Developing Vocabulary and Concepts - Chapter 8

In chapter 8 of Content-Area Reading, the topic that is presented is the development of vocabulary and concepts.  "Teaching words well means giving students multiple opportunities to develop word meanings and learn how words are conceptually related to one another in the texts they are studying."  I am a big advocate of teaching vocabulary, but there is a right way and a wrong way.  The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of vocabulary instruction is the typical strategy.  First, you get a list of random words and definitions.  Then, you get a week to 'study' (memorize) them, and finally you are tested on them.  This is NOT the type of vocabulary instruction I advocate!  My English teacher during my junior year in high school taught vocabulary this way, and it was not productive or helpful at all!  Nobody would actually study them, we would all try to memorize them the morning of the quiz, and once the quiz was over we forgot them.  There are much better ways to implement meaningful vocabulary into the lesson plan.

First of all, as the chapter suggests, it is important that the vocabulary words being taught are words that are relevant to the lesson and what is being learned.  The 'random words theory,' as I like to call it, does not help students learn content.  Rather than strictly presenting vocabulary words, one way to teach your content is through concepts.  "Concepts create mental images, which may present anything that can be grouped together by common features or similar criteria: objects, symbols, ideas, processes, or events."  Through things such as concept maps, new vocabulary and key concepts can be learned simultaneously.  Also through other graphic organizers, students and teachers can group together words that fall into the same category, making it easier to remember.  When students can relate the vocabulary to the concept, both will be more easy to learn.

Another thing that a teacher can do when testing his or her students is get rid of the multiple choice vocabulary section.  Sure, some students likely spend time to learn all of the vocabulary, but there are some who simply rely on there being a common sense answer to every question.  This turns it into the 'multiple guess' section.  Instead, have the students write a short essay incorporating the vocabulary they learned in class.  This not only will help students remember the words, it will make the students more responsible for learning their vocabulary.

Vocabulary is so important to all content-areas, and it is important that teachers are aware of how they are instructing key words and concepts in their classroom.

Public Writing - Chapter 5

I chose to write about the topic of "Public Writing" from our Content-Area Writing textbook because this is the kind of writing I dislike the most.  Public writing can be described as "intentional, highly-polished pieces that can go out into the world, connect with real readers, get some work done, and stand up to scrutiny."  In other words, this differs from the "Writing to Learn" techniques discusses in previous posts. This is writings such as term papers, formal lab reports, or critical analyses.  I know what you're thinking right now, "You mean you're going to be a teacher and you don't like writing term papers!?" Yes, that is correct.  I do not like writing term papers, but it isn't so much the actual research and writing of the paper I dislike, it's the time-table that usually comes along with it.  If I were only taking one class and I had to write a term paper, I would be more than thrilled, and it would likely be better than anything I have written.  That being said, if I am taking four classes, I likely would not put in the time I feel is necessary to complete a great piece of public writing.

So how do I get my students interested and excited to write a term paper for my future classes, seeing as they will be taking so many other classes?  Do I assign public writing at all?  Yes, I will definitely assign public writing.  Why?  Because of how necessary it is to be successful in today's society.  Just about any field you go into, you are expected to be be able to write formally and publicly.  I also hope that my students will learn from their writing and the writing of their fellow students.  Also, one of the things it talks about in the chapter is giving the students choice when it comes to their writing topics.  As a teacher, "we are the ones who have to read them, after all, and then we are bored after the first three papers" if we assign the same topic to each student.  The purpose of public writing is to get your audience interested in your topic, and get them to learn something new, or change their opinion about something they already knew.  Teachers become a terrible audience for their students if they can't even be informed by their writing topic.

By using the steps given in the chapter in order to make public writing in classrooms possible, I can hope that my students will create excellent pieces of public writing.  First, I need to give my students some level of choice in the selection of writing topics.  Secondly, I need to give time to write in class.  As the authors state, "We cannot leave them alone to write any more than we'd leave them along to dissect a fetal pig or cook up some chemical reactions."  Lastly, I need to give them helpful and timely response.  I can't wait until the students turn their work in to give feedback.  I hope that I am able to implement these strategies for my students so that both myself and my students can grow and learn in the public writing process.

Chapter 3 - Culturally Responsive Teaching in a Diverse Classroom

In a society that is as diverse as it has ever been, the need to be a culturally responsive teacher has never been greater.  Teachers today are seeing more and more diversity reflected from all walks of life.  Whether it is racial, socioeconomical, or religious diversity, the need to be aware and responsive is high.  Personally, I have never had much experience in a culturally diverse classroom.  I come from a smaller town in northeastern Wisconsin and I have gone to a Catholic school my entire life.  Those two ingredients usually do not to equal much diversity.  Since I became a secondary education major, I have experienced much more diversity, and instruction on how to differentiate for that diversity.  This not only includes my multicultural education class, but also the class I am currently in.  

