Wrapping Up

A vision of your ELA classroom, and how you and your students will experience Oral and Written Language.  How has this changed since your first blog entry?

It is dark out; cold and windy.  I am currently enjoying a cup of tea and wondering what happened to the semester.  It seems like only the other day I was looking at fall leaves and excited about starting classes.  Yet, here I now sit and on the eve of my last day of exams it seems meaningful to reflect on how my vision of teaching English Language Arts (ELA) has evolved.  Since my first entry I have grown a lot in my understanding of the ELA classroom.  Two main areas of development have been in the importance of developing oracy, and how to teach writing meaningfully.

On the topic of oracy I learned that oral language development is considered a key foundation for successful literacy and that oral language assists in improving and extending thinking.  I have also learned that as instructors we need to teach both good listening and communication techniques.  We need to develop specific lessons that teach children how to listen for content and how to share ideas logically and in a variety of formats and settings.  Some of the tools that we have to explore oracy are rebus rhymes, coral reading, podcasts and voice threads. Podcasts and voice threads require only limited technological knowledge and are exciting projects for students to work on.

On the topic of writing I learned the more about the process of writing.  For example, children generate ideas, write a discovery draft, polish that draft and write a second copy, and then publish and share the piece.  Not every piece needs to be completed, but it is important to stress the importance of revision and that first drafts often are not very good.  From author Robin Stevenson, I learned that there is no right way to write because every individual is unique and that we need to values our own experiences.  Finally, as discussed in my previous post I learned the value of the writing workshop as an excellent method to develop students writing.

Each of these ideas is useful and practical and I hope to incorporate all of them into my future classrooms.  I guess my ELA classroom has developed from students listening to a story being read to including a host of new activities that support the meaning of stories.  I look forward to further growth and development in this area over the coming years.

The Blank Page

What do you think is important to teach students about writing and representing?

            It is Friday afternoon and the sun is streaming through my window.  Yet, instead of enjoying the beautiful weather I am sitting at my computer staring at a black page of a new Word document.  It is intimidating.  I feel like there are infinite possibilities hidden in that expansive white space, but my mind recoils from those possibilities and ends up a churning sea of worry.  All I can think about is, “What if my writing isn’t good enough?” or “What if my mind goes blank?”   I probably should have more confidence in myself.   I have successfully completed dozens of undergrad essays and a Master’s thesis and yet that blank page is still intimidating.

            If I am still intimidated after years of training and practice in the conventions of academic writing, how are elementary students supposed to learn to write with confidence?  This is a very important question to me, especially as I undergo my teacher training.  When I learned to write we had a few different strategies that the teacher employed.  We copied text off the board, we did grammar worksheets, we had spelling tests, we wrote in journals (in the very early grades), we wrote stories, and we learned how to follow templates for letters and essays.  Writing was always done for specific assignments.  It was usually not relevant to my everyday life and it required memorizing a ton of specific rules to satisfy my teacher.  I wrote to get good grades and learned how to tailor my work to the marker.  Writing did not become useful to me until I got older, and it is not something that I ever particularly enjoy.  This is not the model that I want to pass onto my students.

            I was pleased to learn that teaching methods had evolved since my elementary school experience.  Spelling tests and grammar sheets are no longer the focus of teaching good writing.  In fact in our unit on teaching writing there were so many new ideas and methods that I felt refreshed and inspired.  One particular method that stuck with me was the idea of the writing workshop.  It was one of the main concepts that united all of our readings.  The writing workshop is a large focus in British Columbia’s English Language Arts Integrated Resource Package (ELA IRP) (2006), our textbook Constructing Meaning (Bainbridge, 2009), as well as the articles by Atwell, Calkin, and Savage. 

