfully re-produce their essay the students had to concentrate on their fluency. If the students had an exclamation mark at the end of one of their sentences, they had to make sure and read it that way; otherwise I would not know to put that specific mark at the end of the sentence. Additionally, students had to pause in correct spaces, cueing me to either end a sentence or add a comma. One student began reading his essay in a robotic, monotone voice, ignoring pauses and sentences all together. I had to stop him three sentences in and show him on the computer screen what his weeks of work was turning into. This related back to class and the discussion we had of how if comprehension fails then the authors meaning can be altered. In this case, the student was the author and by him reading his work in an incomprehensible way, the meaning was lost on me, the audience. After he realized that he had to read it like he wrote it, he would read one sentence, pause, look up (to make sure I typed it correctly), then go on to the next sentence. Although this student’s intention of stopping was to check my work, he was still improving his fluency as he read aloud. He began to take appropriate breaks at appropriate times. During another essay, I was extremely impressed with one student’s ability to orate their story to me. She was able to read her essay with proper pausing, and great fluency. She made sure to tell me when she was beginning a new paragraph, realizing that a pause in a voice usually means a new sentence, maybe a comma, but not necessarily a new paragraph. I thought this took great cognitive skills. The student realized what challenges I may be having while typing her story and solved the problem before it occurred. I also thought it took a great deal of thinking for this student to remove herself from the student role and to even begin to ask those types of questions to herself: what the purpose of this task is, in order for this to happen what must I do differently in this type of read-aloud? I was extremely impressed with this individual student’s mature thought process and literacy development (I was beginning to wonder who the teacher was and who was the student).

I really enjoyed this activity; it was a chance when the roles were switched. Often times teachers read to students, but student only seem to read to teachers with books that they did not choose, let alone write. I feel that this can sometimes take away from the students’ excitement, which can ultimately affect how they read a book. If a student is not interested in a book, why would they read it in a manner that intrigues other readers if it doesn’t even intrigue them. I also enjoyed getting to listen to the students’ work, not only by reading it, but hearing it from the actual author. The students were also excited to see their work on the screen and begin to fill the pages. To engage students and to excite students is to make any task fun, a common theme in my Blog. When learning becomes something children (I use children, b/c I mean children, not just students) want to do because it is now something fun, that is when learning becomes meaningful, authentic, and beneficial to all parties.

Design and Implement a Center

I am using my Pass

Guided Reading Lessons (2)

Name: Sean Addley Grade: 2^nd Grade Date: 4/16/08

Objective: Students will compare main characters in a fictional story.

Standards: R.NT.02.01, R.CM.02.03

Materials: Are You My Mother (Eastman, 1960), Paper for everyone, Pencils for everyone, easel with big paper, marker

Lesson Procedures:

1. Pre-reading (4 minutes)

· Introduce Text – I will do a quick picture walk, pointing out the main character (Bird) which will be compared to other characters. I will ask question about the illustrations and if they see common themes throughout the book.

· Introduce Purpose – I will explain to the students that we are going to be finding similarities and differences between main characters in the story. I will further explain that I will be reading the book two times and the first time I want them to be good listeners. The second time I read, I will encourage them to take notes on their paper about the characters.

2. Reading (8 minutes)

I will completely read the text once through while students actively listen. As I read the story a second time I will encourage the students to try to find similarities and differences, while still paying attention, taking notes on their paper.

3. Responding(6 minutes)

I will ask the students if they were able to come up with any really good examples of similarities or differences. I will also ask if any of the students have ever been lost, maybe in the supermarket. After sharing, I will ask if any of the stories they shared have similarities/differences to Bird in the story, bringing us back on track.

4. Exploring (14 minutes)

· Strategy Introduction – I will draw a Venn diagram on the easel, labeling one circle “Bird” and the other circle “Possible Mothers” I will share with the students this is a tool called a Venn diagram which I used when comparing similarities and differences.

