1) What are the risks of allowing students to work solely in their levels of competence without challenging them to attempt difficult tasks or concepts.
2) The author states, "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? List strategies that could be used with a struggling learner other than just admonishing him to reread the text.
3) There are educators who argue that the ability to read is the cornerstone for every other subject taught in school, so students who cannot read the required text or the assessment instruments should not be able to move forward until they can. Others believe that teachers should offer content knowledge in a myriad of methods so that students progress in their various subject areas while they are honing their reading skills. Where do you stand on this issue? Defend your answer.
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Additional Resources:
Zone of Proximal Development
6 Scaffolding Strategies to Use With Your Students
1. I teach in a 3rd grade classroom.
ReplyDeleteStudents who are only required to do work at their competency level will not build self-efficacy. The book says, "Self efficacy is bolstered when a student achieves something previously thought unattainable." It is important in the classroom to help each student master required skills. For those to whom that comes easier or faster, it is crucial to challenge them further. Computers in the classroom gives teachers a miriad of ways to do this.
Sometimes it can be a computer program that builds on previously learned skills, such as IXL. For a more creative process, using Google Drawing to create a web on vocabulary (meaning, sentence, antonym, synonym, picture) used in class or a chart to show the characters, setting, and plot of a story we have read in class.
Whether they are learning additional skills beyond the skills taught in class or applying the skills taught in a project, these examples allow students to challenge themselves. This builds self-efficacy, which will affect student choices, effort, perserverance, and resilience.
Example: Student learns to add 2 digit plus 2 digit numbers. Does required assignments. Shows mastery. He goes onto IXL and begins practicing 3 digit addition.
Example: Student finishes work on story we've done in class. Teacher provides another book by the same author. She reads it and creates a Venn diagram on Google Drawing to compare the two stories.
I agree that each student needs to master the required skills and each student needs to shows growth. I know I plan daily anywhere from 3 to 5 small group plans for math and or assignments so that student can reach their goals.
DeleteI am always looking for new ways to raise the bar and challenge each student.
As a school administrator I don't get teach in the classroom but I involved in a greater teachable moment every 10-15 minutes daily. I would say that I it's perfectly great to challenge students to get better. I asked kids to give me one reason why they are send to the office, then I challenged them to give me two to three reasons what to do differently next time so teacher will not send them out of class and still keep on with ALT (Academic learning time.) It is very risky to let students remain stagnant. As an educator, it will be much beneficial to teach them skills needed to survive in the classroom, among their peers, in the society and as they move on working for corporate America. By challenging kids to be a thinker would make them great scholar and citizen after high school. In our textbook, it was clearly stated to give students time and opportunity to explore deeper meanings and or to relate the newly acquired knowledge to their lives. Finally, I would like to say that giving students beginning skills in dealing with conflict resolution they can practice and home and demonstrate in the classroom will help elevate their positive behavioral awareness. I like all the example used for the ZPD in chapter two.
DeleteJennifer Garrett, I also teach third grade but I am unaware of the computer program that you speak of. What math series does your school use? We are using Pearson. How many computers are in your room or do you go to a computer lab?
DeleteThe program is called IXL. There is math and language. You can get on for free and do a daily sample. I believe it is like 20 free problems. My school subscribes to both the math and language. The third grade is one-to-one with Chromebooks, so students can get on in the classroom to do assignments.
Delete3. I believe the ability to read is the cornerstone for every other subject but I don't believe holding a student back until they master the skill. I have worked with special needs students for over 30 years and I've seen the outcome of those who were held back and those who were not held back.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of a particular student who had a significant reading disability and their ability to move forward with the support and accommodations from good teachers I want to share with all teachers. I have seen great teachers put in place scaffolding for many students and although the progress may be slow, the student was able to make growth in reading. Many times students will use self-advocacy skills they have learned to be successful. Many students will have alternative teaching methods presented to them thus the zone of proximal development that has helped them make the progress necessary.
I believe a great teacher would offer alternative methods to help the student learn such as pre-teaching vocabulary, chunking assignments, many different types of technology programs such as read out loud, snap and read, etc.
I believe every student learns differently and we as educators need to learn the different ways and offer up many alternative ways for students to learn such as: hands on projects, class demonstration, group work, visual examples. There are many successful people in the world who may have been struggling readers but have learned to over compensate for their disability. I believe holding a student back due to their disability only helps strengthen the gap they have with their peers. It socially demoralizes them so when they become high school level we tend to see them drop out of school.
I believe every student can learn but in their own way and often times at their own pace which is challenging in today's world of education due to the rigors of testing and mandates.
If I could first add a comment to Robert Browning’s quote: “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp (but not be impossible to reach) or what’s a heaven for?” I agree wholeheartedly that students should be encouraged to reach as high as they can go. If students are not challenged at all, they become apathetic and will ultimately never do anything with the amazing wealth of a brain God has given them. If they are challenged to reach a level that is too high, they become disillusioned and are ready to quit. That is exactly where I find my students in the alternative learning center. They have given up because they continue to fail due to the unrealistic expectations placed upon them.
ReplyDeleteA student cannot be forced to become self-motivated; in other words, self-motivation is not an external accomplishment. This is something only the student can do for himself. It is only by helping him achieve a particular goal that he can gain the necessary motivation to achieve well. Once we, as educators, direct him to find the source of the motivation then the sky is truly the limit.
Reading is a challenge most definitely but if it can be compared to another activity with which the student has struggled and achieved, he/she can make the application. The teacher is there to remind them of the principle: if you can do it once, you can do it again. The same drive and motivation applied to one activity can just as easily be applied to another.
This motto is something I will be emphasizing with my students. I want them to focus on what they do know and what they can do, then apply that same structure to more difficult scenarios. We will see how successful this will make them.
Can relate to "That is exactly where I find my students in the alternative learning center. They have given up because they continue to fail due to the unrealistic expectations placed upon them." There are more viable curriculum resources but not deemed cost effective for this population. I so wish parents were effective advocates for this group. Many effective teachers across the state working without enough support.
Delete1. If we are always allowing students to work at their level, then they are not being exposed to materials, lessons, and questions that would allow for growth. I am a firm believer that all students can excel and learn. It is sad to say that not all those that work with students feel the same. Some adults prejudge what a student is capable of doing based on their home life, learning disability, or relation to a sibling that educator had at a previous time. First off, as an educator, we need to be positive and encouraging to all students. Once they know we truly care about them not just as a student, but as a person, they take pride in themselves. It is important to always hold high reasonable expectations.
ReplyDeleteI am going to focus in on math and a student that I tutored last year that is currently my student. She is a phenomenal reader and reads well above grade level, When it came to math, she would freeze, tear up, and shut down. She also did not pass the math portion of ISTEP in 3rd grade. This year, I really focused on what she could do and exposed her to many different strategies that she could choose from that made her math easier. At our school, we take NWEA, her score at the beginning of the school year was very low compared to her peers. As time went on, I could see her growing in her math reasoning and she seemed to enjoy math a little more. It was starting to make sense. Focusing on each step and modeling the process truly helped her. When she took the Winter NWEA, she didn’t shut down and worked out every problem. She ended up scoring higher than her end of the year projected growth goal. She now does not hate math and volunteers to share her answer and her thought process.
