Addressing Diverse Learner Needs

I have the privilege of observing three classes, two 12th grade classes and one 11th grade class. The three classes have a mix of Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic students. Many of the students are at an 8th grade reading level. They are not familiar with common vocabulary words and struggle to comprehend material. They also have trouble following directions. I know that I will need to encourage understanding by explaining my directions. I will make sure that I write directions on the board as well as repeat them in a variety of ways. I will also try to simplify my written directions so that they are easily comprehensible.
It is important that I teach vocabulary in class. I will pull vocabulary words from the class literature and use it as part of my curriculum. By giving students an opportunity to study vocabulary in context, I will increase their understanding of the words. And having students study the vocabulary words of a text also supports their own comprehension of the material. I believe that covering vocabulary words as a separate part of my curriculum will support the academic needs of my students.
One of my favorite elements of teaching literature is class discussion. I think it is important for students to be able to discuss their impressions of texts with other students. Class discussions enhance student understanding and contribute to better comprehension. However, many of the students in my classes are unwilling to participate in class. It will be difficult for me to elicit thoughtful responses from students if they do not wish to contribute in class. Promoting class discussions is very hard when people do not want talk. My goal is to foster good discussions in my classes. I hope that through my instruction of texts, students will understand enough about the material to contribute thoughtful responses in class discussions. I want to create a safe environment in which the students feel comfortable. In order to create the safe environment I will not let students talk out of turn or laugh at other people's comments. I will present rules of discussion that include acknowledging other people's opinions and respecting the rights of others to speak in turn. I hope that this will reduce anxiety in students about commenting in class.

Using Technology in the Class

Using Technology in the Classroom

Teachers can connect their students with content by using technology. The technology that teachers can use in the classroom is broad. I will attempt to incorporate music, television shows and movies, video games, and computers into my learning activities because doing so will benefit my students.

In her article, “Multigenre, Multiple Intelligences, and Transcendentalism,” Colleen A. Ruggieri describes how she used music to help students identify with transcendental literary works. After her class read several transcendental pieces, Ruggieri played Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” for her class (Ruggieri 61). She and the class discussed how the lyrics in “My Way” depict transcendental elements. Ruggieri asked her class to find other examples of transcendentalism in music that they liked. After they had chosen the music, the students had to write a paragraph describing how the songs fit into the transcendental category. The students brought their music to class the next day, and Ruggieri describes how “the response was terrific” (61). Every teacher wants his or her students to be excited about class, and Ruggieri accomplished excitement by incorporating music into her class. During the class, Ruggieri and the students created a list of the different types of music that the students brought. Ruggieri says that her “students were quick to notice that certain genres” had the most transcendental qualities (63). This observation spurred further conversation about transcendental literature applies to modern life. Using music motivated the students and helped them identify with the literature. I know that I will employ similar tactics when teaching my high school students. I want my students to enjoy and learn from class material and using technology accomplishes this desire.

I will also use the computer and the Internet as a means to connect content material with my students. I think that it is important for students to familiarize themselves with the technology that they will use in their futures. It is almost certain that when students reach adulthood they will need to navigate Web sites and use e-mail as a form of communication. For projects and writing assignments, I will require that students research on the Internet as well as in the library. And I will use e-mailing to do letter-writing assignments. In a lesson titled "Exploring Literature through Letter-Writing Groups" on readwritethink.org, John Paul Walter explains how he uses letters as a means for students to explore literature. Walter uses letter-writing groups throughout the year to help students analyze material. Instead of having students merely respond to literary questions, Walter uses letters to instigate thought and discussion about literary concepts. I will use this idea but the students will correspond via e-mail or Web posts. Students will write about the literature we read and comment on what their peers have to say. Using an electronic format gives assignments variety, allows students to practice their typing skills, and ensures that students know how to send and reply to emails. Walter’s already authentic learning activity becomes even more authentic because of it’s relevance to real life.

Because technology is a powerful force in American culture, I know that I will use it frequently in my classroom. Teachers need as many resources as possible to reach all of their students. Technology is a simple and interesting way to connect to students.

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=397

The Ohio Department of Education has a section on its Web site devoted to families. One of the categories in the family section of the O.D.E. Web site covers how parents can get involved in their child’s learning. The Web site declares that “[f]amily involvement strengthens student learning and improves academic achievement.” I think it is important for teachers and administrators to remember the value of parental involvement. The O.D.E. provides tips for parental involvement at various levels in a student’s academic career. On the 9^th through 12^th grade portion of the Web site, the O.D.E. has brief articles with tips about how to help students adjust to high school, how to solve problems that students may have, and how to benefit from parent-teacher conferences.
http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEPrimary.aspx?Page=2&TopicID=1506&TopicRelationID=1521

Action Research

The Beginners' Guide to Action Research presents four basic characteristics of action research. Action research usually is cyclic in that "similar steps tend to recur;" oftentimes, in a similar order. Another characteristic of traditional action research is that it is participative. Usually, the researcher and those who are being researched are in some type of partnership. The Guide also states that action research is qualitative because it analyzes language more often than numbers. The fourth characteristic of action research, according to the Web site, is that it is reflective. The researcher must reflect on the process as well as the outcome of the research. Some additional qualities that often are present in action research are responsiveness, emergency, and critical reflection. By responsive, the Guide means that the researcher must be able to adjust his or her research for the situations that occur. If a researcher incorporates all of the above characteristics into his or her action research, he or she will accomplish "both action outcomes and research outcomes."

Standards

One thing that I think prospective teachers should take into consideration is the help that standards give to new teachers. Without experience, it may be difficult to decipher what is appropriate for particular grade levels and what material should be used. New teachers can use standards as a base for their teaching. As their experience grows, the standards become less obvious in lesson planning, but are likely to still be a part of instruction.