We just finished reading a chapter in our Content-Area Reading textbook about culturally responsive teaching in a diverse classroom.  The main idea of the chapter regarding how to teach literacy in these classrooms is, "teachers respond to linguistic and cultural differences by scaffolding instruction in culturally responsive classrooms.  One of the things I enjoyed reading about was dealing with linguistic differences in today's schools.  Again, not having much experience with this I was interested to read about how to go about making sure any language barriers are taken down.  Often because of linguistic barriers, diverse students end up on a track of repeated struggle or even failure.  As the chapter points out, "language differences should not be mistaken for language deficits among culturally diverse students.  The key is to be accepting of diverse dialect in the classroom, and allow for certain assignments and discussions to take place in the vernacular of these students.  There is a time and a place for the use of standard American English, but "when and under what circumstances become critical instructional issues."  

I think, that it is most important to communicate with diverse students when these circumstances are needed.  For example, if they are completing a formal report for class, the standard American English may be needed.  An informal essay on something written in class most, most likely would not require it.  In my opinion, in the case that standard American English is needed (and is not the native language of students) the teacher should assist the student in helping him or her write.  For example, have the student write a draft to the best of their ability and then have a paper conference with them to discuss and correct any error.  This should then be offered to all students, whether they are culturally diverse or not.  Eventually, move from a conference with the teacher to a conference with another student.  Then, as the school year progresses, perhaps the students will be able to complete this on their own. 

I hope, in the case that I end up teaching in a classroom that is diverse, that I will be able to use what I have learned to assist diverse students and help to scaffold the curriculum to the point where they will become independent in their reading and writing.  

Studying Text and Reading Instruction: Chapter 10 and a Supplemental Article

I know that many students have difficulty reading content-area texts.  Often times the texts that are assigned for students to read contain difficult vocabulary, "boring" content, and possibly difficult vocabulary.  Depending on the student, he or she may find different subjects easier or harder than others.  I personally had a very difficult time reading history texts in high school.  The amount of information that was needed to be taken in in one simple chapter was simply overwhelming to me.  On the other hand, let me read a chapter in my English text and I could do it easily and know exactly what I read.  What I realize now, (after reading chapter 10 of Content-Area Reading, and an article called, "Focus on the Essentials of Reading Instruction") is that it was often the case that my teachers were not teaching me how to read the text properly.  If I were to grade a few of my high school teachers based on the rubric in the supplemental article, several of them would be barely passing or failing.

According to Alan Frager and Elizabeth Frey, the authors of the "Reading Instruction" article, teachers who deserve the grade of an 'F' use poor methods of instruction and provide little support for their readers.  For example, round-robin reading (RRR) is one practice that "very few reading educators advocate... though it is a widely used practice" (p. 57).  This was a technique that was enjoyed by several of my teachers.  The problem with this strategy is that there is only one actively engaged reader, and 25 other passive readers.  Also, this type of forward/one-speed reading is contradictory to developing good reading strategies. When someone reads critically, he or she will reread parts of the text, change speeds, and occasionally stop to look back or ahead.  Luckily for me, I have learned many other strategies to read class texts that are more effective, and therefore my students won't have to survive the infamous round-robin reading strategy.

One strategy that I really enjoyed reading about was the GRASP strategy suggested in chapter 10 of our Content-Area Reading text.  GRASP stands for Guided Reading and Summarizing Procedure, and it's a way of showing students how to summarize information from a text passage.  "After students have read a text passage, they turn the books face down and try to remember everything that was important in the passage.  What they recall is recorded by the teacher on the whiteboard" (p. 335).  The teacher then helps to add or correct recollections from the text to create a graphic outline.  Then, together the students and the teacher create a final summary sentence or two.  In my opinion, this is a great way to make sure all of my students are being active readers.  It also creates the communication needed between the teacher and the students in order to scaffold for future reading assignments.  Hopefully after several times doing this activity, students will be able to do this on their own when reading for class.

Essential Vocabulary for Theology Students

The following is a list of 10 vocabulary words that are essential for students to know in a secondary religion class.  I will be using a vocabulary that would be discussed in a Catholic High School, seeing as that is where I plan on teaching.


1. Christianity - the religion of or pertaining to or derived from Jesus Christ or His teachings; includes Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox churches

• In a high school religion class, it is likely that the students already know what Christianity is.  That being said, it is very important to know this definition when studying, not only Catholicism, but any religion.  Understanding what classifies a religion as Christian or non-Christian is also very important.