I take this similar approach with all my students in each subject area. I have many small group differentiated lesson plans each day trying to meet the needs of all students. They also help set goals and monitor them with me. We celebrate each success!
I agree differentiation is the key. The method of delivery for instruction does not have to be the same for all students or at the same pace.
DeleteI would love to come and observe your small groups differentiated lessons.
DeleteThanks for sharing your story. I too believe that students cannot stay at a comfort level and still grow. I work with students that struggle in math. The majority of my students had an "I can't" attitude when they started the school year. I have worked very hard, changed my teaching styles, and tried to be a cheerleader for everyone in my room. We still have our struggles, but the dynamic in my classroom and the attitude towards learning math has greatly changed.
DeleteI also agree that differentiation is the key. Although my students work on Internet-based programs, I still allow them to talk with me if an assignment seems overwhelming and confusing and we work together to come up with tasks they can complete that will help them be successful.
Delete"It is sad to say that not all those that work with students feel the same. Some adults prejudge what a student is capable of doing based on their home life," It saddens me that instead of helping empower students to rise above what life has stuck them with we give up on them.
DeleteAllowing children to work at different levels while still challenging them is the age old question. Within a classroom, there are various levels and abilities. The teacher must challenge and accelerate those students who need more, while remediating those students who have not grasped the concept. Students have been given a list of grade level standards by the state to achieve by the end of the school year. While the content is prescribed the process is not. It is my belief that the instruction and the mode of deliver is what makes teaching so rewarding. Any teacher can differentiate the same content standard several ways to achieve the same academic results. Students' learning styles offer a variety of challenges in meeting the needs of all children.
ReplyDelete"It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." I agree with this statement and see it in action every day of my teaching week. Students may not have reading fluency, but when given the information orally are at grade level in reading comprehension. I also see this in the ESL learners. If teachers can tie relevance to rigor, the student can relate tot he content through experiences. We utilize several strategies for this challenge. We have chrome books that offer speak to text and text to speech. Also, we use iPads to record the students' answers, read the text, allow oral responses, shorten assignments, modify tests, and allow students to complete assignments orally.
I believe that teachers should offer content knowledge in a variety of opportunities to display mastery. These methods allow students to progress in various subject areas while they are honing their reading skills. I work with special education teachers and students. These teachers are masters at finding creative ways for students to share their knowledge. Reading is extremely important to the mastery of content. However, there are ways around this road block if a student is not a good reader.
I believe teaching students to read is the most empowering thing we can do for them...If they are not able to read at their level how will they grow? I believe teaching the students in Guided Reading is where you will get the most bang for your buck...But that is not where it stops..They need to be exposed to higher level text with support from teacher....If not they will never know what good reading sounds like, feels like.....I read a really good book that pertains to this.."TEXT SAVVY>>USING A SHARED READING FRAMEWORK" The authors are Sarah Daunis and Maria Cassiani Iams. They reference in the book "symbiotic relationship between the teacher and the student, the fluent reader and the growing reader." This shared reading together "makes visible what good readers do when they read." This was definitely a good reference book for me.
ReplyDeleteWe use Guided Reading techniques with students here! I would agree it is helpful.
DeleteI teach second grade and this response is referring to my readers who are reading below grade level using books from levels A to D.
ReplyDelete1) The risk of strictly working at the child's level is detrimental to the their education. When a child who is not expected to go beyond their ability will not show much growth, if any, because they are not being challenged or stretched. They won't become good readers who read with fluency or show expression in their voice while reading because their leveled books have simple sentence structures. These students will show minimal or no growth in comprehension because the books at these low levels don't have enough meat in them to be able to dig deeper to ask higher level thinking questions. These are just some of the risks of keeping a child in their level.
You made a good point about students being unable to become fluent readers because of simple sentence structures. They must be pushed into that zone of proximal development in order to stretch themselves into reading more complex text structures.
DeleteI agree with you. But you still have students who don't care. All they want to do is get through school with the bare minimum. What do you do to help them?
DeleteMichele Mathews that's a great question. I struggle with this as well. Many of the teachers in our building feel like we have hit a brick wall. If anyone has a suggestion or encouragement...we're all ears!
DeleteI even have a couple students who don't even try. They won't do anything. What I have tried to do with my students is build a relationship with them. It doesn't work with every kid but worst case I have helped one child to learn to push harder to be more successful. So my suggestion or encouragement would be build a relationship.
DeleteI agree that "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." I understand that my classroom is comprised of diverse reading levels. To meet my students varying levels, I use many strategies and teach my students various strategies for reading difficult texts. These are some of the strategies I use in class.
ReplyDelete1. "Chunking" I'm not sure if this is a term already in use or not, but "chunking" for me is basically teaching students to break a text into smaller "chunks" to aid in comprehension. It is easier to understand a difficult text, if one breaks it down, paraphrases or summarizes each section, and then reassembles it to understand it as a whole. 2. I teach the underlying structures within common texts. For example, in nonfiction academic writing, the thesis is usually found at the end of the introduction and each supporting paragraph begins with a topic sentence, which is the main idea of that paragraph. The remainder of the body paragraphs should be details that support the topic, and each body paragraph supports the thesis. Understanding this, also helps their writing. 3. Close reading as a class is helpful. This is where the teacher reads the text to the class, and asks questions in relation to the text as she reads. At this time, the teacher can also clarify any difficult passages or vocabulary or check for understanding. 4. I vary the levels of the texts. We may use a lower reading level text that has the same idea as a more challenging text and then compare texts. 5. I usually access students prior knowledge before we read any text. If students can identify with the topic, the reading, even if the words are difficult, is easier because they have an understanding of the context and can then use context clues to aid in comprehension. 5. I also use video and audio versions of texts.
Students are more likely to attempt a challenging text if they have the tools.
3. I believe that teachers should offer content knowledge using a variety of methods so that students can progress in their various subjects, all the while honing their reading skills. I do feel that reading is the cornerstone for all subjects taught in school; however we cannot stop the progression of their learning in the other areas just because they are struggling with reading the required texts and assessments. It would be a disservice to our students. They would then get behind on other subject matter, which could then be even more discouraging.
ReplyDeleteTeachers should be teaching their lessons in a variety of ways anyway. This goes back to the study of Dr. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Some students do better learning subject matter through visuals, music, or movement. Even having the text read aloud by a classmate, or through an audio recording, can help those who struggle to read and comprehend text.
I think about when my special education students would take a test over content taught to them. They could pass the test, but they needed it read to them. Just because they struggled with reading, didn’t mean that they weren’t capable of learning.
Stacie I agree with your statement that teachers should use a variety of materials and students can pass the test if it is read to them if they don't have the reading skills to read themselves. One of the things I love about the online programs is the ability to offer written, audio, and demonstrations to students. I don't think online learning is the end all be all for traditional learning but it does offer more variety than what some teachers offer in the classroom. I also think about how many things we can do in society or overcome without reading anything. Siri for example can be spoken to and speak back as well as get us where we need to go without reading anything. Some students need a siri in their every day world in some areas but not all. As you said that doesn't mean they weren't capable of learning.