Writing workshops are based on the principle that, “writing is learned in the act of writing with the support of a knowledgeable teacher” (Reid, Schultze, and Peterson as cited in ELA IRP, 2006, p. 30).  As Calkin emphasises, “Our goal is to offer children the opportunity to bring their lives to school and to put their lives on the page.  At first, we’re especially cultivating rich conversations, lots of storytelling, and detailed drawings.  We definitely don’t want children to limit what they say and think because of a concern for spelling or penmanship.  We want to teach all children that the writing workshop is an opportunity to make and convey meaning.” (p.1)

 During a writing workshop children write or illustrate for a significant period of time.  During this time the teacher models good writing practices by writing their own piece.  The teacher may also teach mini-lessons to the class on writing techniques, grammar, or spelling.  These lessons are focused on providing practical knowledge that students need to communicate clearly when using the written word.  As the ELA IRP (2006) notes, “Teaching grammar outside of the students’ writing experiences, such as using grammar worksheets, does not result in a transfer of skills or learning to the next writing experience. Grammar skills should be taught in the context of the writing experience, using students’ and teachers’ own writing” (p. 33).   The teacher also holds writing conferences with individual students to assess their progress, teach skills, and encourage growth in the student.  As Atwell notes, “My purpose in conferences about content and craft is to help writers discover the meanings they don’t know yet, name problems, attempt solutions, and make plans” ( p. 224).

During the writing workshop students work through the five stages of writing, as they are outlined by ELA ERP (2006).  These stages include: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing/presenting (p. 30).  The students practice gathering ideas, writing them down, and then polishing them for content and understanding. Children are encouraged to write about topics they have knowledge of and topics they are interested in. The students also get the opportunity to engage in peer editing and proofreading, which reinforce the writing skills they are learning (ELA IRP, 2006, p. 23).  “Students can learn a great deal from sharing their writing. Discussing the writing can be very valuable before writing, during writing, and after writing” ( p. 24).  To support writing development students are given a writing folder when they begin.  Each folder includes: a basic word dictionary, a scratch pad, a journal, a sketch book, and other age appropriate supplies like a work spacer or a thesaurus (Savage, 41).

There are many benefits to writing workshops.  First, students are able to receive individual help from the teacher and peers.  Second, students get regular time to practice and develop their writing in a safe environment.  Third the writing workshop stresses the relevance of writing and teaches the conventions of writing in the context of working on a piece.  Forth, students are able to monitor their progress throughout the year by looking back at all the work collected in the writing folder.  Finally, the writing workshop is a strong tool for meeting all of the prescribed learning outcomes (PLO’s) in the ELA IRP (2006) that relate to writing and representing at each grade level.  For example, in Grade 2 during the prewriting stage students meet PLO C4, “use strategies before writing and representing” (p. 66).  In the writing stage students meet PLO C1, “create personal writing and representations that express connections to personal experiences, ideas, likes, and dislikes” (p. 66).  Finally, during conferences or peer sharing students meet PLO C9 as they, “reflect on and assess their writing and representing” (p. 59).

The tool of writing workshops is especially exciting to me, because it fits so well with my teaching philosophy.  I am a proponent of teaching through doing.  I think it is important for the teacher to model good practices and then for the students to have ample opportunity to practice the skill in meaningful and realistic situations.  I also feel that learning should be relevant to the student.  When someone understands the use for a skill in their lives they are more likely to want to learn it and to remember it.  So while I may still feel intimidated by the blank page, I now have the tools to help my students to grow into confident and expressive writers.

References

Atwell, Nancy.  In the middle: New understandings about writing, reading, and learning.  Class reading for EDCI 302.     University of Victoria.

Bainbridge, J., Heydon, R., & Malicky, G. (2009). Constructing meaning. Toronto Canada: Harcourt.

Calkin, Lucy.  “Launching the Writing Workshop.”  Class reading for EDCI 302. University of Victoria.

English language arts integrated resource package. (2006). Province of British Columbia: Ministry of Education.

Savage, Jennifer.  “How can I effectively use the First Steps Writing program in my classroom?”  Class reading for EDCI 302. University of Victoria.

Podcasts in the Classroom

I spend a fair amount of time commuting and one of my favourite pastimes while driving is to listen to podcasts.  I enjoy listening to new ideas and perspectives without the interruption of commercials.  It’s the perfect time for me to continue my own learning on topics of personal or professional interest.  Luckily, this week’s topic was the use of podcasts in elementary education.

