ELASarah


 * Textbook Survey—English Language Arts **

As you peruse your content area textbook, please complete the following activities and/or questions. You may place your responses on this page.

1. Write a bibliographical entry for the book using APA format. Burke, Jim. //The English teacher's companion: a complete guide to classroom, curriculum, and the profession//. 3nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2008. Print.

2. What is the author’s background in education? Jim Burke was a Special Education Teacher, teacher in the Peace Corps, English teacher at Burlingame High School in California, and is currently a writer on the topic of adolescent literacy.

3. Skim through the Introduction: Teaching English in the Twenty-First Century. What are 2 key insights that you gained? English teachers must incorporate as much new technology as possible into the classroom via creative ways. Also, English teachers need to readily adapt to the changing world in an effort to prepare students for the future.

4. Looking at the Table of Contents, what are the 4 main sections of the book? 1. Foundations 2. New Directions in Teaching English: Implications 3. Issues in Teaching English-Inevitabilities 4. From Becoming to Being an English Teacher

5. Which chapter should you definitely read before you begin the unit project? Composing a Curriculum: How to Plan a Unit of Study (Chapter 10)

6. Which chapter will be particularly helpful with planning assessments? Measuring Student Progress (Chapter 11)

7. Look through the Appendices. Which 2 appendices do you think you will find most helpful during student teaching? Why? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">New Teacher Checklist <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">The History of the Relationship between the Text, the Reader, and the Teacher <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">As a new teacher, there are a set of basic guidelines that will be helpful to follow. Also, I will be teaching two novels during my student teaching experience, and I would like to know how to best connect the students to the books we read.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">8. In Chapter 2, Four Components of Effective Teaching are explained. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">What are they? Give an example of each. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;"> 1. Construction: Making things (ex: assembling an anthology of writings from different authors) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;"> 2. Occupation: To hold, to engage (ex: have students play different group activity roles in class) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;"> 3. Negotiation: A classroom is a community (ex: creating a set of classroom norms with students) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;"> 4. Conversation: Interacting and sharing ideas with others (ex: Socratic seminar)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">9. Of all the chapters in the book, which one interests you the most? Why? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">Activities For Building a Better Vocabulary <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">I would like to know how to teach vocabulary to students in a creative, non-traditional manner.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">10. Of all the chapters in the book, which one will you probably not read during this course? Why? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">Creating a Thoughtful Community <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14.66px;">I learned a lot already concerning how to build community and a positive learning environment in previous Cardinal Stritch MAT program courses.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">11. What is one section in particular that you would like to discuss further with your content advisor? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What gender is English? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This chapter’s title intrigues me, and seems like it could lead to very interesting discussion.


 * Instructor Recommendations for Reading:**
 * For Research Essay—Read Chapters 1, 2, 4-8. Highlight as you read a chapter. Then stop and list your “Top 5 Ideas/Tips” from the chapter. Read only one chapter at a sitting.
 * For Unit Plan and Summative Plan—Read and highlight Chapters 10, 11, 16
 * For FutureReadingand Discussion—Chapter 21 and Chapters 16,17,18,19
 * For Job Preparation—Chapters 22, 23, 24

=**Three ELA Trends**= 1. 21st Century Writing 2. Readers Below Grade Level 3. Censorship

=**ELA Trends Discussed with Content Advisor and Group**= Our ELA content group went over the MAT candidates' ideas for the major trends happening in the world of teaching secondary English. However, we also discussed a list of trends generated by our content advisor. A few of these trends are Plagiarism in the Digital Age, Grading: Scales, Purpose, and Mastery of Content, and Ability Grouping.

Plagiarism during the digital age seems both easier to accomplish and be caught doing. With instant access to millions of diverse digital and online files, students have a plethora of authors to copy work from. On the other hand, there are digital programs like Turnitin.com that teachers can use to scan student work for plagiarism.

Grading is another trend that seems to be changing with the times. Many educators view grading as necessary solely for summative assessment. That is, grading homework does not make sense to many educators today, because homework is a type of formative assessment used to monitor student progress and encourage learning. In short, a student should not necessarily receive a grade on an assessment until they have been given the opportunity and help necessary to truly learn the material. The point of education today is not to weed students out of classes or defeat their GPA in any way possible. The purpose of education is to teach students until they comprehend what is being presented in the classroom.

Ability grouping, although not supported by all educators, can definitely be beneficial if organized in an appropriate manner. First, it is important to look at the make up of the classroom ability grouping will be implemented in. It should be determined whether or not there are enough students at different levels to make ability grouping a worthwhile endeavor. Second, it is important to eliminate the practice of tracking (testing students and placing them in an ability group that will determine their future coursework until graduation). Our content advisor discussed that it is important to regularly monitor students in ability groups, and to allow students the fluidity to leave or join an ability group when necessary. For example, if a student who struggled in ELA at the beginning of the year has rapidly progressed by midterm, the student should have the option of switching to a higher ability group if able to comprehend more advanced ELA coursework.