DeleteI don't feel that as teachers we can "stop or slow down" our teaching just because a student is not a strong reader or is even behind. I feel like we spend too much time trying to go backwards and teach our students the skills they are missing before teaching them the new skills. I feel that as a teacher I need to give my lessons to my students in all possible ways and use all my resources available. For example, the textbooks are not the only thing available to teach a lesson, pictures, graphs, ipads, and computers are available to me to enhance my lessons. I don't have to slow down my teaching to teach them to read. I can provide them with all the resources and also develop their reading skills.During my education for my Special Education license I read a lot of research that suggested instead of slowing down instruction for the students that are behind teachers need to speed up the instruction and proceed forward because eventually the "gaps" will fill in. As a Special Education teacher I have tried to make sure I give my students all the tools they need in a variety of ways and hope that eventually the concept will stick.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I too feel like I spend too much time going back to teach my students things I feel they should already know/be able to do by the time they reach me in 8th grade. Especially when I see students with extremely low reading levels.
DeleteThe ability to read is the cornerstone for every other subject, however we cannot hold back students in other subjects while they are trying to become reading proficient. Not allowing students to move on, will cause students to fall further behind. If we don’t challenge students they become bored and unmotivated. “ZPD plays a key role in helping students maintain self-motivation.” (Silver 2012) As also stated in the text, while progressing with proficiency in reading, there are other ways students can learn science, social studies, math,... We need to move students forward, rather than backward.
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught in Florida, I spent many years teaching students with English as their second language. Back then it was called ESOL; now it is ELL. I had students from Mexico, Haiti, Romania, Germany, as well as other countries. The only language I speak is English. Translating was not an option. It’s amazing to see how quickly and how much conversational English a student learns when immersed in the language. Having said that, it takes a little longer for the student to learn the written language. There are so many “good teaching” strategies that can be used to help students learn while they continue to improve their reading. As Silver suggested, some strategies are: chunking text/info, pairing up with other proficient students, model language, and animate using exaggerated gestures. Additional strategies are graphic organizers, audio books, pictures, computers, video, Cornell notes, annotating-the-text, and extra time. On page 23 of Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8, is a great list of strategies that I believe most teachers use already. We’ve all had training in scaffolding; creating and using strategies to aid the learner and empower the student with necessary skills to become proficient readers and students.
#1. If you always require a student to work at their level, then they are never being challenged with other materials and they never see different styles of learning taking place. I teach in small groups all day. I use the Daily 5 in my classroom for reading and a version of it for math. I do have my groups leveled according to scores on pre-tests and our standardized tests that we take, but I also do various activities within all of my groups that allow them to be challenged. The challenging activities are different for each group based on what I feel is an appropriate challenge but every student in my classroom is being challenged. I also move students in and out of groups based on their performance.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that students show more growth and success in the classroom if they are exposed to various levels of activities. I think it is important to start a student at the level appropriate and according to their scores, but at the same time provide them with lessons and activities that challenge their thinking but yet do not frustrate them. For example, my students love reading chapter books and doing book studies. I have my higher students reading books that are a 3-4 grade level. I don't exclude my lower groups because of their struggle with reading fluency or comprehension. Instead, they also get to read chapter books that are more at a 1-2 grade level.
Students put in the amount of effort and excitement that you as the teacher also put into the classroom and the students in your classroom. If the teacher is excited about learning and always implementing fun and exciting ways to learn into the classroom, then the students in the classroom will also be excited to learn and will be more motivated to do better.
# 1
ReplyDeleteThe risk of allowing students to work solely in their levels of competence without challenging them to attempt difficult tasks or concepts in my eyes is that it does not allow the individual to learn new concepts. As a middle school teacher I see students all the time that may not have all the concepts mastered, while they are still to learn new 7th grade concepts. As I work side by side with students learning math concepts, even through they might not know their multiplication or division facts, they are still able to learn the concept and are able to solve one-step equations. WOW! As students pass them on to me, I am directed by them how they have to learn to add / subtract and multiply / divide before we can move on to 7th grade concepts. Well, I give them a calculator and they more on and can make great progress. I realize that as they should be able to master these elementary concepts before learning others, in this day in age, we have technology and in order for student to progress, sometimes we have to learn to use the tools available. I have seem these same students now be able to do more addition and subtraction on their own and see the accomplishment in their eyes as they are now able to do the same math problems as their peers. Ones they never thought they would be able to accomplish.
Students need to see success in oder to want to work harder and accomplish more. If students just keep doing what they are comfortable with and never are pushed and stretched to higher levels, they get comfortable and don’t move forward.
I also see this with students grades. I set for all of my homeroom students that they have to have all passing grades, A, B, C in order to earn privileges. At the start of the year, and the first 9 weeks, they all complain that as 7th graders they can’t do that. As time goes on and I keep encouraging and pushing them by doing weekly grade checks, the majority all have passing grades. The ones that don’t, continue to work and want to reach our class goal. I truly believe that if as adults, we set students standards just a little about their heads and encourage them to reach higher and then raise it a little at a time, the students will continue to reach higher and higher.
1. The most obvious risk of allowing student to work solely in their levels of competence is the fact that you don't push students beyond a basic level of understanding. Students at all levels-high, medium and low need to be challenged with difficult problems that can be broken down into smaller parts. For example, if I am talking to students about the conflicts between Israel and Palestine I start with a broad based question: What are the problems? Through discussion and scaffolding of questions, I try to slowly break the issue down to simplify its understanding by working with students individually and within groups. Teachers can systematically break down areas of confusion and enable students to process chunks of information so they can begin to put them together like parts of a puzzle.
ReplyDeleteIn my classes, we talk about a lot of current, political issues. I have found that asking "why" continuously to students at the higher level makes them go above and beyond their normal thinking and challenges them to solve problems through the processing of information.
Allowing students to stay within their level of competence does not promote the problem solving skills they will need in their future careers.
1. If students only work at their current level of compentency...they will never be able to set goals, problem solve when things get hard/difficult, or understand deeper meanings of engagement!
ReplyDelete2. You need to break down the information by chunking words, breaking down the sentences/paragraphs, highlighting popcorn/fluency words, playing games with that "trick" them into learning the tough parts, read/echo read/group read/cowboy read, etc etc etc! New information should be taught in a variety of ways---verbally, written, games, flash cards, etc!
3. Every student is different and therefore learns in a different fashion! At my previous employer--we did success groups every morning. The students were divided into groups based on what skills they needed intervention on or further practice. All classes in the grade level were intermixed and divided. Each teacher, assistant, and reading specialists were given a group and a topic to work on! Every 6 weeks groups were re-evaluated and topics were adjusted based on need and progression! These groups were done in 20 minute slots and therefore worked on the items that each child needed to build on---also pushing the higher ability students and those ready to move on...to different levels as the need came about! The students were also learning new material in their classrooms---building on newer knowledge and also defining the old knowledge and embedding into memory/fluency!
