On Friday 30th July, I enter the computer lab for our last session. It was bittersweet. We leart about photo story that day which was quite interesting and fun. I intend to use it in my lessons when I return to school in September. I think it is a good motivating tool and since the software can be downloaded for free, we will be able to use it in the classroom. This will be an interesting, exciting and motivating tool for the students to manipulate. We need to let the students be a part of the development of the lesson. in so doing the student will learn certain concepts, that I believe will stick because they will be learning without realizing it.
I was happy the class had ended because I need the rest but I was unhappy that it will not be continuing next semester. There is so much still to learn, I was disappointed that we were unable to do pod casting, and making videos.
But all in all it was a good class and if I have to I will do it again but this time not during the vacation, it is so much more difficult to do a class during the vacation than during the semester. Good luck to all on the completion of their portfolio. Hope you enjoyed the class as much as I did. And remember to the run from technology but embrace it because it is our future.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Assessing Sight Words
To determine if a word is in a student's sight vocabulary the teacher can show the student the word for less than one second. The student is expected to say the word as soon as he or she sees it. This can be done by covering the word with a card moving the card for just a few seconds and covering it again, or using a flash cards, where the teacher can show the student the word on the card then remove the card. This process is also call flashing. the teacher must remember that they can only show the words for a few seconds, this is to ensure that the student is not using phonics or structural analysis to decode the word.
Graded word lists are used to determine a student overall level of sight words. These list contain certain words that have been determined to be high frequency words at a certain level or grade.
Another way to assess a student sight words level is to allow the student to read the words in a book written for his or her level. If the student can pronounce 95% of the words in a book at their level or grade the student is said to be at their level or grade. You can do a readability test to determine the level of the book.
We need to try and get our students to the mastery level. this means that the student can pronounce the basic sight words instantly on viewing them. also the student should pronounce the words correctly each time they appear. If the student mispronounce or hesitate should a basic sight word reappear later in the book the student has not mastered that particular sight word.
Please aim for mastery.
Graded word lists are used to determine a student overall level of sight words. These list contain certain words that have been determined to be high frequency words at a certain level or grade.
Another way to assess a student sight words level is to allow the student to read the words in a book written for his or her level. If the student can pronounce 95% of the words in a book at their level or grade the student is said to be at their level or grade. You can do a readability test to determine the level of the book.
We need to try and get our students to the mastery level. this means that the student can pronounce the basic sight words instantly on viewing them. also the student should pronounce the words correctly each time they appear. If the student mispronounce or hesitate should a basic sight word reappear later in the book the student has not mastered that particular sight word.
Please aim for mastery.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sight Vocabulary/ Words
Sight words are words in our vocabulary that we recognize instantly. We are able to go from the printed form to the word to the spoken form automatically without using any other type of word analysis.
any word can be a sight word for students. If the student can recognize the word instantly without applying any form of word analysis, then the word is in their sight vocabulary. Some students have problems recognizing basic sight words, that is words of high utility that make up a high percentage of the words in most reading material.
Many of our students sight words vocabulary is not at their their academic level. These students may need some form of intervention to help bring their sight word vocabulary up to grade/form level. Students are said not to be at their sight level if they cannot recognize 95% of the words in books written at their level. These students are at a great disadvantage, since they will have to analyze more words than normal readers.
Basic sight words are words that occur frequently in most material that students encounter. There are several list available of basic sight words that teachers can use to assess their students' recognition of sight word. Because these word appear frequently in text it is important that students can recognize them instantly, if not they will not be able to become fluent readers.
Some of the basic sight words that students often confuse are those will similar beginnings, such as: when, where, and what or this, that, and those.
Tomorrow I will be discussing assessing students' sight vocabulary.
any word can be a sight word for students. If the student can recognize the word instantly without applying any form of word analysis, then the word is in their sight vocabulary. Some students have problems recognizing basic sight words, that is words of high utility that make up a high percentage of the words in most reading material.
Many of our students sight words vocabulary is not at their their academic level. These students may need some form of intervention to help bring their sight word vocabulary up to grade/form level. Students are said not to be at their sight level if they cannot recognize 95% of the words in books written at their level. These students are at a great disadvantage, since they will have to analyze more words than normal readers.
Basic sight words are words that occur frequently in most material that students encounter. There are several list available of basic sight words that teachers can use to assess their students' recognition of sight word. Because these word appear frequently in text it is important that students can recognize them instantly, if not they will not be able to become fluent readers.
Some of the basic sight words that students often confuse are those will similar beginnings, such as: when, where, and what or this, that, and those.
Tomorrow I will be discussing assessing students' sight vocabulary.
Monday, August 2, 2010
What Make Children Read
Today I was amazed to see my nephew pick up a book and read. Although I try to encourage him and tell him the important of reading he hardly ever take my advise. But today i visited a friend and saw him take up a book and stared reading he did not want to put it down. He asked if he can borrow it and was eager to finish the book.
I got curious and wanted to know what about the book did he found so fascinating. i heard him laughing and sharing parts of the book to his friends. I decided to have a look at the book. The name of the book was the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." I open the book to realize that it was written in a cartoon format, and the animation almost looked life like. The style of writing meaning the font used was also animated and looked almost hand written. Just looking at it made me want to read it, and I intend to once I finish my assignments.
I then question my nephew to determine what he found so interesting about the book. He told me that he loved the use of pictures, and not just normal pictures but the animated "stick man" drawings. He also said that it was a popular book and it has a movie. He said just looking at the drawing in the book made him laugh so he wanted to know more.