· Engaging – I will ask one of the students to share an example of the similarity/difference they came up with. We will discuss if the example is a similarity or difference, stressing that differences are unique to that one character and similarities are shared by all.

· Practice –I will share that in a Venn diagram how similarities go in the middle because this part is shared by both circles, therefore differences would go in that individual character’s circle. I will ask for student examples of similarities/differences and write them in the appropriate place on the Venn diagram on the easel. I will do this with each student and one of their examples.

5. Applying (5 minutes)

I will ask student to use the marker and put one more example on the easel. This I will ask to be done independently with no help from others, reminding them to remain silent and respectful.

Accommodations:

Reading twice (allows for better detail recognition)

Notes (will focus more on the story than remember their thoughts)

Easel / Diagram (learning styles)

Assessment:

I will review what each student posted on the easel. The examples which identify a difference/similarity of Bird and other characters will have met the lesson objective.

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Summary:
I did the same type of lesson but with a different group of students. I, again choose the students that would partake in the lesson.

Reflection:
After completing the first guided reading lesson then doing the Are You My Mother lesson. One thing that I noticed about the students literacy development is that they are very good at pulling details out of stories, not only details about characters but details about the story as a whole, including setting and plot. Although this lesson focused on character comparison, during the responding time, students shared things about the whole story. For example, one student said in order for the bird to see so many different animals and a crane, the bird had to have traveled really far. This was a very impressive detail that the student was able to pull out from the story, showing a deeper level of thinking. When comparing the two lessons, I would have to say that the first lesson worked much better. I feel this is due to the book that was chosen. The first lesson the students were asked to discriminate between two characters. In the second book the students were asked to discriminate between one character (Bird) and a range of other characters. The students were confused if they were suppose to compare bird and all of the other characters, or if they were suppose to choose one other character and compare that individual with Bird. Personally, I left this open to interpretation, giving students the option. I did this to alleviate any possible confusion, but in doing so I guess I created more. This was a time when my original plan of less guidance to be more flexible actually created more confusion. Sometimes students need to be told step by step what is expected of them, that was the case for this lesson. However, the outcome of the lesson was still successful. The students were able to discriminate a characteristic of Bird that was different/similar to another (or all) of the other characters. Also, this book was a much easier read. I felt that this was one of the more successful read alouds that I have done. The students were able to follow the story with little distraction, and excited to say what was coming next when I read it a second time. In the future, I would use this book, but in a different way. I may have each student choose a specific character. For example, one could be the dog, one could be the hen, one could be the crane, etc. From there, each student could draw their own Venn diagram and compare their character to the character of the bird. Then, after they complete their diagram, they could pair/share to see how their peers completed their diagrams, engaging and strengthening the classroom community.

Guided Reading Lessons

Name: Sean Addley Grade: 2^nd Grade Date: 4/16/08

Objective: Students will compare main characters in a fictional story.

Standards: R.NT.02.01, R.CM.02.03

Materials: Tikki Tikki Tembo (Mosel, 1968), Paper for everyone, Pencils for everyone, easel with big paper, marker

Lesson Procedures:

1. Pre-reading (4 minutes)

· Introduce Text – I will do a quick picture walk, pointing out the main characters which will be compared. I will ask question about the illustrations and if they see common themes throughout the book.

· Introduce Purpose – I will explain to the students that we are going to be finding similarities and differences between two main characters in the story who happen to be brothers. I will further explain that I will be reading the book two times and the first time I want them to be good listeners. The second time I read, I will encourage them to take notes on their paper about the characters.

2. Reading (8 minutes)

I will completely read the text once through while students actively listen. As I read the story a second time I will encourage the students to try to find similarities and differences while I read about the two brothers, while still paying attention, taking notes on their paper.