2. I agree with the author that it is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information solely in a narrative he cannot read. We, adults, are not held accountable solely for written material as well as a student shouldn’t be either. As I said to another educator in my response to her, we have siri on our phones who speaks to us, searches for us, and guides us, etc. without ever needing to read anything. When we go to the fast-food restaurant, there are pictures then a person who reads back our order. If we get a bill in the mail that we don’t understand, there is a person we can call to explain the bill. Life is full of instances where we aren’t held accountable for written information only. A struggling reader can have the same strategies such as an iPad with the novel so siri can read the material to the reader; illustrations on the computer can be live to be interactive for the student; YouTube shows how to videos to teach a student how to do anything; Changing color of texts to show breakdowns of the passage (one color showing characterization, one for theme, one for tone, etc); the dragon computer software can be used to type what the student speaks without the student typing anything or a speech to text app can be used; The list could go on and on. Technology has made it easier for students to gain knowledge without solely using written information.
ReplyDeleteAs such, I believe it should be noted that students who already have an understanding of a grade level skill also need to be challenged. Without presenting them with such opportunities, they are provided less opportunities to work with critical reasoning. To challenge such students, I have increased the level of difficulty with the concept and/or in the manner that they must present their understanding. Taking the same topic as noted before, adding and subtracting mixed numbers, by increasing the level of difficulty in the problem and inserting it into a real-world scenario can allow for such students to be challenged with the content. For example, when teaching this skill, Teaching with a Mountain View, has developed a resource that includes this idea inside the context of a bakery (as the real world situation). I have used this activity in the past with students to provide a challenge. One activity that I have used required the students to simplify fractions, which is a building skill to adding and subtracting fractions. However, instead of the fractions being similar to 5/15 (more in align with our math series, the fractions presented are less familiar (e.g. 54/60). This requires the students to employ the same skills, to factor both the numerator and denominator and divide by what is in common, which can allow for me to identify they understand the skill more so than they “know” the answer. This challenge also facilitates student engagement.
ReplyDeleteAs such, I believe it is significant to provide students with content that is outside of their current learning state, with assistance, to help assist students in developing critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Risks of allowing students to work solely at their levels does not allow them to push themselves further. They will be stuck in the same spot and not advancing. Students need to master the content and show growth. By raising the bar and challenging each and every student will help them tremendously. I have students who want to do the bare minimum and when I push them further, they give some resistance but once they see that they CAN accomplish the task at hand they are so proud of themselves. We, teachers, need to be positive and encouraging to each of our students. We also need to show them that we care about them and their accomplishments because they might not be getting that at home. I have set high standards for my students from the first day and they know that I expect their very best each and every day.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement: “It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read.” I agree because I have students who do not read fluently and on grade level but when given the material orally they are reading and understanding at grade level. For my students, pulling in “their world” into my lessons helps them tremendously. They can relate to the information if I pull from their lives and their surrounding as I am creating rigor for them. We have several resources for our students including our ELL teachers, reading the text, tablets, iPads, books on tape, etc. All of these resources help our students understand and complete assignments that are in front of them.
I believe that differentiating the lessons throughout the day and meeting the needs of every students helps greatly. Not all students learn the same and at a different pace. We also have “conferences” where we discuss where they are and we look at pass goals and set new ones regularly. They set their own goals and we monitor it together. We celebrate even the smallest success. I have small groups daily and we work on the areas that these students are struggling and I use a variety of materials with the students to help them learn, grow, and pass the test.
Totally agree with you about being stuck. Not only that, but I have worked with students that have previously been only expected to work at their current level by being given a independent worksheet and 'stuck in a corner' to work so the teacher instruct the rest of the class. These students came to me very bored, depressed, and lacked self-confidence. I became their "personal trainer" to build them up, and push them to their potentials! (I'm a special educator)
DeleteReading is a part of life so students do need to read and move forward. I work at an alternative high school where the students do Gradpoint all day. They must be able to read in order to attend there, and they read all different subject areas. They can't go through the lessons if they can't read it, and we have too many students that we can't sit with them individually. Besides, they are all doing different things. They can read Facebook and do basic things like that so they need to be able to read the GradPoint lessons. Sitting in a regular classroom, the teachers don't have time to waste teaching a student to read. Students need to learn to read on their own or do their best while they're in class. Teachers can't always teach in a variety of ways.
ReplyDeleteSo, I will assume you do not have students with identified learning disabilities? What are your qualifications for acceptance at your school?
DeleteThey can have learning disabilities, but they have to be able to read without assistance. That's really our only qualification other than they want to quit school. This is their last resort.
DeleteMost of my students come to me with average IQ, but working and reading below grade level. Some because of numerous placements and some because of a cruel comment by an adult. These excuses make it difficult for the student to gain credits in order to graduate. Therefore, I use a computer based credit recovery program that has videos, graphics and short reading passages. Also, it uses pre-tests that allows students to only work on sections s/he do not know. This has increased self-esteem and the desire to succeed. Students also have the option to work one-on-one with a staff member. The students opt for this for the subjects of algebra, biology, chemistry and history.
ReplyDeleteTo increase reading levels, I have books around the room that students can read. There are graphic novels, comic books, magazines, fiction and non-fiction books of all levels and the daily newspaper. My assistants and I each have a book on our desk to read during down time. The students will often hear us talking about our books, articles from the newspaper and items from social media. I noticed today, only 2 out of the 10 students don't have a book on his/her desk. One of those students asked me to bring in a book I have so he can read it. So book 3 of Percy Jackson will be there tomorrow.
Concerning challenging students, it is a given in my classroom. If you want to graduate, you need to work! Students are aware that we are there to help them, but not to coddle. The credit recovery can be done at each student's own pace. We show them how to take notes, use Google, atlases, reference textbooks and how to ask a peer. There is no shaming! If the students chooses to sleep or through a fit because something is too hard, we explain it is his/her choice and we be here to help them if they need it. When a student gets a credit it is announced for the whole school to hear and I send a copy of the report home and to probation officers. The sense of pride causes them to try even harder next time. Today a student got his 28th credit and the rest of the students were claiming s/he will be next! I think the new girl who came in on Monday will be the next.
2) The author states, "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? List strategies that could be used with a struggling learner other than just admonishing him to reread the text.
ReplyDeleteIt is not fair to the student to hold the same expectation as you would to another student who may be a stronger reader. Reading strategies should be set in place to accommodate different reading levels within the classroom. There are many resources online that offer the same content information, but geared to different lexile scores. Read Works is a good website that offers nonfiction reading opportunities and meets the needs of different levels of readers. I think Reading Interest Groups is another good reading strategy that allows different level readers to pair up together. Typically this involves 4 students. 1 is the reader, 2 is the summarizer, 3 is the synthesizer, and 4 is the recorder. If a student is not capable of reading the text, could serve as the summarizer and recap to the group what what read (following along while the reader reads - will help increase skills but not diminish her integrity). It is important to keep students in the achievement zone and not below or beyond. Provide a way to help increase skills but still add value to the conversation and discussion of the reading group or activities.
ReplyDelete1) What are the risks of allowing students to work solely in their levels of competence without challenging them to attempt difficult tasks or concepts.
The obvious risk that the student is never challenged and sees being challenged as "wrong" or an "aberration" instead of the avenue to success. I often tell my students that school life is not "real life." Most of their life they will not have their immediate supervisor committed to their success. Most jobs have bosses that is looking for you to get the job done and won't accept any excuses. In other words, life may only get more challenging from here. Even college professors are expecting students to take ownership of their own academic career. I try to get them to understand that the alternative school is a "soft landing" area in which they can learn to persevere, to overcome, and even to fail. Whenever students reach the point of complacency in which they no longer wants to be challenged or receive corrections, I try to communicate this message to them.
