Hello, I am Jessica Lopez. I am an EC-6th grade Generalist. I am excited to be graduating in May this year and become a certified teacher. I am hoping to teach 1st to 2nd grade but am open to go higher. Teaching children brings me joy and I cannot wait to have my own classroom!
Hello Jessica Lopez, Congratulations on graduating this upcoming Spring semester. I am sure you are a wonderful passionate teacher to students in different grade levels. In your video you explained how you are trying to learn Spanish using an app called Duolingo which helps you reinforce your Spanish language skills. According to Wright (2015), technology devices and different internet apps are programs that promote learning in a different platform, which supports students’ learning in support to learning a different language. Also, you mention how having children talk and interact in small groups (turn-talk) can help students feel more comfortable than having to speak out loud in front of the full classroom. According to Wright (2015), “ELLs may speak more comfortable speaking with their peers in the small group than they are being called on to speak in front of the whole class” (p. 170).
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hello Carla! Thank you for your kind words. Yes, Duolingo is one of the technology sources I am incorporating into my learning of Spanish. It it something I can just get right back to where I left off and I really like the functions it has. Also I like how you mention my comment on students working together in small groups. I teach Science and Social Studies and I try to get my ELLs more involved by having them talk with peers before I ask them questions during whole group. To see them light up and want to answer my question after speaking with their partner, brings joy to me! I love to see them participating.
Hello Jessica, I think it is awesome that you think you have found your dream district placement. I also would love to teacher higher grade levels since beginning my student teaching. I really love the strategy you are using in your Social Studies class to help your ELL students become more involved in whole group instruction. According to Wayne Write (2010), “ELLs in particular tend to be very segregated” (p. 14). By making vocabulary learning more communicative, I believe it is helping your ELL students not only learn the vocabulary, but also take part in authentic student to student discourse. Great video, you are going to make a very well-rounded instructor!
Hi Jessica, Thank you for your feedback on my blog entry. Interesting quote you have mentioned in your comment. I tend to notice this myself in the classroom as well. My ELLs tend to branch off from the main conversations. Which is why I really find it important to have my students speak with other peers and translate their thoughts out loud. I find this the best way for them to learn in my fourth grade classroom. Also, like you mentioned, having small groups paired along with vocabulary words makes them more attentive in their learning.
Hello Jessica It is great to hear that you have taken such a liking to Alife ISD, I have heard from a few classmates that they are not completely satisfied with their assigned districts. In your video you mention that you too were brought up speaking only English, despite family being fluent in Spanish, this is the same case for me. Like you I took Spanish in school, but the text book did not work for me, I learned and remembered more when using it in conversation. I will need to look into the app that you mentioned it could help me refresh and learn vocabulary. The use of apps it a great engaging way of helping ELLs’ practicing vocabulary in the form of virtual flashcards. Though I think that even with the help of technology in classes, ELLs’ could still have trouble with things like Semantics. As an example from Wright, Wayne, “Although the syntax of a sentence may be acceptable, the semantics can be off, such as the us of poodle in the sentence “ My poodle is an excellent cook” (p. 33)
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Crystal! First of all, thank you for your comment. I am glad that there are others out there like me when it comes to not speaking another language at home. My mentor teacher actually thinks it's a shame that I don't know Spanish, but to me that makes me want to learn more of it so I can speak it conversationally. I like your idea of using a virtual application to help ELL's practice vocabulary. I have not used that before for my kids but I will take that in consideration. Technology should be integrated more into teaching and that would benefit the students in today's classrooms. I also agree that ELLs would still have trouble with Semantics. That we will have to teach our students indefinitely in order to help them formulate sentences that are correct.
Hi Jessica, Thank you for sharing your video and story. I am an English Language learner in High school. I was struggling in vocabularies and grammar but my teacher didn’t teach me much about it. I am also remembering most of the time I had to read some textbook and do some worksheets that I was not understand at all. I am agreeing with you that textbooks and worksheets are not a fun or effective way to learn a new language. Wright said “Teachers also need to know their students’ cultural backgrounds and how culture influences learning at school” (Wright, p.17). Do you think that teacher should know about students’ culture to in able to provide a safe and effective environment?
Hi Quynh, thank you for your thought-provoking comment. It really does not help students learn when they are just handed a bunch of worksheet. How is one supposed to learn when all they have to do is answer what it asks and nothing more. It really is not engaging to those students and thus can make them unmotivated to learn. And to answer your question, I agree that teachers need to be aware of those cultural backgrounds of their students. How else would students feel like they can be comfortable enough to ask questions to the teacher, let alone answer questions in front of whole group. I believe they would feel like they belong and not an outcast in the classroom, thus in a safe and effective environment.
Hello Jessica, in your video you pointed out that some of your students do not participate in group activities because English is not their first language. I definitely agree with you in regards to finding ways to help the student in this area. Foundation for Teaching English Language Learners points out multicultural education, which is something I believe, is beneficial. The four levels that the text book states are contribution, additive, transformative and social action (Wright, 2015, p. 21). Each of these levels, if implemented properly, can help the student learn and feel a part of their society without losing their culture and identity. I don’t think this is the sole answer to this issue but it is a beginning process to a solution. Hopefully, as teachers we will not only teach, but find a way to integrate learning without losing a student culture and language.
Wright, W.E. (2015). Foundations for Teaching English language learners: research, policy, and practice. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing.
Hi Nicole, thank you for your intriguing comment. I find that those four levels you mentioned are very important to take into consideration. I would want to do everything I can to make sure students can feel apart of the classroom setting. You're right that there can be other factors that help find the solution to this dilemma. Their culture and heritage is apart of them and to lose it when they are in school would detriment their self-identity. We as teachers need to be careful of that and be aware of our students' cultures.