3. Responding (6 minutes)

I will ask the students if they were able to come up with any really good examples of similarities or differences. I will also ask if any of the students have any brothers or sisters of their own. I will encourage students to share some similarities and differences they have between their siblings. After sharing, I will ask if any of the similarities/differences they have with their siblings are the same that are seen in the story, bringing us back on track.

4. Exploring(13 minutes)

· Strategy Introduction – I will draw a Venn diagram on the easel, labeling one circle “Chang” and the other circle “Tikki Tikki Tembo…” I will share with the students this is a tool called a Venn diagram which I used when comparing similarities and differences.

· Engaging – I will ask one of the students to share an example of the similarity/difference they came up with. We will discuss if the example is a similarity or difference, stressing that differences are unique to that one character and similarities are shared by both.

· Practice –I will share that in a Venn diagram how similarities go in the middle because this part is shared by both circles, therefore differences would go in that individual character’s circle. I will ask for student examples of similarities/differences and write them in the appropriate place on the Venn diagram on the easel. I will do this with each student and one of their examples.

5. Applying(5 minutes)

I will ask student to use the marker and put one more example on the easel. This I will ask to be done independently with no help from others, reminding them to remain silent and respectful.

Accommodations:

Reading twice (allows for better detail recognition)

Notes (will focus more on the story than remember their thoughts)

Easel / Diagram (learning styles)

Assessment:

I will review what each student posted on the easel. The examples which identify a difference/similarity of the two brothers will have met the lesson objective.

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Summary:

This lesson was taught with a small group of four student who were chosen by me. I chose with a range of abilities who were behaving good throughout the day.

Reflection:

The students were very engaged with this activity. The first excitement was due to this being the first time I independently taught them a real type lesson. Personally I didn’t see much difference than any other time I guided a station, but the students seemed to. This excitement was flattering, but I had to make sure to not let things get out of control too early. I had to remind them that it is okay that we have fun but to remember that we are students and as long as our fun involves learning then we are okay. After this brief reminder, I had all eyes back on me and mouths were closed. After I introduced the book and did a picture walk, the students were really into the colors and the pictures, I was hoping this would keep them engaged while I read the book, however after they heard the “Tikki Tikki Tembo…” for the first time; this became their new focus of the story. After reading the story two times, the students shared their similarities and differences. I am happy to say that each student was able to come up with at least one similarity and one difference between the brothers. Some simply said one wears yellow and one wears blue, where as some were more deep talking about their personalities. One thing that I still need to work on is my read-aloud abilities, as I mentioned in a previous post, I believe when I read to the students I rush when I get nervous. This time I was in a smaller group, which helped with the nerves, but I still feel I could have slowed down the text a bit more. It is hard to gauge what is appropriate for each grade during specific times of the years. This is something I hope to gain with more experience in the classroom. While reading the story, I did not have to pause for much side talk. Again, I believe this is because the group was much smaller and the stakes were much higher if an individual began to talk. Additionally, I chose the students to join the group, so they felt special and realized that this was a privilege to be sitting, learning, and enjoying a book with Mr. Addley, this also helped in managing the group. The students realized that they were chosen, this is a privilege, and they need to maintain an appropriate behavior.

Lead a Phonemic Awareness/Phonics Activity/Spelling Activity

Date:
3/12/08 ~20 minutes

Summary:
The activity I led on this day involved students forming word from a begging letter/sound and an ending sound. For example they are given the base tile "__op" then they cover next to this "s","sh","m","x","d", etc. the students are then to write all of the words they come up with on a separate sheet of paper. The rule of thumb is for students to write all of the words that they think are real words, if they think it could be a real word then go ahead and write in on your paper. One word they could get from the example is "shop" adding the tile "sh" to the base tile "__op".