I have had several students who aspire to professional careers like being a physician or a nurse, but refuses to do simple tasks like taking notes on an assignment. They also struggle with basic parameters like being on time to class. Their biggest issue is that they don't see the need to change. I have to help them connect the dots. I share about my post-graduate experience and try to help them see that these basic skills are essential to success. If they want to achieve their dreams, they have to be willing to develop new skill sets.
This principle also applies to behavioral issues. I have had many students who just cannot take no for an answer. They are used to getting their way and breaking the rules. I see this as an educational opportunity by explaining how this attitude relates to the professional world (not well). For me, it's not just a discipline issue. It is more of an educational issue as the student needs to see that behaviorally, they are sabotaging their future by not accepting corrections. I have to convey to the student that some correction is good and sets them up for success! It takes time, patience, and energy to turn a defiant moment to an educational moment; however, it could have long-lasting impact on the student's future.
One of the biggest risks of allowing students, at least in middle school, to work solely in their level of competence is lack of effort. If they feel it is easy, they will eventually stop trying. Sometimes they will make silly mistakes because it seemed too easy to check their work. It was beneath the student so he or she tried to get it over with in order to move on to something interesting. If it is too easy, it usually gets boring. Not many students remain engaged if they are not challenged, because they might have barely been interested to begin with, and there is less satisfactory payout of feeling of accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have heard my colleagues observe and experienced quite a lot is students shutting down when they finally are challenged. If it is suddenly too hard, or they do not know how to do it, or feel good about their ability to perform a task they will not try. If this happens with a novel task it can damage their attitude and self efficacy towards that task. They become resistant to challenge.
This also builds a sense of entitlement. A few instances come to mind of students who were not used to being challenged but still anticipated success. They ask for help, or how to do the same thing repeatedly. Instead of trying for themselves after I walk them through one or two they seem to think I will essentially do the work for them.
That is an interesting connection you make with lack of effort creating the sense of entitlement. There is nothing better than working hard to gain something no matter if that is a cognitive achievement or a physical gain. After achieving what you have struggled for, the reward is truly precious.
DeleteFinding that balance between challenging yet not impossible is definitely difficult but can be determined by viewing each student individually. Then the goal can be set.
Students only working at thier own level are being cheated from allowing them to grow and move forward. Children must be pushed beyond thier ability to gain insight and understand that they can accomplish tasks set before them.
ReplyDeleteWithin my classroom I plan 3 different small group assignments to help meet students needs. I push each group appropriately to challenge them and make them stretch a little bit more. Small amounts of success allows the student to grow beyond their level and accomplish tasks they never thought possible.
I agree with you that no students should be left working at their comfort zone. Effective teachers should always challenge students beyond four walls of the classroom. I encourage teachers including myself to raise the bar of success every day. We should always have communicate with students some of the challenges that will take place in our content areas and let them be aware of the success that will follow at the completion of the course.
ReplyDelete3) There are educators who argue that the ability to read is the cornerstone for every other subject taught in school, so students who cannot read the required text or the assessment instruments should not be able to move forward until they can. Others believe that teachers should offer content knowledge in a myriad of methods so that students progress in their various subject areas while they are honing their reading skills. Where do you stand on this issue? Defend your answer.
ReplyDeleteI agree that being able to read is the cornerstone. We spend Kindergarten through the third grade learning to read and then the rest of our lives reading to learn. If you are not a strong reader you will struggle to read the textbooks as you advance each grade level. I was a reading coach for several years and I loved the task of helping children learn to read. Our state has the IREAD test that every third grade child is expected to pass. While I see the theory behind this test (everyone at least can read at a third grade level) it has changed the way we teach. If a child can't read by third grade then he is tested to see if he qualifies for Special Ed. It makes me sad that children are having that label put on them when it may not be needed. For example, the story that our author gave about the boy from another country that did not succeed at his first school and was placed in Special Ed. What a tragic story but thankfully it has a happy ending! I have a student right now that has had a terrible home life. She has missed a LOT of school over the years. She has so many gaps in her learning career that I'm not sure if she will ever catch up.
So, I have mixed feelings about pushing a student forward if they can't read at a third grade level. I think each student needs to be considered individually. For instance, I had a student that made straight A's all year yet didn't pass the IREAD test the first time he took it. We allowed him to move on to fourth grade because his grades were excellent. Long story short, the week of the IREAD test, his dad got remarried. He was so worried about a new chapter of his life that he couldn't focus.
I"m all for offering a myriad of options to learn text but seriously...is there time for that?
If they can't read by the time they're in 3rd grade they get tested for Special Ed? Reading that blew my mind. Maybe I had no idea but it seems a bit drastic in my opinion. I get that they want all kids to read but I don't know how one test can be the deciding factor and why 3rd grade? Can they take it again in a different grade?
DeleteI do not support retention as you and other educators know that kids mature at different level in life. It's okay to put so much emphasis on reading improvement but I do agree that it's very important to be able to read at grade level but we needs to put into consideration of what a kid may be going through at the time of standardized testing. For educators in an alternative settings, we understand that our kids go through alternative leaving environments and daily lifestyle or life changing. I belief in Myriad of options for kids.
ReplyDeleteTrying to connect with each student as an individual to find their level of comfort in being challenged is a huge piece of the personal relationship teachers try to create with students. With middle schoolers, the social awareness of their peers' progress and attitudes about school and learning play a large role in how much of themselves they are willing to "put out there." Many of the students with learning disabilities have gotten so used to failing or under-achieving they don't expect to succeed. It is essential to find little ways to get students to buy in, to realize that you believe they will learn and experience success, and to feel that they should expect to participate in their own education - not just in school, but in life-long learning beyond homework and quizzes. They are entitled to know things, to learn how, to participate in society.
ReplyDeleteI very much agree with the author's statement regarding using accessible language to education and assess students. So many students lack academic language. When I paraphrase a question to conversational English, I get so much more back from them. Language acquisition is a slow process for so many students. I often remind my students that they are learning to be 'bi-lingual' in that they have the language they use to talk to each other, watch TV shows and listen to music, but they also have to learn to speak and understand formal English to get what they deserve from their textbooks and to communicate with teachers, doctors, employers, etc.
I work with students with learning disabilities, many with language disabilities. They struggle with reading, fail at it, don't enjoy it, and are required to spend more time on it. It is a vicious cycle that leads to student disengagement. It is imperative that I work with different content, fiction and non-fiction, to get them interested in something to keep them interested. I discreetly and intentionally am a Reading teacher all day long.
Expectations make or break a student. Unmet expectations make all parties involved frustrated until the frustration leads to discouragement, which leads to disillusionment.
DeleteStudents need to me challenged in the classroom to work beyond their comfort level. If a teacher provides differentiated instruction for students with various learning disabilities, why not provide differentiated instruction to push all kids past their comfort level. It is the job of the teacher to push all students to achieve high levels of academic success in the classroom. Students will more often than not reach the goal that you establish for them. If you set it low, then they haven't been challenged enough. Set the goal high, and most students will be up for the challenge. Technology allows us to challenge students in many new ways. My students use educational websites on a daily basis to enhance their learning.