As usual my first step when locating a new podcast was to head over to the iTunes store.  A quick search of ‘elementary education’ produced over 120 results.  The bulk of results focused on language education, and professional development.  I downloaded a number of the professional development podcasts for later reference and continued my search.  I was hoping to locate a podcast that could be used in a classroom lesson and that was appropriate for elementary aged children. 

The podcast that I chose was titled, “Activated Stories” and was a weekly broadcast that had the narrators tell new folktale from a different culture and in a new location.  The episode that I listened to was entitled, “The Book of Magic” and was a Russian folktale.  The narrators told the story in animated voices and added sound effects.  It seemed age appropriate for children in grades two to six.  At the end of the story the authors asked some good follow-up questions that children could respond to.  I think this podcast could be used in a fairytale unit in language arts or in a social studies unit that looked at world cultures or country studies.

By listening to the podcast I learned a couple of important points.  First, teacher needs to pre-screen the content to check that it is suitable.  Second, you don’t always need to start at the beginning of the podcast.  For example, I would have started “The Book of Magic” at 5 minutes to avoid some banter that did not contribute to the story.  Finally, I think you could pause the podcast at various points to ask students questions about the story, find locations mentioned on a map, or let the students predict outcomes.

Overall, podcasts seem to be a useful resource for teachers.  They are affordable, interesting, and provide a broader context for students.  I look forward to further exploring their uses, especially in other subjects like science and mathematics.

Learners, Learning, and Curriculum

Welcome

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post and autumn is finally here. As I look out my window I can see brown crunchy leaves littering the sidewalks and chestnuts shimmering in their midst like wooden gems. The recent cold snap has reminded me of my childhood growing up in Ontario. Autumn there is a dance of a million colours-crimson, rust, chocolate, gold. There can be such a variety in the hues that fall from one tree alone, which in some ways serves as metaphor for the variety in our classrooms. This leads me to the focus of this post. Today I have been asked to reflect on three questions, and all require deep thought. The following responses reflect my current understanding. There are no right answers here, only reflections.

Who are today’s ELA students?

Like the leaves of my childhood, today’s English Language Arts (ELA) students are a symphony of diversity. Each student is a unique combination of qualities and experiences. Canadian students are increasingly multicultural and diverse including a broad range of ethnicities, languages, economic statuses, genders, abilities, interests, and learning styles. For example, close to one million Canadians identify themselves as aboriginal, 40% of Canadians have a first language other than English, and in 2005 Canada accepted 262,236 new permanent residents (Bainbridge, Heydon, Malicky, 2009, p.15). British Columbia’s Integrated Resource Package (IRP) for English Language Arts (ELA) supports this viewpoint by stating, “this document recognizes that British Columbia’s schools include young people of varied backgrounds, interests, abilities, and needs” (“English Language Arts,”2006, p.3).

How do they learn?

Considering that our classrooms have changed from a more monoculture environment into a more diverse setting, it only makes sense that our understanding of how students learn should also become more multifaceted. British Columbia’s IRP for ELA notes, “Today’s classrooms are enriched by diverse groups of students. As teachers teach the curriculum, they aim to include all students, working toward common expectations with different amounts of support, different texts, different strategies, and a variety of class organizational patterns. One size does not fit all” (“English Language Arts,” 2006, p.25). Students have individual needs and interests. Individual learning styles such as auditory, visual, and kinaesthetic are a good place to start. But considerations should also include the relevance of the subject material to the individuals within the classroom. Teachers need to have flexible lessons that can be tailored to individuals. We also need to draw on a variety of resources to stimulate learning. Our lessons need to include fiction, non-fiction, multimedia, audio, and the visual arts to assist student interest.

Another important discovery for me in the last couple of weeks was revealed through the work of Robert Probst. In his chapter titled “Tom Sawyer, Teaching, and Talking” Probst discussed how children need to learn communication skills as a foundation for other areas of learning (Beers, Probst, Rief, 2007, p.45). What struck me was how a skill such as talking might often get overlooked due to the fact students can already talk when they enter school. Yet, Probst notes how the skills to discuss difficult topics and situations are often lacking in students. The key point I got from this reading was that our students are not only learning facts and academic skills, but they are learning how to engage with the world around them. Our students are learning how to express themselves and interact with new information and viewpoints. How exciting it is to be able to support this exploration, and provide opportunities for meaningful growth.

