Reflection Paper 5

Reflection Paper: Pre-Reading Strategies

By

Jen Gunderson and Daniel Englehorn

            The multi-genre project initially looked at different reading strategies.  These strategies included pre-reading strategies (strategies used before beginning reading), during reading strategies (strategies used while reading) and post-reading strategies (strategies used after reading).  The topic was then focused on different pre-reading strategies that ELLs can use to better or fully comprehend their classroom textbooks. 

            The focus of this project was on pre-reading strategies and it really gives teachers a lot of tools to use in the ESL classroom to help the students build a bases to begin reading a text.  The most important things to do in pre-reading are to activiate prior knowledge about the subject being read, be able to predict the upcoming events, look for vocabulary words that might be unknown and analyzing the text.

            There are many different things we can do as teachers to assist our students in reading and teaching them pre-reading strategies is one of the most important things.  Before reading a book in class the teacher can ask different questions related to the book to the class and try to relate the material to the students’ own experiences.  The teacher can also tell a story to the students and leave out the ending to try to get the students to predict the rest of the story, the students should learn how to try to predict the rest of the story in this way.  Vocabulary that may be unknown to the students can be explicitly taught with pictures, actions, etc… before reading and the teacher can teach the students how to overview and analyze a text before reading.

            I do my best to teach both native and non-native speakers of English different strategies they can use before reading and I know that I will put the strategies above to good use.

Reflection Paper 4

Reflection Paper: Whole Language Approach and Reading

By

Zhang, Tacheny and McLaughlin

            The multi-genre project asked six questions related to the topic.  These questions included: (1) what is whole language?  (2) Is whole language and effective approach to teaching reading?  (3) What are the advantages and disadvantages of with whole language?  (4) Does whole language interact with other approaches?  (5) How is reading instruction implemented in whole language?  And (6) what are the important teaching techniques in whole language?

            The whole language approach focuses on meaningfulness and wholeness through the learning experience.  The whole language approach is a student centered method that believes that all aspects of language are naturally connected to one another.  The students in a whole language program are immersed in a literacy rich environment including all aspects of the language.

            It is important for teachers to realize that whole language teaching is very complex and there is not a lot of research available on the subject.  Teachers need to be aware of their students and how well their students are achieving in the classroom.  Teachers also need to keep in mind the culture of their students and the students’ previous educational background, as these factors can affect the learning of the students within the whole language method.

            Personally I believe that the whole language method is a very good approach to teaching a language and should be used along with other methods to ensure that all the students are learning the material.  There needs to be a balance between learning naturally and learning through the explicit teaching of an instructor.

Reflection Paper 3

Reflection Paper: Process Writing

By

Linda Jacoby

The multi-genre project asked four questions related to the topic. These questions included: (1) what is the process writing approach to teaching writing? (2) What is the rationale behind this approach? (3) What are the benefits of this approach for ESL students? (4) What are some of the difficulties with using this approach with ESL students?

Process writing focuses on five major areas of writing. Those areas are pre-writing, drafting, evaluating/reviewing, editing, and publishing. Researchers believe that the process writing approach parallels communicative language teaching, in that it provides authentic communication at any level of ability, provides language in context, focuses on the learners’ development and provides collaborative teaching and learning. The problems with process writing may include difficulty with error analysis, problems with coherence and cohesion, and the process vs. product approach can provide some assessment challenges.

Process writing is a great way to begin the writing process for any students, whether they are ELLs or not. All teachers should teach their students to use some type of process when writing papers. Starting out with brainstorming techniques and then moving into the formation of the paper can really give students a lot of confidence in their writing and provide them with the scaffolding they need to become proficient writers in English.

I use a process writing technique in my own class and I’m continually looking for more ways to scaffold my students’ writing and give them the tools they need to be successful writers at any academic level.

Reflection Paper 2

Reflection Paper: Differentiated Literacy Instruction

By

Julie Lemley

            The multi-genre project asked three questions related to the topic.  These questions included: (1) how does the use of multi-media increase effective learning?  (2) What are the best practices of DLI for ELL students? And (3) how can professional development impact improving DLI instruction? 

            There appear to be four domains of literacy.  These domains are functional literacy (learning to read, write, speak and listen), content area literacy (reading, writing, speaking and listening to demonstrate content learning), technological literacy (using reading, writing, speaking and listening in multimedia to create products and demonstrate learning) and innovative or creative literacy (reading, writing, speaking and listening to do a complex task, solve a complex problem, invent a unique product or process, or create something new or influential).

            Differentiated literacy instruction can help students meet learning goals that are achievable and give teachers specific objectives in order to create strategies to assist the students in reaching their goals.  We as teachers need to start with the state standards and look at the most important content and concepts that need to be taught.  Teachers then need to decide which literacy focus to implement to establish purpose, increase critical thinking and provide relevance. Getting to know the students is also a big factor and the choice of instruction may depend on the students’ needs and preferences.

            Currently I believe that I use a lot of different teaching methods in my classroom to meet my students’ needs and I will continue to seek out new ways in which I can teach students where they are at.

Reflection Paper 1

Reflection Paper: Vocabulary Acquisition and Literacy

By

Jersa Bellows and Stephanie Krucher

            The multi-genre project asked three questions related to the topic.  These questions included: (1) what is the connection between vocabulary acquisition and literacy?  (2) As ESL teachers, how do we teach vocabulary to our students?  (3) How does the lack of vocabulary academically affect the literacy of ELLs? 

            The research shows that most vocabulary is learned through context while reading in the L2 and research also shows that reading along with completing tasks produces more vocabulary acquisition than reading alone.  It’s also important to teach vocabulary in a context where the words are used and are meaningful.

            The pedagogical implications are that we as teachers need to teach our ELLs how to read and the benefits of reading.  We need to urge our students to practice reading whenever possible, especially in the home or outside of school.  Planning different games that incorporate new vocabulary words into sentences can be a great way to teach vocabulary within a given context.  Other activities to use with reading and writing could include role playing, group work, jigsaw, word wall, graphic organizers, journaling, etc…  The fact is that L2 learners learn a lot of vocabulary through reading and writing.

            We as teachers need to continually give our students opportunities to build their vocabulary and teaching them how to read and enjoy reading is a big part of the vocabulary building process.  I will certainly continue to think of new ways to teach vocabulary in context and motivate my students to read for academics and for pleasure.