Ines Rdz

Reflection 9

2007-06-26T12:30:00.001-06:00

Emotional language for me can be expressed in both my L1 and L2, even though I am more fluent in English I can also get very emotional in Spanish. I think it also has to do with who and where you are expressing yourself. If it is with my mom that speaks Spanish then I will speak in Spanish but if it’s with my brother and sister then it will be in English. Any language can be emotionally richer because the emotions come within you, so it’s the person who makes the language richer when speaking. It’s like Carol mentioned in class about German, it is known as a harsh language but depending on the way you speak it can sound very not and not so harsh, to people who don’t know the language. Regarding the speech communities I think it all has to do with who you are talking to and whether that person knows your language, even if you start off in one and then as your emotions start to come you can tend to code switch if you feel more at ease doing it in your L1.

Reflection 8

2007-06-24T11:12:00.000-06:00

I think a combo of both, in teaching you cannot have one single way of teaching as we’ve learned in this class children acquire information in various forms, therefore our teachings have to be in various forms as well. It is important to be form focused because you do want them to learn the appropriate grammar but you also have to have them practice that grammar you are teaching them. What a better way to have them practice then with each other. Children tend to learn or pick up things if they are in a conversation with other peers, they don’t feel the pressure of looking dumb because one of their friends corrected them. Communication is needed in all classrooms but when it comes to SLA it really plays an important role. In study 37 shows a good example of how both approaches will work. In this sudy they used focus on form through collaborative dialogue here it showed that the learners engaged in collaborative talk on the language which led them to understand the correct use.

Reflection 7

2007-06-15T07:47:00.000-06:00

I don’t teach yet but I believe affective factors have a lot to do with the child’s learning. With shy children you need to worry about them because they are the one’s that are least likely going to be able to express themselves in the classrooms making it hard on the teacher to get to know the student. With the more rebellious child the teacher has to worry about how this student will do on work when they are rebellious they tend to be more outspoken and trouble some interfering with there school work so you as the teacher need to tame that child. In both cases the teacher needs to be able to get to know the student to be able to connect with them to better help them learn.

Motivation is something that is within you but in some cases you also need someone to motivate you. I think everything is situational, depending on that situation you might be motivated and in other instances you might need to be motivated. In class Alfonso mentioned finding their interest and using that to make a lesson so they can be motivated to learn. In my C&I class this was one of the topics we spoke about a lot especially in reading how do you get a student to be interested in reading well the motivation came form having them read things that were related to them culturally and personally. They need attention grabbers and what better than things they find fun.

Reflection 6

2007-06-13T11:57:00.000-06:00

A particular language influences the thought of its speakers. Different patterns of language yield different patterns of thought. Whorf believed that what one thinks is fully determined by their language. He also supported linguistic relativity, which states that the differences in language reflect the different views of different people. I believe that certain words or phrases cannot be fully translated into the other language, sometimes the translation changes the meaning of what you are trying to say making it harder for the second language learner to understand. When a second language learner is making that translation they believe the word they are using is correct but it is not because it changes the meaning of the word making their statement or phrase wrong.

Well the way I would address culture in my classroom would be going over the main celebrated holidays but also inquiring from each student what their culture is and what important holidays they have. Then you can have classroom activities so they can all participate.

Reflection 5

2007-06-12T19:45:00.001-06:00

CAH claims that the barrier to SLA is L1 interference. The difference between CAH and CLI is that CLI recognizes the significance of the role of the first language in learning a second. Error analysis is something that should be documented in the SLA of a student however you need to be aware of the difference between mistakes and errors, and the teacher should not become to preoccupied in noticing the errors. With the errors should come praises, the student should know that you know that are doing well in class, and not only notice when they make errors. These types of errors should be analyzed and feedback should be provided to the student with instructional strategies or methods where they can correct these errors. Sometimes I think as teachers they focus too much on these types of things and perhaps don’t address them accordingly. For every error or mistake there should be some kind of corrective feedback, and praise for what they did correct especially if they have partial errors.

