So, What's the Point of Chapter 1 and 2?

-
In Chapter one of “Reading and Learning to Read”, the author focuses on how belief systems shape an individual as a learner and educator of literacy. For teachers specifically, it is important to examine how their belief system affect their instructional decisions because they in turn affect the students as learners. There are two models of instruction: Systematic and Constructivist. Systematic instruction is a logical sequence with a defined trajectory and the text is the starting point. The Constructivist instructional method focuses on the needs of the individual student with the teacher as facilitator. The instructional methods also inform models of reading for both teachers and students. These three models are Bottom-Up, Top-Down, and Interactive. The Bottom-Up method has a Systematic instructional leaning, whereas the Top-down is more Constructivist. The Interactive model is preferred because it combines the best of both the Bottom-up, and Top-Down method to better promote transliteracy. Because every student learns so differently, it is important for the teacher to engage in reflection upon her belief system to find the best methods to guide her students in becoming lifelong learners.
Where Chapter one examines belief systems, Chapter two explores why examining belief systems inform the instructional approaches of an educator and which approaches she needs to take to reach the different literacy needs of her students in a transliterate and inclusive world. Though many approaches were mentioned, such as Basal Reading, Integrated, Technology Based, Language Experience, Literature Based, and Individualized Instructional Approach and the expertise in the approaches matter for the success of a teacher, no approach is deemed superior to another, and the educator must use the best features of all the approaches in her instructions. Expert teachers teach explicitly on how to use reading strategies, provide their students with opportunities to apply these explicitly taught strategies, offer direct explicit demonstrations, differentiate instruction for both those students who struggle and those that excel, adapt their instructions based on assessments, and most important of all, expert teachers have an informed philosophical stance so they become reflective educators.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Agree, Argue, Assume, Aspire

-
Image
When reading a text, there are things that the author presents that we can agree upon that inform our understanding of the text or subject matter, things that we argue with that detract from our understanding of the main idea, things we, the author or the subject in question assumes that either help convey information, or detract from understanding the very things that the book presents and things that we aspire towards in our own lives. When a group of literacy education students and I began to evaluate chapter 3 of the text “Reading and Learning to Read”, there were several things we agreed upon with the author about meeting the literacy needs of diverse learners. The most important element of this chapter was that it is dire for literacy teachers to allow ELL students to maintain a strong identification with their language and culture because then they have a more positive self concept about their ability to learn. Not only did we agree that a teacher should help maintain t...
Read more

Classroom Management Week 1 Day 1- English 9th grade

-
Image
On their first day of 9th grade English , the teacher began the period not in the classroom but at the door greeting the students by name and individually stating the expectations and the assignment with the catchy phrase, “Silently Start the Survey”. His approach puts him in charge of his classroom because he states what is expected of them starting with their very first encounter. One way I would improve on his approach would be to greet them with a smile. He also establishes himself as an English teacher willing to use every moment to teach, by using an alliteration for his instructions. Once his students have entered the class, he manages both their literacy progress as well as their behavior by walking up and down the rows, giving verbal warnings, assisting any student in need of extra attention, reminding students to track the speaker and extending positive reinforcements when the class is on task and following procedures. Not only does he explain the assignment verbally, but ...
Read more

Art lesson in Jessica’s Classroom Part 1 and 2

-
Image
While watching this classroom, I was instantly made aware of how different the dynamics seem to be in an Art classroom than in the other two class videos. For example, while she was introducing the new project, the students were still working on other Art. At first I thought this would not be something I would allow in my classroom but it seemed it did not affect student engagement, as the students were still able to answer her questions with thoughtful responses and add on to things the teacher or their classmates said. The teacher also gave the students background information on the project regarding the American History it was inspired by, a few social, economical, and political tie ins, as well as encouragement in relating this American Flag project to their personal lives and extended heritage. She even encouraged them further to explore their heritage by assuring them that “America is often referred to as a Cultural Mosaic”. I also appreciated how she had a democratic approa...
Read more