Reflection:

When connecting back to course content, this activity aided me in differentiating between phonemic awareness/phonics and spelling. When looking at what this activities main purpose is, it is to recognize how certain letters make certain sounds and if those sounds can formulate words. The one this that is not stressed in the activity is spelling, many time students would have made up words written on their paper, however the words still flowed and followed a linguistic word structure. This shows that the students are able to recognize how a word should look and sound, able to discriminate between made up words such as “wlat” and “clat”. As with many of the other activities, the students are given a certain level of trust to complete their task quietly. However to ensure that they are actually working and not socializing during this time, the teacher has them write the words they came up with. This serves a dual purpose. The first purpose is for the student to begin to see patterns and relationships with certain words and letters. The second purpose is a check that the teacher has. If the student only has three or four words on their piece of paper, then the teacher knows that the student was not staying on task during the time they were trusted to do so.

One thing I noticed about students’ literacy development with this activity is something that I did not expect at first. This activity also allows for students to hear and see how vowels make different sounds to form word. Often times the base tiles will focus on sort vowel sounds one day “__at” and the next day the students will be asked to use the same vowel, but the long vowel sound “__ate”, so the student is able to see the similarities and differences between the word “bate” and “bate”. This activity is something I see myself using in future practices. I like how students are introduced to an array of word, not just words written on cards, but words that they have created themselves. This becomes a sort of game for the students and again we see a way in which fun and learning can be incorporated. At times you can see the students betting who is going to be able to make the most real words. When I see one kids bragging, I usually sit down by his word list and point out four or five words that are not real, not to de-motivate them, but in a friendly playful way remind them that it is okay to have fun but the goal of this activity is not to race it is to find words.

Lead a Vocabulary Activity

Date:
2/20/08 ~20 min

Summary:
The Vocabulary Activity I lead was a sentence formation activity. Individual words which form sentence (atleast seven words) are written on note card-like paper. Each word is separate from each other. The student is given the task put the words back together to make the original sentence or on that makes sense (rarely there are two sentences that work). Within the sentence, one of the weekly vocabulary words is included.

Reflection:
One of the first things I noticed during this activity is that the students are very good at finding the first word and the last word in the sentence, this is because the first word is usually the only capital letter to choose from (unless there is name in the sentence) and the last word is always the only word with a period, exclamation mark, or question mark. After these two words have been placed in the appropriate place on the sentence line many student then become dependent on the teacher to finish the sentence for them, I swear you can see their brain shut off sometimes. To help the students with stay engaged, I encourage them to put all of the word face up in front of them, read all of them (no matter if they began with an upper case or end in a period), then begin to place in a sentence. This allows for the students to hear all of the words and begin thinking how they could possibly be related. Instead of giving up on the first two words, the students begin to look at it as a puzzle. This is expanding their literacy development and their vocabulary. By formulating a sentence with many words they know and a few they are less familiar with (the vocabulary words) the students get to see the vocabulary word in a new way. Not only are the students seeing the word in a different sentence, but they have to figure out where in the sentence the vocabulary word fits and makes sense. When relating back to class, we know that improved vocabulary is one of the components that make successful readers, and successful readers are also able to add more to their vocabulary by using approaches such as context clues. Therefore, it is extremely important to give young readers and students (second graders) an excessive vocabulary basis in which they can build off of when reading both in class and individually.

This activity does involve a certain level of trust with the students, which means a successful structure in classroom management. The students are expected to quietly, not silently, complete their task. However, they are also encouraged to ask question of their peers if they are not familiar with a word. They are also allowed to work with a partner if each partner has attempted the sentence independently and neither was able to complete it correctly. Some students choose not to ask for help and if they cannot finish a certain sentence, they simply put it away and attempt another one. This allows for a certain level of scaffolding, some sentences may be easier for students to complete than other, since the students are given the opportunity to choose which sentence they want to initially attempt, there is no penalty for the student deciding that a certain sentence is too difficult and to choose another one. Additionally, this allows for the students to take ownership of their learning. The students’ choice allows for them to own that sentence for as long it is in front of them, it is no one else’s to solve or move around, it is solely their problem, and they are the ones responsible for solving it. If they want to move on to a different sentence they can, but again, it is their choice.