Reflection 4

2007-06-11T07:21:00.000-06:00

I believe it is difficult for researchers to agree on the CPH because the Critical Period Hypothesis states that the first few years of life is the crucial time in which an individual can acquire a first language if presented with adequate stimuli, the book also states that if you acquire a second language after puberty then you are over the hill and if you do are you successful because you will still have the issue of the accent to deal with. Research is ongoing during the years everyone is an exception when dealing with any type of learning because as we all know we each learn differently. Researchers don’t agree because they find something new after they or someone else has found new data on CPH. For example the book states that neurological development affects SLA and that the left side of the brain deals with language functions and the right side deals with the emotional and social needs. Lenneberg states that lateralization is a slow process and that each individual assigns certain functions to each side of their brain this process also takes place within the age of 2 and is completely by puberty. Scovel proposed a relationship between lateralization and SLA in where the brain prior to puberty can allow a child to obtain not only their first language but a second one as well. The main argument deals with the time of lateralization because Lenneberg states that lateralization is completed around puberty Geschwind states that lateralization occurs at a much earlier age, and then you have Krashen who states it should be completed by the age of 5. So are they ever going to agree probably not.

Reflection 3

2007-06-08T05:55:00.000-06:00

I don’t think I have specific learning style, I’m a little of everything depending on the subject I’m learning, for example for math I would need a lot of examples, seeing the teacher go over several examples would help me grab the concept of the material being taught that day. For all other subjects or content areas being a native speaker I believe they are easy for me no matter how the teacher teaches it. I don’t have classroom experience yet but hearing from the teachers we have in our classrooms they all have said the same thing, which we all know is true, that everyone learns differently. To me the challenge is what is the midpoint where you say I’m using this learning style, obviously there isn’t one, because from what I’ve heard the teachers use several learning styles to address a certain content area. Well my mother always instilled in us that we should be proud of our race and no one can tell me when and where I can speak my language. She always pointed out that being bilingual is a positive thing and she never had us hide our race, but I guess in the time I grew up it was different from other students. Also the area in which you live in can have something to do with it, especially if you grew up in a primarily Anglo community.

Reflection 2

2007-06-07T07:41:00.000-06:00

The relationship between behavioral, nativist and functional approach is language acquisition, whether it be by reinforcement, language being within us or interaction, they all same purpose just in different methods. I don’t teach yet but as I mentioned in the first reflection when I tried to learn French it was a bit challenging for me as an adult I was expected to know some of the language, she did have the use of repetition of words but I believe I needed different methods to retain the vocabulary.

Culture plays a big part in language acquisition, being half Mexican half Dominican I learned two forms of Spanish. At first it was a bit hard because I lived in New York City and over there of course I used the Caribbean Spanish so when I went to Mexico to visit my mothers side of the family I had to remember to speak the Mexican Spanish so if my grandmother asked me if I wanted more frijoles I was lost until my mother said abichuelas then I understood. In the end you get used to it and when you learn both dialects you know where and when and who to speak it to. I think they might be a little different but I believe that regardless where you are from you will learn to communicate with your parent in your own way.

Course Reflection

2007-05-08T17:33:00.000-06:00

I really enjoyed this class. I learned many new things to do with ELL students with the use of technology. In general we all learned from each other which is something that is great because as educators or future educators we might not be up to date with the technology around us. Technology is a great tool to use with ELL students and I believe schools should incorporate more of technology during their class time and use it to their advantage.

The only thing I would recommend is instructional worksheets. When we would learn something new sometimes it was hard to follow Dr. Wright because we were doing it together, so if we had the instructional guide and got lost or behind on some of the steps we could refer to the guide.

Thank you Dr. Wright for having this class, I know everyone benefited from it.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-07T17:50:00.001-06:00

Happy Mother's Day
Originally uploaded by Christopher Burke.

Just wanted to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers around the world!!

