My Conversation Partner

After conversing with my colleagues,  I think that my conversation partner (hereafter referred to as H) is a level 4 in WIDA standards. H is in late adolescence. She is 19 years old, and she has great work habits. She is has a strong identity and is very invested in her future.

I've known her since September and her speaking skills have grown a lot over the year! At first she kept her sentences very short, and if she wasn't sure how to answer a question she would say, "Hard question...". Now H is much more likely to produce longer, more descriptive sentences, try her best to answer 'hard questions', and ask me questions in return.

October: "I go to Los Angeles!" 

March: "Merry, I want to tell you, today I go to Paris, so I will not see you Wednesday. 

Do you have plan for break?"

She can define words like "trickle" and "innovation", as I found out when I helped her study for a test last week. She can talk about abstract issues and ideas, and explain slang to her friends.

When I give H feedback on her writing, she can revise it on her own, and she gives me feedback on my assignments too!

I make a lot of jokes when I speak, so H has gotten pretty good at identifying and understanding different forms of humor. Her favorites are knock-knock jokes. She makes up her own sometimes:

H: Merry! Knock-knock.

Me: Who's there?

H: Pork... ah... no, pig says.

Me: Pig says who?

H: No, pig says oink!

All American Boys

Reading a good YA novel lately!

It has all the elements for a good adolescent read (see chart below!).

Designing Questions

How do teachers design instruction to meet the needs of a variety of learners?

The Teaching Channel video Planning Instruction with Parcc Tools: ELA provides some answers to this question.

The best, most engaging instructions are created while keeping English Language Learners and special education students in mind, because tools that can help ELLs and neurodivergent students access the content can often help native English speakers and neurotypical students as well.

Chime Ikonne, a high school teacher in Boston, MA, referenced theories such as the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). "The level of rigor [in GRR] is gradually increasing, and a lot more is going to be expected of them, so that the Zone of Proximal Development -- you know, you meet students where they are, and you do what you need to do in order to take them to that next level."

Gradual Release of Responsibility: an increase in student independence throughout the lesson. 'I do it, we all do it, you do it with a partner, you do it alone'.
Zone of Proximal Development: the 'zone' where the difficulty level of material is optimal for student learning. Not so easy that students are bored, but not so hard that students are frustrated.

Other key takeaways from the video are the need for collaboration and the importance of asking compelling, purposeful questions which reflect the education standards of a particular state.

"Much of what students learn, they learn by really reflecting themselves, working through something. Hands-on, minds-on, engaged, student-centered learning." - Bonnie Hain, Director of ELA/Literacy Content and Instructional Supports, Parcc Inc.

Stages of Adolescent Development chart

Adapted from the ACT for Youth Center of Excellence publication Stages of Adolescent Development by Sedra Spano: http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/fACT%20Sheet05043.pdf (PDF: 538K)

Book Club

Book 1: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
             I was really inspired by the guest speakers during MLK week here at Saint Michael's College and I wanted to continue engaging in the conversation throughout the semester. This book explores issues of police brutality, racial profiling, and the dangers of indifference through the characters of Rashad and Quinn and the way their stories intertwine.

Book 2: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
          The Bechdel Test is named after the author of this graphic novel, so I was immediately intrigued. The test is used to measure gender inequality in film. To pass the test, a movie must have a scene where two named women talk to each other about something other than a man. I'm excited to learn more about the cartoonist who inspired such a big part of how we examine the film industry. I'm also excited to see how the themes of sexual identity are presented. I hope to see lots of positive female LGBT representation in this book!

VT Licensure: Standard 10

Standard 10: Leadership and Collaboration

Performance Criterion 10.1: Collaborate to Ensure Learning.

Performance Criterion 10.2: Advance the Profession.

VT Licensure: Standards 7-9

Performance Criterion 7.2: Knowledge of Learners.

Standard 8: Instructional Strategies

Performance Criterion 8.1: Accessibility to the Discipline.

Performance Criterion 8.2: Applying Knowledge in Meaningful Ways.

Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

Performance Criterion 9.1: Continuous Professional Learning.

Performance Criterion 9.2:  Legal and Ethical Manner.

VT Liscensure: Standards 4-7

Performance Criterion 4.2: Common Misconceptions.

Standard 5: Application of Content for Transferable Skills

Performance Criterion 5.1: Perspectives from Varied Disciplines.

Performance Criterion 5.2: Cross Disciplinary Skills.

Standard 6: Assessment

Performance Criterion 6.1: Multiple Methods of Assessment.

Performance Criterion 6.2: Analyzes a Student’s Work.

Standard 7: Planning for Instruction

Performance Criterion 7.1: Knowledge of Content Area.

VT Liscensure: Standards 1-4

Standard 1: Learner Development

Performance Criterion 1.1: Learning Theory.

Performance Criterion 1.2: Developmental Theory.

Standard 2: Learning Differences

Performance Criterion 2.1: Individual Differences.
Performance Criterion 2.2: Diverse Cultures & Communities.

Standard 3: Learning Environments

Performance Criterion 3.1: Active Engagement.

Performance Criterion 3.2: Positive Social Interaction.

Standard 4: Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Performance Criterion 4.1: Communicate Central Concepts.