Struggling Student

I am in an eighth grade math class for my 75 hour clinical. The math classes in this school are block (none of the others are). The teacher has 3 classes consisting of 19, 14, and 13 students. There is a boy in one of her classes who is truly struggling. This student does very little work, even in class, and does poorly on tests. I have seen the teacher (and I have as well) stand directly in front of the student and ask him a question. Sometimes it is as if he doesn't even hear you and others he looks right at you but does not seem to understand what you are saying. This student is very quiet but does have other students that he talks to. Even with step-by-step procedures for writing down and solving a problem the student does not do it. The counselor and teachers have been trying to get the student tested for special education eligibility for a few years now. They keep getting told they need more data on the student before anything can be done. Based on the student's reaction to work, class notes, and responses, it seems as if there is some type of processing issue in the student's brain. Sometimes you feel as if he does not even realize you are speaking English to him. According to the learning style survey the students took, this particular student is a kinesthetic learner. The teacher uses various teaching methods and activities in the classroom, however, nothing seems to work. So far we have been unable to hook onto a method that keeps the student's attention, interest and understanding for any amount of time. I did my PBL the other day with that class. The students were creating scatter plots in excel. As I read off the data they needed to input into their spreadsheets, this student entered every piece correctly and right along with me. I thought, yes he is going to do this assignment. Wrong! He tried a couple of things on the graph, lost his data twice, and then completely lost interest. Finally I stepped in to help. Together we reentered the data a third time and we talked through what needed done and how to do it. All of the other students in that class as well as another had gone in and changed the color of their plots to something they liked and some got very creative with the overall appearance of the graph. This boy did not want to add color or anything. He did what was completely necessary and then was finished! I am at a loss for what to try on this student next. How do I pull him into the lesson and get him to do something. I don't feel as if it is because he just doesn't care I truly think he just doesn't know! He doesn't know what to do, how to do it, where to start, how to keep going, or if/how he should ask questions.

Teacher Questions Verbatim

How did you come up with that answer? Explain it to me.
Whe you go to the mall, what are some of the things you can do?
What are we going to be studying?
What are integers?
What type of numbers?
What does your book say they are?
Look at the graph. If you have the expression x + 2 to find the y point, for what value(s) of x do I need to make sure I land above the x-axis?
What values of x do you need for x + (-3) to be above the x-axis?
How did we get 3 when we have 5 + (-2)?

Learning Styles Survey

Here are the results for the Learning Styles Survey I gave my students.

Double Entry Journal #12

3 Things I Learned:
1. The construction of any "institution" implies that communication is taking place between various people for a common purpose. I never thought of an institution in this manner before.
2. Language communicates control. I have thought that language and communication is powerful but I never considered language a way to show, establish, or communicate control.
3. "The three-part sequence of teacher initiation, student response, teacher evaluation (IRE) is the most common pattern of classroom discourse at all grade levels.

2 Things I Found Interesting:
1. The IRE structure of discourse set up an imbalance of power in a number of ways. First because everything is teacher initiated showing that teachers can speak at any time but the students must wait on the teacher to let them speak. It also says that the teacher knows what knowledge is important and what will be learned.
2. Characteristics of effective questioning:
clear
purposeful
brief
natural and adapted to the level of the class
sequenced thought provoking

1 Question I have:
How can we best balance a teacher initiated questioning format with a student centered approach to create the best learning situation?

Technology Survey

How many computers are in the classroom? One-teacher computer
Do they have internet access? Yes
Can you access Google tools? Yes
Do you have access to a laptop cart? Can they get on the internet? There is one laptop/media center but not a laptop cart.
Is there a computer lab? Do the computers have Internet access? Can you access Google tools? How to you reserve it? Yes, there are two computer labs. Yes, they have internet and you can access Google tools. There is a weekly calendar that you use to sign up for use of the computer lab.
How many of your students have computers with Internet access at home? 10 of the 11 students in the classroom have computer at home but only 9 of those computers have Internet access.
Are there locations in the community where students can access the computers and the internet? Students can go into downtown Fairmont and go to the Marion County Library to use computers.

Double Entry Journal #11

The first example of an exemplary PBL is in the authenticity area. *The problem or question has meaning to the students and *There is an external audience for the student work. The students were very interested in the Top 10 books and videos they had already seen. Also, they were choosing the animals and researching them. This project became very meaningful to them. Also, they presented their project to the school board and community and created a commercial for people to see.

The second example of an exemplary PBL is under academic rigor. *The project demands breadth and depth of specific knowledge of central concepts. The students did some very in depth research regarding the animals, their habits, and their habitats. Once this project had been completed these students knew quite a bit of information about those particular animals. Everything they learned (or almost everything) they found on their own which should hold more meaning for them.