Mother's Day in Mexico
In the North American country of Mexico, Mothers Day is celebrated on a fixed day of May 10 as opposed to the Mothers Day in US that fall on the second Sunday in the month of May. Mothers Day in Mexico is celebrated in a colorful fashion. Children honor their mothers and thank them for their efforts in bringing them up and According to a custom in Mexico, sons and daughters make themselves present in the house on the eve of Mothers Day on May 9.Mothers Day celebration in Mexico takes place on May 10 as the day is special for the people of Mexico. The day is celebrated with gusto as churches in Mexico organise special mass. The highpoint of the event is the orchestra which plays "las mañanitas" and distribution of 'tamales' and 'atole', the traditional early-morning meal to all local mothers.On Mother's Day people in Mexico gift flowers and cards to their mothers. There is also a tradition of giving gifts on Mothers Day. While the older children but gifts from the store the younger ones prepare handmade gifts to honor their mothers. In several schools mothers day functions are organised where little ones present skits and songs to express their gratitude for their mothers and to entertain them.

Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs Game 3 NBA Finals

2007-05-01T18:06:00.001-06:00

GO SPURS GO!!! One more game to win in round 1 of the playoffs.

Software Evaluation #3

2007-05-01T18:03:00.000-06:00

Evaluation Outline

Title of Software: Tell me more Kids Ingles

Producer: Auralog

Target students: ages 4-7

Proficiency level: beginning

Description:
This program adapts to the child's environment and experiences. It facilitates the initial contact the child has with the English language. So it is at the beginning level. It is really cartoonist which I believe is good for children that age because they can connect to it. The instructions were repeated again that could be good for an ELL beginner student who is not familiar with the program but there should be a way to bypass if they are familiar with it.

Language skills targeted: basic

Evaluation:
It has games and activities that help develop memory skills and logic. This is a two CD ROM program which I believe it’s too much for a child ages 4-7 can handle. I got frustrated just trying to install the thing. I think trying this in the classroom might help because it teaches the child the vocabulary they need to learn, like house, bathroom, kitchen and so on. The only thing with this is that the Spanish is Spain Spanish so the ELL students might not be used to the Spanish they speak on here. This has games for children to play. It is mostly in Spanish until they started the vocabulary, I guess it can develop the child’s primary language but then again the focus is to learn English. It wasn't like the other programs that are English only and focus on actually teaching ELLs English.

KidPix Project

2007-04-24T17:02:00.000-06:00

Standardized Testing: Authentic Assessment?

2007-04-17T18:17:00.001-06:00

This clip shows some of what I've learned in my masters/certification courses about standardized testing.

Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas

2007-04-17T17:04:00.001-06:00

Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas
Originally uploaded by bridgepix.

For my 30th bday ( in 2006) , my friends decided to take me to Vegas. I didn't want to go because I don't gamble and thought it would be a waste of time. I'm glad I decided to go because I LOVED IT!!! There is so much to do and the night life was awesome. I enjoyed my bday and I can't wait to go back.

Great picture, I stayed at the Luxor, very nice.

Software Evaluation #2

2007-04-17T16:47:00.000-06:00

Software Evaluation #2

Evaluation Outline

Title of Software: Reader Rabbit Reading Adventure workshop 1st-3rd grade

Producer: The Learning Company

Target students (e.g., age or grade-level of students): 1st-3rd / ages 6-9

Proficiency level (e.g., beginning, intermediate, advanced): beginning- intermediate

Description: This program builds reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking skills. It has vivid illustrations and it is easy for the children to follow.

Language skills targeted: Basic language skills

Evaluation: I think this will benefit ELL students because of the structure it has. It has 15 levels for activities. It exposes them to different aspects of language like figurative speech, vowel sounds, prepositions, and comparatives. Activities build phonics and it develops vocabulary. This program also has record and playback which is neat because the child can hear the reading then they themselves read it aloud and then they can playback to hear themselves. I think this program would be very useful in the ELL classrooms. I would use it in mine.