From this experience, I take an approach to learning vocabulary with aligns with my personal beliefs about learning. This “station” is often seen as a fun station by many of the students. To hear the word “fun” come out of a second graders mouth when talking about learning is awe-inspiring. This is part of my personal belief, there needs to be more fun incorporated back into the classroom, in the form of learning. We know that authentic learning occurs when students are actively engaged and involved, and that is exactly what fun does, so why not make students enjoy what they do and gain a greater knowledge while they do it.

Assess Focal Student

Date:
3/26/08 ~40 min

Summary:

My main focus when assessing my focal students was based on his growth as a classroom learner. I wanted to see him become a part of the classroom community, not so focused on his assignment out come. I informally assessed DL by his amount of appropriate sharing with the classroom.

Reflection:
During this lesson I learned that the adaptations do not have to be major changes. They can be single statements that guide students, in DL’s case, guide him into more participation. In the initial part of the lesson, the students were on the carpet. The carpet is often a time when sharing occurs and the students know that everyone is welcome to share at appropriate times. During the carpet time, DL did raise his hand and share, but only after many other students took the initial risk factor and were verbally awarded by a simple “Thank you for your thoughts.” My goal for DL is to be comfortable enough with his classroom environment and himself in order to be one of the first students to share, possibly taking that initial risk. Later in the lesson, during the work time, I made sure to make my way over to DL and look over what he had come up with. His ideas were really good and he was extremely on track. I made sure to tell him this, in hopes that he would be more confident in his work, making him more apt to share. At the conclusion of the lesson, the class was asked to share their work. Sure enough, DL was one of the first students to raise their hand. I took advantage of this situation and call on DL. By making the differentiation to make sure I check DL’s work and share with him my thoughts on his progress, I made sharing for him less of a risk, but did not take away all of the risk. DL was confident in his work which made him able to share with the class and not second guess himself. Additionally, after sharing I thanked DL for his thoughts. This will hopefully further encourage him to share appropriately in the future.

In my future I will use this experience to emphasize the importance of a classroom community. A classroom community is something that cannot be built in one day or even a week, it is something that takes continual efforts on part of both the teacher and the students. However, as a teacher, DL will impact my future teachings by serving as a reminder that students can never be thanked too much for their work or their sharing, nor can they be praised too much. Often time students are only told what is wrong with their work and what needs to be fixed. This can create a negative environment where the students feel the teacher’s task is an enforcer not a facilitator or builder. This also hinders the amount of risk taking that occurs. If students only feel like they are going to be told they are wrong, then they will never feel ‘safe’ to put themselves out there and take risks. The classroom community is a guiding factor that determines how and what students share. A successful community allows for students to share all at appropriate times, which can enhance and encourage authentic learning.

Observe another teacher's literacy instruction

Date:
02/06/08 ~35 minutes

Summary:
During this particular Wednesday, our CT was at a conference out of state so we were able to observe a guest teacher's instructional strategy. This observation took place with an activity which utilized the local Lansing District Newspaper. The teacher read the the article and the students were to choose one paragraph, list its main point followed by three details that support the main idea.