This experience made me realize that we need to look for certain things in a book when choosing materials for our students to read. find out what interest them, choose materials that are at their level, and leave them to read at their own pace. We can also take them to the library and let them choose their own reading material.
We need to do whatever it takes just to get our students to start reading. I believe that once we get them to start the sky is the limit.
I got curious and wanted to know what about the book did he found so fascinating. i heard him laughing and sharing parts of the book to his friends. I decided to have a look at the book. The name of the book was the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." I open the book to realize that it was written in a cartoon format, and the animation almost looked life like. The style of writing meaning the font used was also animated and looked almost hand written. Just looking at it made me want to read it, and I intend to once I finish my assignments.
I then question my nephew to determine what he found so interesting about the book. He told me that he loved the use of pictures, and not just normal pictures but the animated "stick man" drawings. He also said that it was a popular book and it has a movie. He said just looking at the drawing in the book made him laugh so he wanted to know more.
This experience made me realize that we need to look for certain things in a book when choosing materials for our students to read. find out what interest them, choose materials that are at their level, and leave them to read at their own pace. We can also take them to the library and let them choose their own reading material.
We need to do whatever it takes just to get our students to start reading. I believe that once we get them to start the sky is the limit.
Technology Effectiveness in Classrooms
When we look at how we can incorporate technology in the classroom, we can see the benefits through group work, high-level concept understanding for older students, and improvement in students attitudes toward computer technologies. I believe that because computer use in the classroom is so interactive that it can cause students to learn faster on computer based instructional content, it will change students attitude toward their classes to a more positive one, children who have special needs can be accommodated and can achieve more in technology rich environment, and it can be use among all ages and classes, even with any curriculum.
But in order for technology to have a positive effect learning objectives must be clear and the technology must be used for specific, targeted goals. For example if you are teaching fluency photo story or e books are good tools in incorporate in the lesson. In order for technology use to be effective it must be based not on learning theory but on context, what that means is that it depends on the learner, the learning environment, the knowledge, experience, and attitude of the teacher, the technology used, and the task. What one must remember is that effective teaching and learning drive technology use.
But in order for technology to have a positive effect learning objectives must be clear and the technology must be used for specific, targeted goals. For example if you are teaching fluency photo story or e books are good tools in incorporate in the lesson. In order for technology use to be effective it must be based not on learning theory but on context, what that means is that it depends on the learner, the learning environment, the knowledge, experience, and attitude of the teacher, the technology used, and the task. What one must remember is that effective teaching and learning drive technology use.
Are We Ready
Who are we fooling? Do you think that we are ready to incorporate technology in the classroom as a teaching tool. I believe not.
We are all excited and eager to learn about all the ways in which we can use technology in the classroom but once we complete this course, how many of us will practice what we have learned and actually go out there and implement it in our teaching.
For one thing the availability of the resources is quite scarce, and after speaking to some teachers on this said course, I realize that we are way behind. some of the teachers are not even aware of the technology available to them at their schools. when I ask about the e-beam most of them responded the "the e what"
Come on teachers we need to go back to our schools, go to the IT department and find out what equipment are available and let them teach you how to use it. too many teachers are intimidated by technology and shy away from its use. but if we continue to do so we are cheating our students. They are so much into technology and we see it everyday. the things I will see my students doing with their cell phones amazes me.
Just think what will happen if we incorporate technology in the classroom, blogging, wikis, concept mapping. an example is we ourselves, look how engrossed and interested and captivated we were when using the tools in the class. We were eager we wanted to know more, this will be the effect that the use of techno tools will have on our students.
I employ you to embrace technology and make it an integral part of you teaching process.
We are all excited and eager to learn about all the ways in which we can use technology in the classroom but once we complete this course, how many of us will practice what we have learned and actually go out there and implement it in our teaching.
For one thing the availability of the resources is quite scarce, and after speaking to some teachers on this said course, I realize that we are way behind. some of the teachers are not even aware of the technology available to them at their schools. when I ask about the e-beam most of them responded the "the e what"
Come on teachers we need to go back to our schools, go to the IT department and find out what equipment are available and let them teach you how to use it. too many teachers are intimidated by technology and shy away from its use. but if we continue to do so we are cheating our students. They are so much into technology and we see it everyday. the things I will see my students doing with their cell phones amazes me.
Just think what will happen if we incorporate technology in the classroom, blogging, wikis, concept mapping. an example is we ourselves, look how engrossed and interested and captivated we were when using the tools in the class. We were eager we wanted to know more, this will be the effect that the use of techno tools will have on our students.
I employ you to embrace technology and make it an integral part of you teaching process.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Podcasting
Its always nice and exciting when something new comes along that really takes technology and eduction to a whole new level. Podcasting although it has been around for a while, it has only recently seen an upsurge in its use. This is so because of the development of the iPhone and mp3 players.
Podcasting is the ability to create or listen to audio or video content, called podcast via the web live or it can be downloaded for later viewing or listening on a laptop, desktop, or on a mobile device like a smart phone or many MP3 players.
Downloading a podcast is different from downloading regular audio and video files from a web site because the content of a podcast is updated regularly, and new content can be receive via subscription. You can check out this sight to learn more about podcasting. http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting
As reading specialist one very good website that provides podcast for us is reading rockets. This site offers specific tips and techniques for teaching reading to younger students. You can go to the site by clicking on the link below.
Here is another site that can help students increase their vocabulary, gain insight and practice with the LIST. http://www.princetonreview.com/podcasts.aspx
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)