Reading Reflection #10

2007-04-03T11:48:00.000-06:00

I am not a teacher yet but as seen in class there are many websites you can go to for language development. The bad thing is that since there is no formal training for teachers about these websites you have to go out there and look yourself. Classes like this are a must for teacher certification because we learn different things to use with technology for our ESL student language development. I just keep all my notes and folders with the information I get because it will come in handy when I actually start to teach. Egbert gives a lot of websites you can use in this particular chapter he even gives websites for teachers to use to learn about technology so you can learn and then teach your students because like they mentioned not all students know how to use a computer or even turn it on. They have to be taught from the beginning. I think instead of giving teachers certain time frame or period to go to lab they should make it an actual class, like math, language arts, science and so on. I would probably start with NCREL because that site can help teachers plan and carry out professional development activities. Even though I know how to use the computer I would still like some strategies to help me help my students.

Flickr promotes culture awareness. You can have students learn about different countries their culture and language. They can use the photos to create projects about that certain country and this way they will be well rounded with countries other than theirs.

Reading Reflection #9

2007-03-27T12:50:00.000-06:00

Some of the limitations that a student can have would be the ones listed in Egbert’s Chapter 9. There they explain that there could be culture, time, any impairment the child has and also knowledge of the system. The scenario gave a good example of all of these. You as a teacher have to use different methods to adjust to that child’s handicap. As far as the Internet usage most schools do block out certain sites, you just have to make the students aware of sites they can use. You also have to make them aware of plagiarism and what it entails, as the teacher you have to monitor all their work at all times. Basically we need to be sensitive to all students and teach them the proper way to use the Internet.

Quick Share

2007-03-20T13:08:00.000-06:00

The http://www.starfall.com/ instruction was developed for the emergent reader. It is for the instruction of children who have a difficult time learning to read this website:
· teaches phonemic
· teaches the common sound-spelling relationships in words
· teaches children how to say the sounds in the words
· uses text that is composed of words that use sound-spelling correspondences that children have learned
· uses interesting stories to develop vocabulary and language comprehension and the most effective classroom method for early reading instruction involves a combination of explicit instruction in word recognition skills and reading comprehension strategies with opportunities to apply and practice these skills in literature

Reading Reflection #8

2007-03-20T12:35:00.000-06:00

The difference between traditional standardized testing and authentic is that the standardized is a formal assessment like the TAKS and the authentic is informal like the portfolios, mostly classroom based. Now a days you can take multiple tests online which is a form of the standardized tests. As far as using technology for the authentic assessments you can use online portfolios just like we are doing for this class. Egbert explains that computerized test can be used to save time and decrease examinees frustration, and they do not need proctors.

Kidspiration Project

2007-03-06T19:41:00.000-06:00

Reading Reflection#7

2007-03-06T13:37:00.000-06:00

Some important techniques for designing content learning are using culturally relevant literature. Having literature that uses their first language and also that reflects their culture will contribute to student comprehension. You can also adapt your materials that are appropriate for the learners, I know most teachers have used out pockets monies to buy books on their own to keep in the class library, materials or visuals to put through out the classroom. Anything that will make it easier for the ELL to learn L2.
Well, I really don't have any classroom experience but as seen in these classes I'm taking most teachers talk about having children create family trees like the first day of class so they can get to meet and learn from each others cultures, in another class I had the prof. had us pick a country that we know nothing about or at least did not have any ties to and create a travel brochure and put interesting facts about that country. I think both of these develop children's social development and interaction. It also has content based instruction because you learn about different cultures and while creating it you work on your writing skills.

Software Evaluation #1 Arthur’s Reading Race

2007-02-27T18:04:00.000-06:00

Software Evaluation #1 Arthur’s Reading Race

Evaluation Outline

Title of Software: Arthur’s Reading Race

Producer: Tami Sloan Tsark

Target students (e.g., age or grade-level of students): 1st- 2nd grade

Proficiency level (e.g., beginning, intermediate, advanced): beginning-intermediate

Description:
This program takes a cartoonist approach to show children how to read. It has vivid illustrations and also includes subtitles as the animated cartoon speaks. It has a lot of visuals that connect to the vocabulary used in the stories.