=Persistence of the Five-Paragraph Essay (Jeanetta Miller)= Jeanetta Miller declares the that the persistence of the five-paragraph essay is a detriment to student learning. Miller believes the formulaic structure of the five-paragraph essay prevents students from thinking creatively, making decisions, and innovating their writing. Because of its strict pattern, Miller states that "the five-paragraph essay relieves students of responsibility to makes decisions about form and organization". Furthermore, she highlights the reality that, beyond school at the secondary level, the five-paragraph essay does not exist. That is, a workplace does not care how its employees get their written messages across, as long as what is composed is concise and achieves the goal intended. Additionally, the world of academia at the university level expects more of its students than the traditional five-paragraph essay.

If the goal of high school is to prepare students for life after graduation, then why are teachers still teaching the five-paragraph essay? Miller explains that the reason lies within both teachers and students. Because of its formulaic nature, students feel safe using the five-paragraph essay to create an essay. Miller explains, "Students may not be joyful or even engaged in writing the five-paragraph essay, but they can feel the all too adult satisfaction of checking an item off that long To Do list." However, teachers themselves feel a sense of safety when teaching the five-paragraph essay. Because the five-paragraph essay has been taught in high schools for so many years, it is difficult for teachers to believe that it is not the best method of teaching essay writing. Tradition can be excruciating to break away from.

Miller creates a new vision of teaching the essay to high school students. She encourages teachers and students to open their minds and explore the idea of writing "to develop the tools to communicate what they know in a variety of authentic ways". That is, instead of mapping out a precise structure for students to follow and plug information and ideas into, teachers need to stress that there are countless ways to organize an essay, depending on the audience and message intended to be communicated. Miller states that if students are taught good writing, thinking, and organizational skills, teachers will be able to leave the creative part of organizing an essay up to students. Besides, Miller states, "What a difference it will make [for teachers] when [they] reach for the next essay knowing that it won't be just like the previous one."

After reading Miller's opinion of the five-paragraph essay, I find myself thinking about writing in a new light. Throughout my entire education thus far, the five-paragraph essay has been a staple in my writing life. It was only when I attended a university that I was instructed to look beyond the five-paragraph structure. To be honest, the first time I wrote a paper without using five paragraphs, I felt as if I had abandoned something sacred. It intimidated me. Because of this, I definitely identify with Miller's observation that the five-paragraph essay is a safety net for both teachers and students. However, I had a positive experience writing papers outside of the five-paragraph format, once I got used to the idea. In my future English Language Arts classroom, I will be faced with a decision: to teach the five-paragraph essay or not. While I agree with Miller's viewpoints whole-heartedly, I do believe the five-paragraph essay is a valuable skill for students to learn. It provides beginning writers with a sort of guide and structural focus when creating an essay. However, I do believe that teaching students other essay organizational structures is a necessity in every high school classroom. The twenty-first century requires citizens to be creative, adaptable, and self-sufficient. Without forcing students to think for themselves and make independent writing decisions, we are denying students the practice necessary to develop their own autonomy. Thus, I will heed Miller's advice and teach students that although there are basic writing guidelines to follow, it is ultimately up to each student's self to decide how to employ them when composing an essay.

=Working Outline for Research Paper= __**Thesis:**__ To prepare English Language Arts students for post-secondary success, teachers must tailor reading and writing instruction, along with grading, to meet the literacy expectations of twenty-first century society.

Selecting Classroom Texts Young Adult Novels vs. Classics "Guidelines for Selecting Materials in ELA Programs" "NCTE Principles of Adolescent Literacy Reform" "Guidelines on the Students' Right to Read" __**21st Century Expectations**__ Variety, Multiculturalism, Critical Thinking, Multiple Genres, Skimming, Comprehension
 * Reading:** Literacy Reform

Writing in a Changing World "Writing Now" "Framework for Success in Post-Secondary Writing" __**21st Century Expectations**__ Practicality, Creativity, Adaptability, Innovation, Multiple Genres, Multiple Audiences
 * Writing:** Post-Secondary Success

Purpose Mastery of Content "Grading as a Teaching Strategy" "The Numbers Approach to Grading Papers" "Easing the Process: A Strategy for Evaluating Compositions" "Repositioning Revision: A Rhetorical Approach to Grading" Numbers over Letter Grades, Purpose of Grading (Learning, Ability/Performance Level Assessment, Encourage Improvement/Revision, Ability to Receive/Respond to Criticism, Peer and Self-Evaluation)
 * Grading:** Scales
 * __21st Century Expectations__**

=Two Insights Gained About Assessment from Content Advisor Meeting #2= Our English content area group discussed the purpose of grading during our meeting. We discussed the importance of using rubrics as a way to create and defend a consistent grading scale. We also talked about the importance of making the ultimate goal in the classroom student learning. Therefore, allowing a student to revise, redo, or turn in an assignment late is acceptable if it means the student is learning. The insight I gained is that teachers must always keep the end goal of getting students to learn in mind -- even when it may feel uncomfortable to. Another issue our group discussed is plagiarism. We discussed the balance between teaching students the unethical nature of plagiarism and issuing consequences when a student decides to copy another person's work. For example, if a student plagiarizes an essay assignment, should the teacher automatically give the student a zero in the grade book (even if that zero would destroy that student's grade for the class)? It's a sticky situation, but it is a reality that will happen sooner or later in any classroom, and a teacher needs to be prepared to handle the situation wisely. The insight I gained concerning plagiarism is that students should be given a second chance to do another assignment which is harder to accomplish, but still fulfills the same purposes as the original essay. That way, the student does receive strict consequences for plagiarizing, but also has the opportunity to correct their actions without destroying their GPA.