The third example of an exemplary PBL is under applied learning. *Students use multiple high-performance work organization skills (e.g., working in teams, using technology appropriately, communicating ideas, collecting, organizing and analyzing information). The students are working together to create their lists and research the information. They are correctly using research methods on the internet to retrieve the information. Also, all of the information they used, they gathered themselves, they organized it into the categories, and then they analyzed it to decided how to rank the animals.

WV CSOS:
Reading and English Language Arts
RLA.O.4.1.1 identify and practice appropriate vocabulary:
•multiple meaning words
•synonyms
•antonyms
•homonyms
•content area vocabulary
•context clues

RLA.O.4.1.6 examine meaning clues to aid comprehension of content across the curriculum (e.g., pictures, picture captions, titles, headings, text structure, topic).

RLA.O.4.1.13 judge the reliability or logic of informational texts.

RLA.O.4.1.14 select and use a variety of sources to gather information (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, newspapers, informational texts, electronic resources).

RLA.O.4.1.15 use graphic organizers and visualization techniques to interpret information (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams, non-verbal symbols).

RLA.O.4.2.6 write to persuade using order of importance, classifying differences and similarities, classifying advantages and disadvantages.

RLA.O.4.2.7 develop a composition that demonstrates an awareness of the intended audience using appropriate language, content and form.

RLA.O.4.2.12 use strategies to gather and record information for research topics:
•note taking
•summarizing
•paraphrasing
•describing in narrative form
•gathering information from direct quotes, maps, charts, graphs and tables

RLA.O.4.2.14 use strategies to compile information into written reports or summaries (e.g., incorporate notes into a finished product, include simple facts-details-explanations-examples, draw conclusions from relationships and patterns that emerge from data of different sources, use appropriate visual aids and media).

RLA.O.4.2.15 critically evaluate own and others’ written compositions.

RLA.O.4.3.4 create an age appropriate media literacy product that reflects understanding of format, characteristics and purpose.


Science

SC.O.4.1.4 demonstrate curiosity, initiative and creativity by developing questions that lead to investigations; designing simple experiments; and trusting observations of discoveries when trying new tasks and skills.

SC.O.4.1.6 support statements with facts found through research from various sources, including technology.

SC.O.4.2.1 describe the different characteristics of plants and animals, which help them to survive in different niches and environments.

SC.O.4.2.8 construct and explain models of habitats, food chains, and food webs.

SC.O.4.3.4 given a set of objects, group or order the objects according to an established scheme.

SC.O.4.3.7 use an appropriate engineering design to solve a problem or complete a task.

Double Entry Journal #10

Kid Watching: A Critical Practice
Kid watching is learning about children by watching how they learn. Kid watching is an important practice because it allows you to get to know the students, how they learn, and what they are interested in. For example, in the reading, Jacob said he didn't like reading about anything. The teacher used kid watching to observe this and his responses to reading, then she gave an inventory of the students and learned that Jacob liked soccer. This allowed the teacher to find material on soccer and suddenly Jacob started reading. You have to do something with the information you gather from kid watching so taht it can benefit the students.

Cultural difference theory is when the teachers and students are focused on their cultural "blind spots." By using the kid watching, teachers can overcome this blind spot and misunderstanding by observing the students, talking with them, and gaining a better understanding of who they are and what they know.


Retrieved from Getting to know students

Double Entry Journal #9

Use Primary Language or Code Switch
By allowing students to switch between their primary language and English, students may be able to remember more of what they learned. It also helps them become linguistically savvy. Students will be more apt to try writing or speaking in the new language because they know when they get stuck or confused they can switch back to their native language. It is said to "facilitate self esteem to be maintained, stress to be reduced, and education to be a positive experience. I think this should apply to Appalachian dialects as well. These students can use their language while trying to incorporate prope English into their vocabulary. I feel this would be beneficial to those students as well.

Reading Aloud: Student-centered vs. Teacher-centered
In teacher-centered, the lesson is focused on what the teacher asks and wants the students to know. This teacher expects students to listen without speaking, raise their hands and that will determine if they know the answer. The student-centered allows the students to facilitate what questions are being asked and what direction the conversation goes in. This checks for understanding by allowing students to develop their understanding.

Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_5palgT26a4J:media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/24/EHEP0005/EHEP000524-1.pdf+getting+to+know+your+students+interview&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESihbHTui0felcMHojEsBpnh8z7NAdzADlw2OA4q9Vocu4GnsE9vU6W8FAkura70mCyuOla1xOr-rr-Fx2SClUgdkg0vR_t62WIa7eI5Xv0hb-0RJGU6wkBN550lYlezIl_CDQ0s&sig=AHIEtbQinv4Hao96DU6foV8n3HZ8ybE5Ng&pli=1 pages 58-66

Using Appalachian Literature
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/appalachia.html
This website has titles of literature, uses, how to engage the literature and other ways to include it in the classroom.

Culturally Responsive Reflection

Culturally responsive teaching is a type of pedagogy that acknowledges the importance of including the students’ cultural references in all of their aspects of learning. (Teaching Diverse Learners. (2006). Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml). The digital photo story we did in class was a culturally responsive assignment because: it allowed for different performance modes other than traditional pencil and paper essay or exam, it helped to build a community that respects individual differences and interests as we watch each others digital stories, and it was a type of instruction to accommodate our various developmental needs and learning styles.
First, the digital photo story allowed for different performance modes by allowing us to use the computer to create this assignment rather than writing it or finding actual pictures to cut and glue. Instead of using power point to create the assignment, we were able to use and experience this new program. This is an authentic, real-life assignment that allowed us to create and use information that we are familiar with and actually experience. Louis Moll and his Funds of Knowledge would appreciate this. Moll felt that you could gain a better understanding of your students by seeing them in their cultural element (Moll, L. (1992). Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), 132-141. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1476399). By assigning a photo story that is to be a representation of who we are, it is an open-ended assignment that allows for many different answers.
Second, the photo story helped to build a community between our classmates that helps us to respect individual differences. We got to learn about various activities like hunting, fishing, other outdoors activities, sports, and many others. We were able to learn a lot about the entire class in a relatively short amount of time. By learning about other people, we could dispel some of those cultural deficits associated with West Virginia, its land and its people. Instead of looking at the bad things, deficits, we were able to find the good things with are the cultural capital of the people and land. “Tall Tales of Appalachia” said that the people who came into the area thought of us as “backward” people and felt they needed to correct us (O'Brien, J. (2003, May 10). Tall Tales of Appalachia. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html) These photo stories allowed us to ignore the views of outsiders and truly appreciate what we have. They also gave each of us a voice. We could use that voice to tell who we are, where we are from, and how proud we are of both of those.
Third, the instruction was able to accommodate various developmental needs and learning styles. Some people can’t just sit down and tell you all about their lives. However, if given the chance, they can sit down, right out some information, find images, and put together an amazing photo story. Some people are way more comfortable using images to explain things than using words. For kinesthetic learners, the act of actually putting together the photo story was the perfect task. The pictures and music was beneficial for the aural, read/write types of learners. Visual learners could see the words and the images and use those. Each type of learner was met by some aspect of this assignment.

Final version photo story

Double Entry Journal #6

A culturally responsive activity that I did occurred this semester. In science methods, we have been discussing the learning cycle. Instead of just telling us the steps of the cycle and what they do, we actually demonstrated it. For example we were discussing the cycle and to learn it, we were talking about circuits and got to work with the circuits and learned the cycle by experiencing and experimenting with it.

Teaching Diverse Learners. (2006). Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml

Resource: Culturally Responsive power point
This power point discusses culturally responsive teaching: what it is and how to do it.

Photo story

Where I am From Photo Story

Here is my final copy of my photo story...finally! (It took multiple tries on youtube and then on blogger to get my video uploaded and the blog posted.

Double Entry Journal #5

3 Things I learned:

• Writers often talk in order to rehearse the language and content that will go into what they write. I never really thought about this. Writing includes a lot of talk but I never really knew that.


• I learned about all the communication and networking and socialization and considerations that must come together and be utilized for good writing to occur.


• I learned that writing instruction needs to include all of the technologies that could be used as well.

2 Things I Found Interesting:

• That people can indirectly be involved in others writing and not even know it.


• That writers need to think about the physical design of the text, appropriateness and thematic content, integration of sound, etc. along with the actual writing.

1 Question I Have:

• How do you best utilize talk to assist with writng, what type of talk is the most beneficial?

Citation: NCTE Beliefs About the Teaching of Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/document/d/1kBob4rwoBfMr5KibZlGhE7RopH9ZVrXij2XWhbNzeVk/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1#

Resource: http://www.time4learning.com/teaching-writing.shtml This website gives steps to be used when teaching writing.