Reflection:
While teaching the lesson, the guest teacher followed the gradual release strategy. After reading the whole article, she re-read one paragraph and as a class they came up with the theme/topic of that paragraph. After the topic was chosen, then the students had to find three details which supported the topic. Once they completed this task as a class, they were asked to do this as individuals. The paragraph the guest teacher chose to do as a class was the third paragraph, this is one thing I would have done differently. The students became too concentrated on counting down to the third paragraph (some not knowing where a paragraph started and ended) they forgot the central focus of the activity. Personally, I would have thought it would be logical and easier to follow by starting with the first paragraph.
Relating back to course content, before reading the newspaper article, the guest teacher did a good pre-reading comprehension strategy by asking the students to guess what the article was about by using the pictures and article title. However, while reading, there were no comprehension strategies used. She simply read through the whole article, not taking any breaks to ask "what did I just read," "what was just said," and so on. Considering the point of the lesson was to recognize main points, asking questions during reading would have not only encouraged student participation, but it would have also aided in the development of students’ literacy and their ability to complete the task of the lesson. Also there were no post-reading strategies that were utilized. The students went right into their individual work.
The students became very frustrated when they were to do this activity independently, many of them did not understand what they were suppose to do or how to do it. The students' literacy could not be developed because the stress of the work became debilitating not facilitating. They began to get worked up and lost focus, many of them quitting all together. It was hard for the students to become focused again, however after further examples and guidance the majority of the students were able to complete the task. This simply means that the students were 'released' too early to be expected to complete the task on their own. If further instruction and guiding examples were given initially, then they would have been able to complete the task the first time and the stress could have been avoided. One skill that I learned through observing the guest teaching and will use in my future practices is the skill of re-wording. At first the students did not understand the initial question; however after rewording it in many ways, students were able to understand what was being asked of them and respond appropriately.
It was interesting to observe a guest teacher and the different methods of literacy instruction. It was especially interesting to see how as a future educator with formal education classes, I am able to observe and reason why the classroom responded they way they did. I wonder if the guest teacher had any formal education in the in the education field. She stated that she has substituted for many years, but only in middle schools. This was clear with her classroom management skills, however her instructional methods were at times depth-less and unclear. She was able to keep the classroom quiet and fairly focused. As an experienced guest teacher, her skills of classroom management have been tried and perfected. One of these skills involved her prefacing every question with “raise your hand if you know…” This prevented student from shouting out and disrupting the classroom by giving a simple reminder of appropriate behavior.

Read Aloud

Date:
02/06/08 ~15 minutes

Summary:
Everyday after lunch the students gather in the corner carpeted area and the CT usually reads a picture book along with a chapter or so out of a chapter book. On this day, after lunch I read the picture book "Giggle, Giggle, Quack," by Doreen Cronin. This activity was with the whole class, which followed their daily routine.

Reflection:
To begin this activity, the students were really excited for "Mr. Addley" to read to them, because this was the first time I took this initiative, whereas my classroom partner (Ms. Smith) has read to them a number of times. Although this was flattering, I had to remind then of appropriate behavior when sitting on the carpet. While reading the book, it was difficult to both keep an eye on the students while reading and engaging them in the story. I began to understand why my CT, on occasion, sends students back to their seats, removing the distraction. My personal strategy, at least this time, was to stop reading and use "the teacher look" at the student which was causing the distraction. This strategy seemed to work, however may take away precious time, and the student may not respond to this strategy and continue to cause a distraction for surrounding students. I will continue to use my strategy for classroom management in my future practices. Personally, I do not like to dismiss students to their seats. I feel this does remove the distraction but at the expense of the individual student. Therefore, I would rather use other techniques to maintain appropriate classroom management. This activity taught me that classroom management is one of the most difficult tasks to complete. Due to the individuality of each classroom and the constantly growing environment, classroom management is something that must reflect the students who make up the classroom. What works for one teacher in one room, may not work for another teacher in another room. Classroom management skills are something I continue to explore and develop through further observation and interaction.
Before I read the book to them, I engaged the students in some pre-reading comprehension strategies which we talk about in class. I asked if by they title or cover anyone could guess what the book was going to be about. I was also able to make a text-to-text connection, due to the fact that two weeks prior Ms. Smith read a book by the same author with the same characters. I also was attempting to engage the students while reading the book. I would ask question such as, "what do you think is going to happen next?" This hopefully helped in expanding their literacy development. By using clues, such as pictures and what they already know about the character of Duck, the students were asked to make predictions. This is a skill which will be greatly beneficial in their future lessons and challenges.
In future similar activities, I may try to engage the students even more. A way to do this is by giving them an opportunity to share personal experiences which relate to the story, showing a text-to-self connection. Furthermore, I may try to challenge myself more by reading a chapter book instead of a picture book. One last thing I would attempt would be to pace myself. Often times when placed in front of a crowd, no matter their ages, our nerves cause us to rush. I feel that when reading, I may have read too fast, loosing some of the students.