How does the IRP help and/ or hinder me as a beginning teacher?

The IRP for ELA is the province of British Columbia’s Ministry of Education’s legal curriculum document for grades kindergarten to seven. The document is a vast 625 pages and discusses the theory and principles of ELA education as well as providing Prescribed Learning Outcomes (PLO) for each grade level. So how does this document assist new teachers? For me the introduction and program delivery sections were an overview of best practices in ELA. These sections state the benefits of the six focuses of ELA (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and representing) with flowing prose. Overall I found the document inspiring and an apt description of the learning environment that I strive to create.

The main problem with the IRP document is that it gives very little implementation advice. For example, the kindergarten PLO B1 requires students to, “demonstrate awareness of the connection between reading, writing, and oral language. (“English Language Arts,” 2006, p.49). This sounds great and makes sense as a goal for kindergarten students, but how is the teacher supposed to teach this PLO? One area in the document under the student achievement section provides a list of activities that are age appropriate. But it provides little to no description on how to teach them or how they link to the PLO’s. The freedom and flexibility this provides experienced teachers is admirable. It allows teachers, who have a strong understanding of the PLO’s, the freedom to innovate new lesson plans and tailor lessons to local needs. Yet, for new teachers this document is more of a theoretical exercise. It describes in great detail what we want for our students, yet provides little concrete advice for achieving it. A government sponsored website that teachers could share best practices and lesson plans tailored to specific PLO’s and grades would be an invaluable compliment to the ELA IRP for new teachers. I think the IRP provides a strong framework for all of British Columbia’s teachers, but new teachers need support in order to create implementation strategies.

After pondering this week’s questions I find myself inspired by all of the veteran teachers who can seamlessly integrate the PLO’s into meaningful lessons designed for a diverse set of individual learners. I aspire to follow in their footsteps, and in my own way make a positive contribution to my students’ exploration of themselves and the world around them.

References

Bainbridge, J., Heydon, R., & Malicky, G. (2009). Constructing meaning. Toronto Canada: Harcourt.

Beers, G. K., Probst, R. E., & Rief, L. (2007). Adolescent literacy: Turning promise into practice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

English language arts integrated resource package. (2006). Province of British Columbia: Ministry of Education.

Understanding, learning, and responsibility.

It’s early Saturday morning and for once the street outside my apartment in quiet.  My giant white cat is asleep out on the balcony and the sky is slowly brightening from pink to a faint blue.  It is a peaceful time and one perfect for reflection. 

Last year at this time I was deeply submerged in a master’s program- thesis writing, and reading piles upon piles of dry academic articles held my focus.  So how refreshing it is this year to be immersed in the joy of children, the craft of teaching, and all of the nuances both hold.  It has been a long time since I really enjoyed the material I was learning and even longer since the material seemed immediately applicable.  Right now I am truly engaged in the process and everyday see its value.  The name of this blog, The Joyful Educator, stemmed from how uplifting and exciting the elementary program has been for me.

This blog will reflect my growing understanding and appreciation for teaching and learning in the subject of English Language Arts (ELA) in the elementary grades.  So far I have had a week and a half of classes and the main thing I have learned is how much I still have to learn!  It will be interesting to watch the evolution of my understanding and practice over the next few months.

The question we were asked to reflect on this week is, “What do you expect English Language Arts to look like/ sound like/ be like in the Elementary School classroom?” The first image that came to mind for me was a brightly lit classroom full of colour and life.  A group of little ones sits around the teacher raptly engaged in a story book that the teacher actively reading.  The teacher uses different voices for the characters and lots of large gestures.  The children laugh or gasp in response.

Over the last week I have come to realise that ELA includes so much more.  At its core it is teaching the art of communication, both understanding and expressing.  It includes reading but also viewing; listening and speaking; and expression through writing and representing.  It can include art, drama, and media in a wide variety of forms.  The more I learn the more ELA seems to be a foundation to all of the other subjects and success in general.  This leaves me realising the responsibility we have to teach this subject well to all students.  What I hope to learn next is how.