Double Entry Journal #4

Quote: "One advantage to studying 'human beings dynamically, within their social circumstances, in their full complexity,' Moll remarks, is that one can gain, 'a much more complete, and, we believe, a much more valid understanding of them.'" (Moll, 1992)

Response: I completely agree with this quote. In fact I completely agree with the entire article. I do think that sometimes students and parents know more than teachers believe they know and could be very beneficial to the education of the students. Sometimes children are exposed to many different methods of learning at home based on what their parents or other community members do for a living. I do think that by going to a students home or visiting the community you will be able to better understand the students and will probably be able to develop a better format for teaching. The fact that you need to know your students has been drilled into my head for a while now when discussing education and how to help a student succed. The teacher who did the building unit is a perfect example of this. This article makes total sense in that aspect.

Reference: Moll, L. (1992). Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), 132-141. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1476399

Resource: http://www.tolerance.org/tdsi/asset/explanation-funds-knowledge
This website has a video of Louis Moll explaining his Funds of Knowlege.

Where I am from Poem

I am from rolling hills, tinkling streams, and starry nights. I am from spring peepers and cricket song. I am from two parent homes full of love and from late night sister sessions. I am from yearly family reunions, knowing who you are and where you come from.
I am from Friday night football and Sunday morning church. I am from the faith that God can do ALL things. I am from having as much of a church family as your own family. I am from covered dish dinners, homemade pies, and homemade macaroni and cheese. I am from Sunday dinners at Mamaw and Papaw’s house and playing in the yard with my cousins.
I am from trips to Ohio to see Mammy and Pappy and the uncles. I am from summers at the beach or trips to the mountains. I am from hunting and fishing and spending time in the company of great friends.
I am from standing as the flag goes by, from showing our respect, and from saying thanks to our veterans.
I am from bleeding blue and gold from the Bearcats to the Mountaineers. I am from Chevy, the Heartbeat of America, because Pappy won’t stand for those foreign jobs.
I am from laughing ‘til you cry with aunts, cousins, and grandmas. From praying that my family won’t embarrass me in public but loving them anyway.
I am from weekends at Grandma’s learning the right way to make her coffee and sleeping on her arm at night.
I am from Love. The love of family, friends, and country.
West Virginia is my home and my family is my greatest blessing.

Double Entry Journal #3

Here is my own the word for cultural deficit theory.

Resource: Bolima, Donna. Contexts for Understanding: Educational Learning Theories. Retrieved From: http://staff.washington.edu/saki/strategies/101/new_page_5.htm.

Double Entry Journal #2

Quote: "....teachers and schools must accept, believe, and act upon the belief that children of poverty are learners, have been learning since birth, are ready to learn at any time, and will learn." (Purcell-Gates, V.)

Reaction: I really liked this quote. I completely agree with it and feel more teachers, administrators, and schools in general need to be informed of this. Too many children are ignored and lost in the shuffle because the people most responsible for their education feel they just can't do it. The more I read of this article, the more upset I got. The teachers and principle should have taken the fact that the mom wanted what was best for her son and listened to what she had to say. If the teachers would have listened and kept Donny in first or second grade and continued to help him he would have had a better chance of succeeding. I truly believe that children can, do, and will learn no matter what their social or economic status is. They just need their teachers to believe in them and help them find the strength and courage to succeed.

Reference: Purcell-Gates, V. (n.d.). "...As Soon As She Opened Her Mouth!": Issues of Language, Literacy, and Power. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewera=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6DFAmexYq7vMGQxMjI1OTEtMjAyZS00NzJmLTg1OTUtODlmMGQ0ZDIxOTVk&hl=en_US&pli=1

Related Resource: This site is an article from the education information resource center. It talks about how it has been difficult to teach in Appalachia becuase of low SES and poverty. This article is Making a Case for a Cross-Cultural Approach to Literacy in Appalachia.
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED377997&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED377997

Double Entry Journal #1

Quote: "As the mountains were denuded, the industrialists portrayed the families they were robbing as "backward people" and themselves as the prophets of progress." (O'Brien, May 10, 2003)

Reaction: This quote completely shocked and amazed me. I guess I just do not understand how the industrialists could come onto the people's land, destroy it without caring about the people or the land, and then blame those people. Who gave them the right to call the Appalachian people "backward" while awarding themselves the power to "fix" others (even though the Appalachian people really did not need fixed)? If the land, or timber, was that important, then the right thing would have been for the timber companies to speak with the Appalachian people and explain what would happen. Just because someone is different, does not mean their way is wrong. I love where I live and appreciate the land and the people who are here. I would not go somewhere else and tell them they are backward and wrong.

Reference: O'Brien, J. (2003, May 10). Tall Tales of Appalachia. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html

Resource: This website gives background information on where Appalachia originated from and some history on the people, culture, values, etc about Appalachia.
http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0310443/Appalachian%20Culture.htm