2. Ecclesiastical - of or pertaining to the church or clergy; churchly; not secular

• In a typical Catholic high school the student body will attend some sort of regular mass.  Most, if I were to guess, don't think too much about this liturgical service and what it means in relation to the religious implications.  As a religion teacher, I would incorporate a lot of what goes on during mass into my classes and lessons so that students can identify meaning and importance in certain rituals in the church.  

3. Liturgy - a form of public worship; a particular form or type of Eucharistic service;

• Going off of the last word, I believe it would be important for students to identify the meaning and purpose behind liturgical services, and the differences each religion and denomination have.  Being such a vital role to so many religions, especially the Catholic Church, I would want students to be fully aware of its significance.

4. Faith - confidence or trust in a certain thing; believe that is not based on proof; belief in God or the doctrines or teachings of a religion

• Faith is something that everyone has, whether it's in God, a friend, or that you won't get hit by a car crossing the street.  Faith is one of the most difficult concepts in religion to understand, and it's something that is continuously changing within each person.  It is also one of the most difficult things to trust.  So often we need to have faith in life, and especially in our society where we feel the need to know and control everything, that can be hard to come by.  Having students understand the idea and necessity of faith will be essential to help them grow in their faith.  

5. Spirituality - of or pertaining to spirit or soul as distinguished from physical nature

• Spirituality is one of the most misunderstood words in all of religion.  Many people think that a person can be spiritual and not religious, but in fact this is not the case.  It could be that a person is spiritual and does not associate himself or herself with a particular religion, but they are in fact religious.  In a society where yoga and other spiritual exercises are becoming more and more popular, I would want students to understand the practices and know how to truly define spirituality.  

6. Worship - reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage; formal and ceremonious rendering of such honor; adoring reverence or regard

• Another very important word in the religious vocabulary, worship is a form of expressing one's faith, spirituality, and beliefs.  Often coined with the other word, praise, worship is important to the study of religion because it is so prevalent in them.  The Bible calls for worship to God and Jesus Christ over and over again.  There are so many different types of worship one can practice, and I would want my students to be aware of what they are.

7. Prayer - a devout petition to God or an object of worship; a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in adoration, thanksgiving, or confession.

• Being one of the most important aspects of any religion, prayer is something I would cover in length during class.  Prayer is often considered to be a conversation with God, and that is something that I would want my students to understand and take seriously.  I would take the time to explain all the different types of prayer, as well as how prayer strengthen faith.  

8. Clergy - the group or body of ordained persons in a religion as distinguished from the laity

• Also going along with the theme of ecclesiastical and liturgical, I feel it is important to associate and familiarize students with the different kinds of clergy members there are in the church.  I think it would be important for them to know the roles of the different clergy members, as well as the impact they have on the church.  Seeing as in most Catholic high schools there are some sort of clergy teaching, I think this would be an essential vocabulary word to cover.

9. Sacrament - a celebration of the Christian community through prayer, symbol and ritual that identifies an essential action for the Church to be the full Church of Jesus Christ

• Seeing the definition of this word pretty much describes why I would teach about sacraments, and why they are so essential to the church.  The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments, so I would take time to analyze all of these, and see why they are considered to be celebrations of the Christian community.  

10. Creed - a word that means belief; a creed summarizes in short ways what our key beliefs are.

• The reason I find this word essential is also fairly evident from seeing the definition.  Knowing what a creed is, and why it is important to profess the beliefs of a certain religion is very important in studying the different religions.  By studying creed, different religions can be more easily distinguished, and understood.  

ONLINE RESOURCE FOR MEETING THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE CLASSROOM

Using Flexible Technology to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners: What Teachers Can Do

This article, written by Lisa Wahl and Julie Duffield, explains different ways teachers can use technology in a multitude of ways in order to meet the needs of all their students.

Write-to-Learn Lesson Reflection

After completing my mini-lesson on the Write-To-Learn activity called the Write Around, I feel very confident in my ability to use WTLs in my classroom.  I spent plenty of time preparing, and creating a handout for the class to read, take notes on, and bring home with them as an artifact.  I think allowing us to choose out own activity made it easy for me to pick something I wanted to learn more about and learn how to use in my future classroom.  The Write Around is certainly an activity I will be using across any grade I teach.  I think the demonstration aspect of my lesson went very well.  When we went around and I actually gave my classmates time to write and see what that activity is like, I think I did a good job of answering any questions they had.  I feel like my classmates came away with enough knowledge to go out and use this in their classrooms/future classrooms, or now have enough interest to explore more about the activity. If I were to give this lesson again there are several things I would do differently.  The first thing I would do, is describe how the teacher may begin to scaffold using this strategy.  I also wish I would have chosen a different way to demonstrate on my own first, and then turn it over to my classmates.  There was confusion as to what they were supposed to be doing when I told them to begin.  I really enjoyed all my classmates' demonstrations, and there are many fun activities I am willing to go out and try.