Sarah, I agree with you that students should get a second chance to do another writing assignment when they are caught plagiarizing. Maybe have them write a one-page metacognition paper along with their new essay. Have them explain to you how they developed, processed, and eventually wrote their essay.--Ann

=Late Work Policy Discussion= I have two perspectives toward the idea of late work. The first is that late work should only be accepted for major assignments. Because major assignments are such a large part of a student's grade, it seems unethical to deny a student the opportunity to turn in a completed assignment at a level considered to be their best work. However, I would only accept major assignments late if a student came to me personally and beforehand to discuss their inability to meet a deadline. My second perspective on late work stems from conversations with Tracy, my content advisor. In her classroom, she accepts all late work pretty much up until the end of the course. Being that the ultimate goal of secondary education is that students learn, she sees no problem with accepting work late (even extremely late) without a negative consequence. I love Tracy's perspective, and hope to incorporate it into my own classroom someday. However, it is important to note, however, that Tracy teaches in Grafton, where students generally are raised in positive family situations, and have the motivation to do their work well and in a timely fashion. At other schools, however, the majority of students haven't been taught the value of learning, and might abuse Tracy's system. Ultimately, late policies will be different in every classroom, because every school and group of students are unique. What works in one classroom might not in another, so it is up to the wisdom and experience of the teacher to decide what is best for his or her group of students.

=Summative Assessment Plan= •Students will explain why Arthur Miller wrote //Death of a Salesman// via an oral presentation. •Students will analyze themes, images, ideas, motifs, and symbols present in //Death of a Salesman// via an oral presentation. •Students will demonstrate comprehension of plot, characters, and specific vocabulary in //Death of a Salesman// via a unit test. =
 * Topic:** //Death of a Salesman// (Arthur Miller)
 * Learning Objectives**

Unit Plan= How do cultural norms and generational differences influence identity? Is change always good? How do hope and change affect each other? What is family? How does the notion of family differ from culture to culture? - Students will demonstrate comprehension of plot and characters in //The Joy Luck Club// via routine reading/discussion checks. - Students will explore themes, images, ideas, motifs, and symbols present in //The Joy Luck Club// via routine journal prompts and creative projects. - Students will discover how //The Joy Luck Club// relates to their personal and societal lives today via classroom discussion and activities.
 * Topic:** The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan)
 * Essential Questions:**
 * Learning Objectives:**


 * Scenarios**
 * **Easier Scenario**
 * Impromptu Student Assembly: I would simply give the students who do have class a lesson which goes deeper into material we have already covered. For example, a film, short story, or creative group activity/discussion would work well. Doing this will allow all of the classes to stay on generally the same track concerning content.
 * **More Difficult Scenario**
 * You try to sign up for the computer lab for parts of your unit, but it's not available on the day(s) you need it. Also, there is not a roaming cart of laptops available at your school. How can you adjust?
 * I could rearrange the order of classroom activities originally planned. That is, introducing a topic one week later and replacing it with another activity/other content. I could see how this might be difficult in certain subject areas, but I feel like depending on the content being taught, this might be able to work in an English class.

I have not done enough routine grading to really feel comfortable calling myself a confident grader. Therefore, I would like to refine every aspect of grading this fall semester. :) More specifically, crafting a quality rubric for a project seems like it will be an important skill in an English class, so I will focus on developing this skill during student teaching.
 * Determining Final Grades**

Working with Tracy was my favorite part of EMA 548. It was great to discuss English education with someone currently in the field of teaching. I learned that planning units and lessons ahead of time, although important, usually results in on-the-spot changes when teaching. Therefore, teachers must maintain adaptability and patience. What a teacher hopes will take only four weeks to teach will more likely end up taking six. Also, Tracy stressed that many of the ways to accommodate students with exceptional needs are universal (extra time, oral assessment, etc.) and can help many different types of students at once. This makes thinking about accommodation/modification a bit less daunting. Finally, the most important thing I learned from Tracy is to simply be yourself when teaching. While you can model your classroom actions after best practices and MAT mentors, it is ultimately each teacher's job to find their own voice and teaching style. Every person has their own attributes, and figuring out the best way to incorporate them into the classroom is what makes a good teacher splendid. Thanks Tracy!
 * 3 Insights Gained from Tracy**