Prompt: How does the teacher use modern constructivist techniques (e.g., discovery learning, inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, etc.) to promote student learning? Be thorough in your coverage of the theory, addressing multiple concepts to demonstrate your understanding. Cite specific examples.
One of my favorite lessons I observed was made from a Constructivist standpoint. The teacher gave the students a list of words in English, then asked the students to find the signs for these in small groups using a list of given resources. The words were all in the category of "school signs," and further broken down into "locations" and "subjects" to aid in information retention; the teacher understood that information is easier to remember when chunked into meaningful units. The resources were beneficial because the students could see tools they can use in the future to increase their skills in ASL. After watching the videos with the signs several times, students conducted a form of self-assessment (metacognition) by choosing 7 signs they have trouble remembering and drawing a picture to represent each concept. The pictures were taped onto the walls, and each student chose a partner with whom to walk around the room and practice all of the relevant signs. This activity helped students to actively build their own understanding of ASL in a deeper way, and create schemata by which to classify the information.
The teacher also pushes students to think deeper when they ask for new vocabulary words in ASL. When they are chatting together, students often raise their hands to ask how to sign a word. Instead of simply telling them, the teacher asks what they mean, feigning misunderstanding to push students to describe what they mean rather than simply using their first language as a crutch to bypass use of the target language. As they continue to use ASL, students will be required to use this skill, as many Deaf people will be unfamiliar with complicated English terms, and there are some concepts for which there is no sign. The teacher is helping the students to develop in themselves a life skill, rather than taking the easy way out to give them the answer right away. This is also a skill they can use in English conversation, to explain what they mean rather than repeating the word they want to use over and over again.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Vygotsky TIPR
Prompt: What evidence do you see of specific teacher behaviors that are geared toward Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development? Cite specific examples and make clear connection to Vygotsky's work. Be thorough in your coverage of the theory, addressing multiple concepts to demonstrate your understanding.
In a language classroom, it is critical that students understand that knowledge is co-constructed, because there can be no communication if only one party is present and participating. The teacher makes this clear by primarily having students work in groups, some of which are chosen by the students, while others are assigned by the teacher.
During one activity in particular, elements of Vygotsky's theory were abundant. The teacher activated the students' funds of knowledge using priming before the activity began. She listed 10 different TV shows and asked if students had watched them before; many raised their hands. She then handed out papers that listed family members in many different culturally-relevant families from books, movies, and TV shows, and asked students to choose one and practice twice to themselves listing the family members in order using the ranking system in ASL. This is taking advantage of private speech to allow students to internalize the structure they should be using before having them use it with classmates. They were then asked to sign their chosen family structure to two other students and have those students guess the family's last name. Throughout the activity, the teacher walked around the room to ensure they were on task and monitor their use of language as the more knowledgeable other. Through this means, she facilitated assisted learning.
This activity was well-structured for these students because it was in their zone of proximal development; students knew how to fingerspell, but did not yet know how to use the ranking system in ASL. They had to rely on the more knowledgeable other to guide their use of this new structure as they used their prior knowledge in a new way. It was scaffolded well, as students were first asked to look at the sheet and choose something with which they were familiar, practice it to themselves, and then show it to two other people. They were allowed to use the paper throughout the process to assist in their memory of the order and spelling of the names.
In a language classroom, it is critical that students understand that knowledge is co-constructed, because there can be no communication if only one party is present and participating. The teacher makes this clear by primarily having students work in groups, some of which are chosen by the students, while others are assigned by the teacher.
During one activity in particular, elements of Vygotsky's theory were abundant. The teacher activated the students' funds of knowledge using priming before the activity began. She listed 10 different TV shows and asked if students had watched them before; many raised their hands. She then handed out papers that listed family members in many different culturally-relevant families from books, movies, and TV shows, and asked students to choose one and practice twice to themselves listing the family members in order using the ranking system in ASL. This is taking advantage of private speech to allow students to internalize the structure they should be using before having them use it with classmates. They were then asked to sign their chosen family structure to two other students and have those students guess the family's last name. Throughout the activity, the teacher walked around the room to ensure they were on task and monitor their use of language as the more knowledgeable other. Through this means, she facilitated assisted learning.
This activity was well-structured for these students because it was in their zone of proximal development; students knew how to fingerspell, but did not yet know how to use the ranking system in ASL. They had to rely on the more knowledgeable other to guide their use of this new structure as they used their prior knowledge in a new way. It was scaffolded well, as students were first asked to look at the sheet and choose something with which they were familiar, practice it to themselves, and then show it to two other people. They were allowed to use the paper throughout the process to assist in their memory of the order and spelling of the names.
Motivation TIPR
Prompt: Describe how the teacher and/or school motivate students. Give specific examples of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators. Include vocabulary from specific motivational theories (e.g., Self-determination Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, etc.).