ReplyDeleteStudents who work only at their competency level won't develop self efficacy. Students need practice and instruction at their level, but students also need pushed to higher levels. The students will remain stagnant in growth if they are not pushed to work outside of their comfort levels.
ReplyDeleteI agree whole-heartedly that students should not be held accountable for information presented solely in a narrative they cannot read. The key word in this statement is "solely". A great deal of research has proven that differentiation is key to student success. Children need material presented within their own zone of proximal development in able to be able to begin the learning process and not feel like a failure.(Sidenote: Loved the chart of student responses when in different zones. A colleague and I both took note of it!) Our ability to determine those levels and scaffold appropriately, support successfully is will help ensure that maximum learning will occur.
ReplyDeleteSince students will still experience proficiency testing as well as growth testing, however, I always teach them how to approach text that is on grade-level, whether they are or not. I believe it is important for them to be prepared so that they don't panic when faced with more advanced text for the first time.
In my classroom, I use guided reading to accomplish this. We do novel studies at the same time as using the basal. The small group novel studies are leveled and high interest. They are for focused instruction to meet the students where they are. Then, I use the basal (corporation mandated) for grade-level instruction. I also take opportunities for close reading high interest pieces together in order to teach students how to approach higher level text.
Stacy, I agree with your sinsight. I also fall in love the ZPD chat our author presented in the textbook. I shared this information with our Middle School Alternative staff then ask that we discuss it next week. Thanks for sharing how you collaborate with your co teacher.
ReplyDelete2) The author states, "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? List strategies that could be used with a struggling learner other than just admonishing him to reread the text.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. Students must be held accountable, but it is our responsibility as educators to differentiate lessons and work to meet the educational needs of our students at a level where they can have success. If a student is struggling to understand then we should try multiple approaches to present the information and collaborate with other teachers as well to find new ideas. If a student is just left to work through something they don’t understand then it just creates a sense of failure and hopelessness. Set high goals for students, but give them the tools they need to achieve those goals.
While reading is a cornerstone, students should be offered content knowledge in other ways to allow students to continue to progress. During this time, additional supports and services should be provided to the child to make progress in reading. This is especially true with the ENL population. Their understanding and ability in various content areas may far exceed the limitations of their English proficiency. Keeping them in a lower level in all content areas strips them of the opportunity to grow in other areas, leaving them either bored in those areas or still frustrated by the content still being provided only in text that they do not understand.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience at the Excel Center, I have taught basic math and Algebra to classes that were 90% hispanic immigrants. It is a fine balance as we moved to more abstract concepts and some had minimal English skills. However, they were quite able to learn new skills in mathematics, some progressing at a high school level, and 75% of those in the Algebra class were able to pass the ECA. The remaining students who did not pass were unable to attend the second term of the class and have not retested. At the same time as they were in my Algebra class, their English class was a remedial English class. In addition to English, the teacher adapted a science curriculum so they could earn earth science credit. If they had been in a traditional school setting, they may have never had the opportunity to be in an Algebra or Earth Science class. I do concede this was easier to pull off in our small setting of night students with similar needs than it would be in a traditional high school.
I do believe the ability to read is the cornerstone for every other subject. I do not agree that a student should be retained or held back until they can read the required text or assessment though. I teach 8th grade and I have many students who read at very low grade levels. Ones that are far below an 8th grade level. Many of these students still know and understand the material being taught, but they need assistance with the reading. I see a major difference in those students when they take a test for example with no support compared to when the test is read to them. Many of those students do much better once they have the test read. They always knew the material but couldn’t test without support.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, teachers should be developing lessons that reach a variety of learners anyways. We all know that each student is different so we shouldn’t expect them to all learn the same way. And they may only struggle with reading text in one or two classes so would it be fair to retain them if they excel in other subjects?
In your experience, do these eighth graders get caught up later in high school? Do these students have the opportunity to be successful in college?
DeleteAs a special education teacher, all of these questions hold issues important to me. However, I will address #3, as I think it is potentially a "loaded question".
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree students need to be given the opportunity to move forward in other subject areas while they continue to hone their reading skills. However, I think the wording "myriad of methods" leads to the thinking that a teacher is spending endless hours creating ways for a student to learn material they cannot currently read. This is easier than it sounds. This is where the special educator's expertise comes into play. First of all, thanks to technology, all vendors now have read aloud versions of their texts. There are also reading pens students can use. Prior to this technology, I would re-write classroom tests with simpler language and pictures (using clipart) if needed. If students are not allowed to progress with their typical peers, they will only get farther behind. Imagine, a student in fourth grade with a second grade reading level... they will forever be behind in all academic areas even if at some point their reading skills catch up to grade level because they have been "held back" in other areas. Reports continue to come out supporting the positive effects of inclusion--- it's because they are seen as grade level learners with additional needs. Studies continue to show inclusion is at least as successful as pull-out programs. I am confident as time goes on, inclusion will be more successful as pull-out when co-teaching is implemented as at its maximum potential.
This is only my 10th year as an elementary special educator, so I have yet to see the full successes of my students, but I have had students whose parents were identified as having an SLD and now have PhD's with successful careers.
Bottom line: General and Special Educators need to collaborate to bring the best of instruction to all students!
BTW... when I was in coursework and first heard about ZPD, I was excited! I viewed myself as a personal trainer--- someone who will always push my students to the next step so the can progress. Love it!
1. Complacency- so many of my special needs students come to me with the behavior/belief that if they sit there long enough someone will come and do it for/with them. I believe all students can achieve, but some need more support than others. I hold all of my students accountable for the grade level material, yet i may present the activity/work in a variety of formats. All are expected to participate.
ReplyDelete2. There are many possible accommodations for presenting text that is at a challenging level.
-read aloud
-partner read
-annotated text
-text with key points highlighted prior to presentation
3. I am firmly in the second group. All students should be exposed to the grade level information. The more that we refrain from presenting the information, the greater the divide becomes. Support is the key. When all students are working in the same grouping situation, text about the same topic can be made available for students. These texts can be discussed and understood on a variety of levels. NEWSELA is a terrific source of leveled texts. The same text can be created at a variety of reading levels.
Yes, Martha, "the more that we refrain from presenting the information, the greater the divide becomes." I agree wholeheartedly that the grade level information must be provided even to those students who are not reading at grade level. However, I have to ask (not because I have the answer, but because I want the answer), at what point do we say that the divide is too great and a student would benefit from remaining in the same class another year? Are we helping a 13 year-old who reads at a third grade level by sending him/her to high school? Would he/she benefit from another year in junior high where he/she has already heard much of the information and can spend extra time and energy on getting caught up on his/her reading? Just asking.
Delete1. I feel that we as educators should always try to push to be in the Zone of Proximal Development. Real learning comes from struggle and failing, but having someone there to help pick up the pieces and guide you on to success. I feel that when I allow my students to persevere through a difficult task, alone or in small groups, their joy in the outcome is much greater. Building "self-efficacy" is done when a person is persistent and doesn't back down from a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Stefanie. At our alternative school, the kids don't like to challenge themselves. They would prefer that everything be done for them. I encourage them to read deeper and look for the meaning in order to work through struggles. I feel this helps them learn to deal with difficult situations and may help them in the future.