Language skills targeted: This program targets basic reading skills

Evaluation:
Some of the weaknesses of this program are that when you are actually being read the story it does not let you go back and forth between the pages if you want hear it again. It also only shows subtitles for the main use of the vocabulary, it goes on with the rest of the story on that page but just like you were actually watching the cartoon. The strengths are that it uses the visuals and for an ELL student that is very beneficial because they can put the word with the picture. It also continues showing what other characters and places in the cartoon are which is good because they can learn new things other than the main vocabulary chosen in the story. I like that you can play games within the story or just play a game, this is good because it falls back to the story that was read to them initially so they have been hearing the words over and over not only in the story so it gives them the option to hear it more than once and for ELL students that is important because they need the practice and use of words. In one of the games it gives you the word then they spell it and say it so again the ELL student can practice as they play the game. I enjoyed this game it would be fun for the children very good use of visuals, it is an interactive game that will help them learn not only vocabulary/reading but use of the computer as well. I would use this in the classroom because again it is a good resource for ELL students and any way we can keep them motivated and engaged in learning. The teaching approach this program uses is the use of basic vocabulary for ELL students to learn how to read.

Reading Reflection #5

2007-02-20T08:58:00.000-06:00

Productivity tools encourage learners to produce more and use their creativity, technology tools enhances learning through various methods as seen in Egbert's chapter 5. They work with their language skills which in turn produces output. It makes them think creatively and makes them work with others. Using technology is a different method teachers can use to teach which gets away form the norm, it gets the students involved and allows them to use their own content.

Students using a Wiki have the opportunity to add what they know and have learned on a certain topic. They learn how to publish, learn collaboration skills, discuss with others on whether content is correct or not, if so what makes it correct. Using a wiki in your classroom can be a learning and teaching experience for the student. This is a good tool because it produces output just like the activities in Egbert's chap 5.

Reading Reflection #4

2007-02-13T12:38:00.000-06:00

I believe that communication and collaboration are so important in language learning classrooms because as Egbert put it communication is conveying knowledge either one way or through an exchange and collaboration is social interaction to create shared understanding. Communication and collaborations can facilitate language learning especially with ESL students you can put them in groups where they will learn from the native speaking children or even having e pen pals.
The ideas I gained are that just because you put them in groups does not mean they will all want to participate so you have to assign different tasks to each one they will also be able to listen and respond to each other.
I have not had personal examples using this in a classroom but I have used instant messaging with my cousin in Mexico, for an ESL student this would be a good way for a live interaction.

Reading Reflection #3

2007-02-06T13:55:00.000-06:00

One of the examples in Egbert's book was the Cultural debates online I like this one because it involves content based learning and it gives the student the opportunity to use their oral skills. It's oral interaction where they can take turns and interrupt each other just as if they were debating. Then at the end they have their oral journals entries . This can assist with the ELL learning because again they are learning from each other and what better way then oral interaction. To improve your oral and listening skills you have to practice using them. They can learn with other ELL's that are at their own level and practice the basic skills.

Reading Reflection#2

2007-02-06T13:32:00.000-06:00

Egbert addresses the need for authentic support of reading and writing by stating that technology is a tool that the ELL's can use to help them in reading and writing a way this tool is effective is having access to several web sites where they can access several reading materials in their own language and of their own interest, this makes them more individualized because they take it upon themselves to work on their own and at their own level. I thinks blogs can be a tool for achieving these ideals with ELL students because they can practice their writing skills and have an e pen pal who is fluent in the L2 they are trying to learn and vise versa.

Well it seems easy to create and post things on the blog, easy enough for anyone to use. I think if I were in a class I would have the class create their own blog too. I would like to blog about ideas and strategies current teachers have or are using that are working for them in their classrooms. Everyone comes with different experiences and the more we learn form each other the better teachers we will be.

Welcome

2007-01-30T19:12:00.000-06:00

Hi All!! I hope eveyone enjoys my blog. I look forward to getting to know eveyone in class.