Hello Jessica Lopez,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on graduating this upcoming Spring semester. I am sure you are a wonderful passionate teacher to students in different grade levels. In your video you explained how you are trying to learn Spanish using an app called Duolingo which helps you reinforce your Spanish language skills. According to Wright (2015), technology devices and different internet apps are programs that promote learning in a different platform, which supports students’ learning in support to learning a different language. Also, you mention how having children talk and interact in small groups (turn-talk) can help students feel more comfortable than having to speak out loud in front of the full classroom. According to Wright (2015), “ELLs may speak more comfortable speaking with their peers in the small group than they are being called on to speak in front of the whole class” (p. 170).
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hello Carla! Thank you for your kind words. Yes, Duolingo is one of the technology sources I am incorporating into my learning of Spanish. It it something I can just get right back to where I left off and I really like the functions it has. Also I like how you mention my comment on students working together in small groups. I teach Science and Social Studies and I try to get my ELLs more involved by having them talk with peers before I ask them questions during whole group. To see them light up and want to answer my question after speaking with their partner, brings joy to me! I love to see them participating.
DeleteHello Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI think it is awesome that you think you have found your dream district placement. I also would love to teacher higher grade levels since beginning my student teaching. I really love the strategy you are using in your Social Studies class to help your ELL students become more involved in whole group instruction. According to Wayne Write (2010), “ELLs in particular tend to be very segregated” (p. 14). By making vocabulary learning more communicative, I believe it is helping your ELL students not only learn the vocabulary, but also take part in authentic student to student discourse. Great video, you are going to make a very well-rounded instructor!
Hi Jessica,
DeleteThank you for your feedback on my blog entry. Interesting quote you have mentioned in your comment. I tend to notice this myself in the classroom as well. My ELLs tend to branch off from the main conversations. Which is why I really find it important to have my students speak with other peers and translate their thoughts out loud. I find this the best way for them to learn in my fourth grade classroom. Also, like you mentioned, having small groups paired along with vocabulary words makes them more attentive in their learning.
Hello Jessica
ReplyDeleteIt is great to hear that you have taken such a liking to Alife ISD, I have heard from a few classmates that they are not completely satisfied with their assigned districts. In your video you mention that you too were brought up speaking only English, despite family being fluent in Spanish, this is the same case for me. Like you I took Spanish in school, but the text book did not work for me, I learned and remembered more when using it in conversation. I will need to look into the app that you mentioned it could help me refresh and learn vocabulary. The use of apps it a great engaging way of helping ELLs’ practicing vocabulary in the form of virtual flashcards. Though I think that even with the help of technology in classes, ELLs’ could still have trouble with things like Semantics. As an example from Wright, Wayne, “Although the syntax of a sentence may be acceptable, the semantics can be off, such as the us of poodle in the sentence “ My poodle is an excellent cook” (p. 33)
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hi Crystal! First of all, thank you for your comment. I am glad that there are others out there like me when it comes to not speaking another language at home. My mentor teacher actually thinks it's a shame that I don't know Spanish, but to me that makes me want to learn more of it so I can speak it conversationally. I like your idea of using a virtual application to help ELL's practice vocabulary. I have not used that before for my kids but I will take that in consideration. Technology should be integrated more into teaching and that would benefit the students in today's classrooms. I also agree that ELLs would still have trouble with Semantics. That we will have to teach our students indefinitely in order to help them formulate sentences that are correct.
DeleteHi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your video and story. I am an English Language learner in High school. I was struggling in vocabularies and grammar but my teacher didn’t teach me much about it. I am also remembering most of the time I had to read some textbook and do some worksheets that I was not understand at all. I am agreeing with you that textbooks and worksheets are not a fun or effective way to learn a new language. Wright said “Teachers also need to know their students’ cultural backgrounds and how culture influences learning at school” (Wright, p.17). Do you think that teacher should know about students’ culture to in able to provide a safe and effective environment?
Hi Quynh, thank you for your thought-provoking comment. It really does not help students learn when they are just handed a bunch of worksheet. How is one supposed to learn when all they have to do is answer what it asks and nothing more. It really is not engaging to those students and thus can make them unmotivated to learn. And to answer your question, I agree that teachers need to be aware of those cultural backgrounds of their students. How else would students feel like they can be comfortable enough to ask questions to the teacher, let alone answer questions in front of whole group. I believe they would feel like they belong and not an outcast in the classroom, thus in a safe and effective environment.
DeleteHello Jessica, in your video you pointed out that some of your students do not participate in group activities because English is not their first language. I definitely agree with you in regards to finding ways to help the student in this area. Foundation for Teaching English Language Learners points out multicultural education, which is something I believe, is beneficial. The four levels that the text book states are contribution, additive, transformative and social action (Wright, 2015, p. 21). Each of these levels, if implemented properly, can help the student learn and feel a part of their society without losing their culture and identity. I don’t think this is the sole answer to this issue but it is a beginning process to a solution. Hopefully, as teachers we will not only teach, but find a way to integrate learning without losing a student culture and language.
ReplyDeleteWright, W.E. (2015). Foundations for Teaching English language learners: research, policy, and practice. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing.
Nicole Hill
Hi Nicole, thank you for your intriguing comment. I find that those four levels you mentioned are very important to take into consideration. I would want to do everything I can to make sure students can feel apart of the classroom setting. You're right that there can be other factors that help find the solution to this dilemma. Their culture and heritage is apart of them and to lose it when they are in school would detriment their self-identity. We as teachers need to be careful of that and be aware of our students' cultures.
Delete