Delete1. It is difficult for a student (or anyone) to grow if they are not challenged. If someone stays within their comfort zone, they will stall and stop developing. Even though someone may struggle, they still need to be pushed to continue to learn. There is no greater satisfaction than one who has overcome those struggles.
ReplyDelete2. I believe there are many ways for a student to go about interpreting a reading. Summarizing paragraphs or sentences before moving on to the next line/paragraph, draw pictures or models to organize what is happening in the text, and discussing the information with other students are just a few ways for a student to interpret information without having to reread it over and over again. They may feel discouraged if it doesn't come easily and give up. Offering other methods than just rereading will help to boost their self confidence so they can succeed.
3. Similar to what I mentioned in the second point, I believe that students should develop their comprehension skills. However, if a student is forced over and over again to simply reread the text numerous times until it makes sense, they may become discouraged and give up. Some are visual learners and need to draw out a diagram or model to help them understand what's happening in a reading. Some students may need to talk it over with another student or teacher. I believe everyone can learn to comprehend, but it can be tricky for some. This, in turn, can cause the student to become discouraged and feel like they will never be good at comprehension. Mind over matter...teach them to never give up by showing them how they can succeed.
Certainly reading comprehension is the cornerstone to learning in all content areas. However, failure to achieve grade-level reading should not prohibit a student from learning what he/she needs to learn. Isn't that why good educators try to deliver content using a variety of instructional methods? Obviously, we can't give up trying to bring up a student's reading level, but struggling readers can learn social studies, biology, and algebra through other formats.
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was in third grade, she was reading below a first grade level. This was a huge concern to everyone with a vested interest, and we started talking about doing some testing to see what the problem was. While I was not opposed to seeking the intervention that she might need, I also wasn't certain that she really needed special education. What I did instead, I certainly cannot recommend to everyone, but it worked for us. I pulled her out of public school and brought her home and taught her to read. She just needed more intense instruction than could get where she was. I put her right back into school the very next year, and she was reading at a 7th grade level. Prior to that point, she had fallen so far behind that all of her learning was being affected. If you can't read, you can't take notes, you can't write answers to questions....and on and on. By sixth grade, she was put into a GT classroom.
I worry that by providing so much intervention for our students, that they somehow stop trying to do things for themselves. I worry that we have taken away that "Can-do" spirit. Still, I'm not sure where the line between intervention that helps a student succeed and intervention that prevents student success is.
I digress...reading...cornerstone....as we move farther and farther into a digital world, reading critically is more important than ever, and it is a skill that dwindles. That means educators have to work harder, spend more time, and get more creative in finding ways to deliver curriculum to non-readers, and the special education department and Title I teachers work harder to try to bring our students up to grade level. Sometimes in this equation, I think that everyone is worker harder toward the student's success than the student is.
I always tell me students who have confirmed learning disabilities that their disability is NOT a learning INability. It simply means that they may have to work harder than some of their peers in order to learn the same information. I let them know that I'm willing to work harder to help them if they are willing to work harder to learn. If we spoon-feed our students, the only thing that ever gets full is the spoon.
I don't know that I ever did actually answer the question.
I totally agree with the statement "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." I deal with this constantly with my students that move in from other countries and are behind with school that they end up in the alternative school. I know that it is hard for them to learn in certain settings especially if they do not understand what is being taught. I think that our school does a good job at buying books in Spanish for our students that English is their second language. There are times though that the student can't read their native language that we try to figure out what we can do for that student. I will let them use the translator in my class so that they can actually see some success. I have found that since I let my students use the translator and I put other Spanish speaking students near my struggling students that they seem to do much better in class. They just need a little guidance and help from other students.
ReplyDelete1) What are the risks of allowing students to work solely in their levels of competence without challenging them to attempt difficult tasks or concepts.
ReplyDeleteIf a student works solely on their level of competence and not beyond they can lack motivation to try to reach beyond their comfort zone. The book states:"being required to reach beyond one's current ability creates a positive tension for learning."
2) The author states, "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? List strategies that could be used with a struggling learner other than just admonishing him to reread the text.
I agree with this statement. We need to adapt and modify instruct for those students who struggle with the traditional teaching method. Some methods that may help are : partner reading, close reading, and audio instruction.
3) There are educators who argue that the ability to read is the cornerstone for every other subject taught in school, so students who cannot read the required text or the assessment instruments should not be able to move forward until they can. Others believe that teachers should offer content knowledge in a myriad of methods so that students progress in their various subject areas while they are honing their reading skills. Where do you stand on this issue? Defend your answer.
My stance is to offer lessons in a variety of ways while students are learning to read. I teach special education at the middle school level. I have a student who reads independently at a second grade level but can comprehend grade level material if it is presented to him orally. He is successfully because he takes the time to liste to instruction and teachers are willing to modify their instruction and gear it toward his uniques learning style.
I so agree and what a good example of your student that only comprehends oral material. Sounds like the teachers are wonderful too to continue to work toward allowing him to access material in a modality that is best for him.
DeleteAllowing a student to only work in there own levels of competence without challenging them to attempt difficult concepts creates a child who will not have the drive or perseverance for anything that requires them to work hard and have some struggles. They will begin to believe that they are only able to complete "easy" tasks.
ReplyDeleteAsking students to reach just beyond their grasp, helps them to learn perseverance for later in life, not everything worth having comes easy, we have to work hard in life to achieve the things we want. I find this to be a struggle with the students I work with. They have decided that they will not have anything in life, so why try. I work everyday trying to change their mindset and pushing them to reach a little farther.
I agree with many who said that differentiation is the key. I would like to focus on question #2.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author that “It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read.” Since I teach at an alternative school, I receive students who have struggled to achieve in the traditional classroom setting for one reason or another. Many of these students have been “beat down” so much that they are convinced that they cannot achieve anything. My students’ learning is completed through an Internet-based program, so their lessons are completely covered via the program. I usually take the first week of a student being in my classroom to observe how well he/she performs and how much he/she completes on a daily basis. This gives me a chance to gauge where my students may struggle. I track their progress and look through their assignments to see where they may need additional help. I often find that students struggle to sit and read their assignments from the computer because they have a hard time staying focused and on task. I work with these students to figure out ways to help them through the information. Sometimes, students just do better with a printed version of the text, so if I can’t find the piece in the literature books in my room, I will print a copy for them. Many of these students like to make notations and highlight as they read, so the printed version helps them stay focused because they are multitasking. In the past, I have found comic versions of some of the pieces my students are required to read. These versions have helped the students better understand the information because they are provided with visual cues. I have sat one-on-one with some students to read through the information with them. This approach not only helps the students get through the pieces, but it also helps me gauge their reading ability. I try very hard to work with the students to ensure that they understand the information and can be successful.
When students are working on assignments, I encourage them to ask me for help with any questions they are unsure of. I challenge students to pick out the focus of the questions in order to understand what they should be looking for in the literature. I often work with them to narrow down the possible answers by eliminating one or two that they know are not correct; then we work through the others to find the correct answer. Although this approach works, I could add more scaffolding to ensure that the students are definitely gaining an understanding of the topic at hand. When my students struggle with writing assignments, I work with them to find an alternative way for them to exhibit their knowledge. At the alternative school, this has involved changing the topics, but I am hoping to acquire more materials over the summer that will allow my students to be more creative in their presentation of information because I have many students who are extremely artsy.
