10/29 Chapter 9 Teaching Mathematics in CALLA

Very interesting chapter, not really applicable to me as a Social Studies teacher, but it has definitely helped me to appreciate the elementary school teachers who have to teach all content areas to ELL and the general population as a whole. The chapter however, does have a section on reading and writing about Math where you can see the literacy working, great for CCSS.



"Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself." - John Dewey

* this is the quote I live by everyday, I learn.

Reflection - 10/29

Chapter 9:  Teaching Mathematics in CALLA

Awesome chapter!  Great strategies are stated which can assist the educator in the classroom.


QUOTE:
Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.  ～ John Cotton Dana

Reflection - 10/13

CHAPTER 8 - Teaching English Language Arts in CALLA

Whew...what an interesting chapter!  As English is the hardest language to learn grammatically, I found Chapter 8 with many wonderful insights with assisting the CALLA teacher effectively teach Language Arts in the classroom.  With the disappearance of DI, literally, I found myself digging into my old teacher resources that I missed so dearly.  Now the fun begins aligning it to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  Let the learning begin!


QUOTE:

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness" - William A. Ward

Smile and let the sunshine in!

Reflection 10/8

Chapter 7 - Literacy Development in CALLA

Imagine the challenges that ELL students feel trying to learn a second language such as English.  First and foremost in my opinion, learning English is the most complicated language to learn, not socially speaking but academically.  So how does one teach literacy in a CALLA classroom?  Educator's must explore various ways to do the following:  identifying students' literacy needs, be mindful of selecting materials, read aloud to students, use student's background knowledge, and continue to develop vocabulary (Chamot, 2009).  These are just various ways as there are many mentioned in The CALLA Handbook.  This chapter has provided an in-depth knowledge of providing educators various strategies in teaching literacy in a CALLA classroom.

Building the joy of literacy allows students to various literature genre's.  What a joy to witness students, most especially ELL students pick up a book, smile and then go off in a world of one's imagination.

QUOTE:

"It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted. - Linda Conway

Learning is like a rainbow of colors.  Not one color fits one learner. - Kathleen Palomo

Assessment

During our October 1st class, we were discussing assessment. The activities we did were quite difficult. It made me think about how sometimes as teacher we overlook the difficulty of the tasks we present or expect of our students. Sometimes we see "assignments" as a "piece of cake" we tell our students "it's not hard, it's easy" JUST DO IT! (at least at the secondary level). But Dr. Rivera said "if we think its difficult as adults, imagine how the students feel?" That comment was on point. During our discussion, I enjoyed most covering rubric as an an effective assessment tool. It is easier for the students to understand why they received a certain grade. At the secondary level, students tend to question every grade they get, "Sir Why did I get a 70?" By using a rubric, the students are able to see what was expected of them. I usually use rubric in my classroom as an assessment tool, it is also a way for the students to be able to see what is expected of them, to get the best grade possible. This is very useful for student feedback.

Here comes the typhoon! My neighbors are busy securing their homes and belongings and here I am busy working on my assignments and securing my posting.

After a storm comes a calm 
~Mathew, Henry~ 

Be Safe Everyone !

Assessing Students’ Learning

Different kinds of assessments that we had learn during October 1^st class discussions. Those are good strategies to assess our students’ learning that I would like to implement in my teaching. Our activities that night added another marked to my learning experiences at UOG. I feel so funny when my brain had to pause for minutes to like searching in many old storage places that hadn’t been open for so long when we did the activities. I am really laughing inside because I am thinking that if we did the activities with some middle school students, they’ll get it faster than us.

"They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel." - Carol Buchner

Reflection - 10/1

CHAPTER 6:  Assessing Student Progress in CALLA

Loved today’s session.  Discussion of the many types of assessments that could be utilized in one’s lesson(s).  From legislation to rubric samples for various content subjects.

Enjoyed the hands-on activities.  Must say that my brain was on “pause” for some of those activities, as I had to “think” before responding.  Imagine the students!

QUOTE:

"Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny." -- Frank Outlaw

Character...integrity, reputation, eccentric, and a person.  One word with many interpretations of an individual.  What does one hold for their destiny?