Vocabulary

When giving students vocabulary it is best to use multiple methods, exposures, and a variety of context. Do not ever start with having students look up definitions. A definition of a word can change based on the context of the word. The context of a word should come before the definition. As a teacher, you want high utility words, or words that can be used often and across all domains. Students should be able to understand the etymology of words, generate vocabulary, and achieve deep processing of words. The etymology of words refers to the Latin or Greek morphemes of a word, also known as morphological analysis. Morphemes are the root, prefix, or suffix of a word. Generative vocabulary is making sentences out of a dictionary definition. Deep processing is giving new meaning to words. A good classroom activity is to give students a vocabulary word to focus on and several sentences containing the word. As a class the student can come to a conclusion about the meaning of the word. This activity gets the class involved and engaged in leaning new words. The new vocabulary word can then be added to a word wall in the classroom, so the students can refer to if often. Understanding vocabulary can go through several stages. Frontier vocabulary is simply the passing with a word. Receptive vocabulary is being able to understand, hear, and read the word. Expressive vocabulary is being able to speak, write, and do the action with the word. Vocabulary can be implemented into any classroom and should be taught often.

Choosing Instructional Materials

In my opinion, every teacher should have a classroom library. The availability of books in the classroom can be an extreme asset to student's learning. I want to be a PE teacher, but that does not mean I cannot have a section with health-related books, magazines, sports articles, or biographies located in my gym. When choosing what text to use, it is important to choose from a variety of texts, have different reading levels, interests, and genres. I want to accommodate for all my students. It is also important for me to know who my audience is, how reliable the information I am giving them is, and if it is interesting to my students. When analyzing for materials it is important to check for quality and the grade equivalent. The quality of a text is defined by the usability of the text, if students will understand it, and find it appealing. A student should encounter one to two new words per page when reading something to obtain the appropriate vocabulary load. The text should activate the student's schema and keep them thinking after they have finished reading. Check for the main ideas and the details of a text. The text should apply to what is being taught in the class. I also want to analyze what my students will be taking away from the article. I want to know how it has improved their learning.

English Language Learners

To be honest, I did not know much about English Language Learners (ELL) until our lesson. I do not know another language and cannot even imagine moving to another country and not knowing how to communicate or read. I also learned how different academic language can be compared to the social language. Not only do ELLs have to learn the social aspect of the language, but also the academic. It is like they are learning two new languages. A student may be an ELL, but there are also three different types of ELLs. The first is the parallel form schooling. The student received a very good education in his native state. The second is the nonparallel formal schooling. The student is under schooled or behind. The third form is the long-term ELL. The student was born in the United States, but his parents do not speak English at home. A student that has had parallel formal schooling will often understand academic English better or faster than a nonparallel or long-term ELL student. Communication skills or BICS are often developed quickly, but as I stated earlier, academic English or CALPs can take three to five years to develop. To encourage an ELL focus on the meaning of a word, let the student go through silent periods when they simply listen, and do not stress on grammar. The student needs to learn, but also develop a sense of confidence. Keep the ELL's stress low and stay encouraging. By incorporating reading, writing, listening, and speaking into every lesson for forty or more minutes a day can greatly help an ELL learner.

Before, During,and After Lesson Framework

The before, during, and after (BDA) lesson framework helps a student's comprehension in literacy. It allows the student to have a better understanding of the material they are reading and to gain new perspectives and understanding. Before the student starts the teacher needs to activate or engage the student's schema. Basically, get the student thinking. I think of this as a warm-up activity before the big event. Let the student's know your expectations. What does the student need to learn from the reading? Help the students set goals or strategies. Challenge their existing knowledge and help them open their minds to new ideas. During the reading, ask questions to get the students engaged and thinking. Asking questions also helps maintain focus in the classroom. Questions also help add to pre-existing knowledge of the reader. After the reading, talk to students about what they learned and how they have added to previous knowledge. Incorporate the new ideas learned into their pre-reading ideas. BDA allows the students to test their pre-existing schema and then to help it grow.

Schema Theory and Comprehension

Going into our lesson about schema I had no clue what this word meant. I have heard of schema before, but was always a little unsure of its meaning. Schema is what the reader brings to learning or their background knowledge. It is something that the reader already knows or can develop an understanding for from prior knowledge. Schema is also the development of concepts or organized knowledge and structure. Often times we as readers can decipher text based on our prior experiences and readings. Our schema is constantly working when we are reading. Two types of schema exist. The first is accommodation. Accommodation is when the reader changes their world view, so their schema also changes. When a reader stumbles, misunderstands, or needs more knowledge, they are accommodating for what they are reading and their schema adjusts. The second type of schema is assimilation. Assimilation is when the reader adds to their existing framework, in other words, additional knowledge is given to the reader. Schema affects the reader's comprehension, so the more developed our schema is, the more we will understand while reading. As a teacher I need to evaluate my student's schema and help them either develop or grow in their schema.

The Reading Process

I have learned that literacy can be incorporated into every kind of classroom. My goal is to become a physical education teacher and I was unsure how literacy could be applicable to my classroom, but I've come to a more clear understanding. Literacy can be taught through activities, tasks, apprenticeship to students, models, practice,and coaching. I can read an article to my students while they are warming up or I can assign take-home reading that co insides with what we are learning about in class. Exit slips are a great way to measure student's learning. If the lesson pertains to basketball, I can ask students to write down three rules related to offensive play. An answer can be about lane violations, double dribbling, traveling, or fouling among many other rules. Posters lining the wall with quotes, rules, or key words can also help enrich a student's literacy. Hopefully, in my gym I will have a chalk board where I can write a different inspirational quote every day for the students to read. Peer evaluations can also be used for literacy purposes. An example might be that the students have to count how many reps their partner does and then write down the number. Overall, I have learned that it is possible to incorporate literacy into a physical education classroom without much difficulty.