Contextual Analysis

a.) Lansing District Schools follow the MDE Grade Level Content Expectations

b.) The initial observation that I made with the GLCE was that for Language Arts, the subject was broken down into four different subcategories: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening and Viewing. I was glad to see this, due to that fact that Language Arts usually focuses only on aspects of reading and writing, often forgetting the other two subcategories. Additionally, within each subcategory themes are broken down into even smaller classification. This allows for teacher not only to find the GLCE quicker, but also allows for more successful communication among teachers by using common and correct vocabulary. While reading the individual GLCEs I noticed that they were very direct and clear. However, with this said, I also believe that they are broad enough where individual teaching style and beliefs can still be incorporated.

c.) One of the first things I noticed when I walked into my classroom was that every wall was covered with some sort of sign, calendar, chart, or board. On one wall there is the alphabet running across the whole wall, each vowel is red, and under each letter are words that begin with that letter, a sort of word wall. In addition to the alphabet word wall, most of the signage has a literacy/language arts foundation. Signs focused on punctuation symbols, writing techniques, and reading techniques can all be seen. Besides obvious signage, students also have access to four computers which they use daily. A popular website "starfall.com" is used to help students literacy and reading. Furthermore, to aide students, there are at least two teachers who come in on a weekly, if not daily basis, to give extra practice to groups of students who need help in certain areas. Another resource that is available to students is the ownership of writing notebooks. These notebooks are used to write everything from fables to personal narratives. The notebooks give students the chance brainstorm, write, and proofread all in one location. Lastly, the students have a daily routine starting with coming into the classroom and silently and independently completing math problems along with correcting a sentence or two. Another routine occurs right after lunch. Students sit on the carpeted area and the CT reads a short picture book to them, followed by a section out of a chapter book.

d.) Lyons elementary is on a Literacy First Grant. This grant specifies that at least 3 uninterrupted hours must be dedicated to literacy instruction. One strength of this program is that it insures that literacy instruction is occurring. Additionally, the school receives extra funds which allows for them to incorporate more technology and buy more resources to aid in the students' learning. However, one weakness is that the quality of literacy instruction is not monitored. Furthermore, when the school day is only 7 hours, not including lunch, recess, and specials, almost half of the day is taken up by one subject. This forces teachers to fit all other subject into small 30 minute slots. Effective teachers are able to incorporate other subjects into their literacy instruction, even then, other subject are rarely the main focus.
The CT instruction closely aligns with the GLCEs, so much so that in her lesson book she writes the GLCE that aligns with the lesson she plans on giving. Also after reading through the GLCEs I began to realize why so much instructional time is spent on certain aspects of her lessons. Not only is it a GLCE in itself, but further GLCEs depend and build off of one and another. While reading the literacy GLCEs, I was able to remember each lesson that corresponds to the GLCEs, at least for the most part. This illustrates that the classroom curricula, and available resources are put in place to make sure students succeed and that each GLCE is met. The alignment of the two, instruction and GLCE, is parallel, if not the same line.
In my furture practice as a teacher, I would like to teach in a school where their curriculum is based off the states, however they also have ones of their own, making sure to incorporate the resources which are available to that particular environment and district. One thing I would do, which my CT does very well is to surround the students with literacy. Any free time the students have they are suppose to read silently at their seat. On every wall there is a poster which has some aspect of literacy on it. Both morning and after lunch routines involve literacy, either reading or writing. I also like the idea of student journals, this gives the students an opportunity to take ownership of their writing and a place to write for the sheer enjoyment of writing, not because it is a assigned graded writing.