I know, first hand, that not all students learn the same. My own children were very smart and did well in school, but my stepson learned very differently and struggled a lot. Helping him was quite the struggle. I quite often became frustrated because he didn’t understand concepts and would shut down. Fortunately, I was in college at the time working on my teaching degree, so as I progressed through school, I gained tips and tricks to assist me in helping him through tough tasks. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but we made it work and he slowly became a better learner and student. As I always tell my own children, no two people are exactly alike and we have to celebrate the things we can learn from each other!
good insights. I agree that all children learn in different ways.
DeleteCindy Taylor
ReplyDeleteHi to all,
The birth of young Knox got in the way of my concentration this week. So, I apologize for being late in my post.
The risk of students working at only their level is that they will not grow and he/ she will fall further behind. The illustration of Carlos, the science teacher, was a prime example of a student not being challenged in small attainable steps toward growth in knowledge/ skill. The student was eventually referred for eligibility for special education and he had fallen very far behind his peers.
I do agree that a student cannot be held accountable for information that he is unable to gain from reading material. I believe that knowledge of reading skills is a separate skill from knowledge of content area. This student should be supported in finding a way to access the content information through an accommodation that has been found to work best for him. Many text books are available online and can be accessed through auditory modes. He can access the information from group discussions of the materials. There are many ways to access the content.
My students often cannot access the reading material due their vision impairment. A braille reader or large print reader cannot read text material at the same rate as their sighted peers. Therefore they are taught to also learn to comprehend material in an auditory format so that they can keep up with their peers when they reach high school. The typical sighted senior in high school will read at 300 words per minute or faster. The typical braille reader can only physically read half that amount per minute. I agree that students should continue to hone their reading skills, but they should also have equal opportunity to access the content.
What are the risks of allowing students to work solely in their levels of competence without challenging them to attempt difficult tasks or concepts. Student will fall farther and farther behind. They may not be able to meet the expectation to work on harder material if anyone changes the status quo at a later time. They may not be able to set smart goals for themselves in other areas of their life. They may eventually wonder why no one ever challenged them and will likely think that others thought they were not smart enough to do the work. They may become complacent and depend on others to provide for them as adults - full scale entitlement. My at risk students have developed habits of task avoidance but when provided remediation/scaffolding with relevant tasks in a safe environment will begin to tackle challenging tasks but it is slow going. They are more than willing to do subpar work (multiple grade levels below) and expect full credit though. Another of my students refuses to do any work stating that he can't do it. Mother continues to rescue him and in a recent conversation has asked again to put aside grade level academic learning to work on life skills.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to question #2, I do agree, "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." This question reminds me of the daily struggles I see at my school with teachers reading from a grade level anthology for their reading instruction. Struggling readers cannot keep up and certainly cannot work independently from the text. However, their students are graded on passing tests from this kind of text. Teachers admit their frustration when students continue to fail assessments taken by only one means. If teachers really want to grade students on their reading skills and monitor their progress they should consider using more than one method of assessment and starting at their ability level. We have to pay attention to learning styles and we have to allow various methods of evaluating progress.
ReplyDeleteWe use other supplementary method of helping our student to succeed by utilizing PLATO online assessments in our district. Student take accuses, and base in their performance, the online software provided student prescriptions in English Language Arts, reading and mathematics for student to work at their grade level. I'm in support of differentiating instructions for struggling students, however, they still need to be challenge mostly identifed students with iiep.
ReplyDeleteWhen we do not challenge students we are being unrealistic. Life will challenge our kids and some have dealt with challenges outside of school that no child should have to deal with. We are doing students a disservice when we do not push them to their limit. Challenging students is not easy and usually you deal with lots of moans and groans referring to the difficulty of the material.
ReplyDeleteSome students have been taught and pressured throughout life to always complete tasks with “flying colors”. What happens when a student falls short who usually always fly high. Those students who are high flyers need to be taught “DON’T PANIC” . It is OK to fail, it is going to happen, how do you respond to it. How can we get a student, who reads and writes at a level higher than most students their age, to advance to the next level unless we show them their is room for improvement. A colleague made the comment that I think sums this up, “If you want to create a culture of high-achievement, we need to break our students down. Push them and allow them to fail. Once they understand that failure is a part of learning, then they will not fear improvement.”
My HONORS Social Studies students compete is a academic competition focusing on the U.S. Constitution. In groups, students prepare and memorize 3, 4-minute speeches focusing on a certain topic in U.S. Government. The students are asked to deliver only one of those speeches on the day of competition (the student have no idea which speech until they are in front of the judges.) Furthermore students must then respond to follow-up questions from the judges. Before my students begin practicing their speeches I have them submit them to me. For most of my students that first speech they submit to me is below the standards it needs to be. When I am through grading / commenting on their submissions some students look as if they are going to cry. Production of tears is never my intention, but students understanding that they need to produce at a much higher level is made evident.
By the time students submit their third and final speech for grading, I barely have to make any suggestions on what to include / exclude / change. The students hold themselves to a higher level. I also believe that the group as a whole hold each other to a higher level once they understand what is expected.
Ok, I am late for last weeks post on ZPD. I agree with the statement that it is not reasonable for students to be held accountable for information presented solely in a narrative that cannot be understand. The reason I agree with this is because no matter how many times the student attempts to read something in format they can't understand it would be futile. It reminds me of doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get a different/success result. I facilitate/teach in a High School Alternative Education classroom right now and strategies that I have used that are helpful are: Providing notes on lessons, actually "sitting" through a lesson with me and paraphrasing/teaching the lesson to them and providing alternative methods for students to show mastery (Slide Shows, Short Speeches, Youtube videos, Drawings, etc.) When students are aware they have other options to show mastery it helps to buid self-efficacy.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for my post being so late.
ReplyDelete2) The author states, "It is not reasonable to hold a student accountable for information presented solely in narrative he cannot read." Do you agree with that statement? Why or why not? List strategies that could be used with a struggling learner other than just admonishing him to reread the text.
I totally agree with the author's statement. As a facilitator, I cannot expect a student to understand material on the first introduction; nor can I even expect it on the second or third time. Presenting material for students to not just understand, but more importantly to master, is of the utmost importance for student success. The best strategies to do this must include a variety of implementation skills. For me, I have my students learn what type of "learner" they are. If a student does not know how he/she learns, then how can he/she let me, the teacher, know how to present the material? I also teach in a variety of ways so that there is a multi-layering effect. Every student learns in his or her own way, in his or her own time. I feel that teachers need to implement material at the student's individual level-not generalize it to where they "should" be. Also, I teach my students how to advocate for themselves. By having a working relationship based on mutual respect, propelled by the need to learn the material, my students know they can talk with me about what they do and do not understand. This mutual understanding must be in place for a student to succeed
For Suzanne Zybert - because Blogger is not working for her at this time...
ReplyDeleteChanges that need to be made in our schools to do a better job of fostering self-efficacy in young people?
We need a commitment to differentiation and truly reaching students at their respective levels and taking them to where we want them to be. These steps and the time involved will build stronger individuals in the long run. This is going to take learning on the part of all stakeholders and the school staff.