In this classroom, grades are a necessary evil to motivate students. They are an extrinsic motivator that is made necessary by societal expectations, by the government, and by schools. Students are motivated to perform well so that they get good grades and can accomplish future goals. Praise from the teacher is also an extrinsic motivator; students want to work hard and perform well because they have a positive rapport with the teacher and enjoy seeing evidence of her approval. She has introduced many games into her instruction (such as a Hot Potato description game, Never Have I Ever, and Spot the Difference), harnessing the students' drive for competition and motivating them to perform well in the games (which are in actuality also assessments, but fortunately, the students do not realize this). The final extrinsic motivator I have seen in her classroom (and present in all classrooms in every school where I have observed) is the presence of rules/fear of punishment. Students are motivated to have "good" behaviors so that they do not get in trouble with the teacher or the administration.
The far more lasting motivating factors are intrinsic motivators, of which I have seen countless examples throughout the semester. The teacher promotes autonomy and an internal locus of control when she says in her disclosure document and reminds students throughout the course that the amount they learn is up to them. The disclosure says, "This is your time to make and learn from mistakes, play with the language, have fun with this unique language!" She challenges them consistently to go outside their comfort zone, to make an effort in their own learning. There is a positive sense of classroom community; students feel safe and a sense of belonging, which according to Maslow means that they are free to seek learning and eventually self-actualization.The sense of community breeds collaboration; I saw many students helping each other find the vocabulary they needed, prompting and encouraging one another to produce language, and correcting each others' grammatical structures in a kind, friendly way. Curiosity is encouraged; students are always free to ask how to express what they would like to say, and the teacher includes quite a bit of humor in her class, which motivates students to come and continue trying to progress in the content.
In this classroom, grades are a necessary evil to motivate students. They are an extrinsic motivator that is made necessary by societal expectations, by the government, and by schools. Students are motivated to perform well so that they get good grades and can accomplish future goals. Praise from the teacher is also an extrinsic motivator; students want to work hard and perform well because they have a positive rapport with the teacher and enjoy seeing evidence of her approval. She has introduced many games into her instruction (such as a Hot Potato description game, Never Have I Ever, and Spot the Difference), harnessing the students' drive for competition and motivating them to perform well in the games (which are in actuality also assessments, but fortunately, the students do not realize this). The final extrinsic motivator I have seen in her classroom (and present in all classrooms in every school where I have observed) is the presence of rules/fear of punishment. Students are motivated to have "good" behaviors so that they do not get in trouble with the teacher or the administration.
The far more lasting motivating factors are intrinsic motivators, of which I have seen countless examples throughout the semester. The teacher promotes autonomy and an internal locus of control when she says in her disclosure document and reminds students throughout the course that the amount they learn is up to them. The disclosure says, "This is your time to make and learn from mistakes, play with the language, have fun with this unique language!" She challenges them consistently to go outside their comfort zone, to make an effort in their own learning. There is a positive sense of classroom community; students feel safe and a sense of belonging, which according to Maslow means that they are free to seek learning and eventually self-actualization.The sense of community breeds collaboration; I saw many students helping each other find the vocabulary they needed, prompting and encouraging one another to produce language, and correcting each others' grammatical structures in a kind, friendly way. Curiosity is encouraged; students are always free to ask how to express what they would like to say, and the teacher includes quite a bit of humor in her class, which motivates students to come and continue trying to progress in the content.
Growth Mindset TIPR
Prompt: Describe how the teacher develops and promotes true growth mindset in his/her instruction, assessment, and/or procedures. How does the teacher give feedback on assessments and/or use assessments to improve student learning with a growth mindset? What more could/should the teacher do to promote growth mindsets versus fixed mindsets? Provide specific examples.
My cooperating teacher does a fantastic job of promoting a growth mindset in her students. The first thing students see as they walk in the door is a welcome mat that spells out "hello" in the letters of the ASL fingerspelling alphabet, and the second is a chalkboard painted to say "Mistakes are proof that you are TRYING." Both of these aspects of the environment increase the feeling of safety in the classroom, and lower the affective filter so that students are more willing to try new things and feel comfortable doing so. It is clear in her class that more emphasis is placed on learning than on appearances. Most of her assessments are graded based on completion and effort, but students also receive feedback in the form of a card that tells them at what level of ACTFL proficiency they stand. This assessment of skill has no bearing on their grade, so there is less pressure to perform well, resulting in better performance because students are less stressed and do not get "tongue-tied" as they attempt to communicate in ASL.
This teacher also places a great emphasis on communication, rather than grammatical correctness. This view of language learning also helps students to develop a growth mindset because she only corrects mistakes that get in the way of students expressing their messages accurately. This form of specific, targeted feedback helps them to feel safe enough to continue signing, and the volume of signs created helps greatly for students to improve their skills.
Finally, the teacher does not grade on a curve, but based primarily on effort and engagement in her class. There is an abundance mentality in her class, wherein students understand that there are enough As to go around, and it is in their favor to collaborate with one another to learn together, rather than competing for good grades in a scarcity mentality. This promotes learning over performance.
My cooperating teacher does a fantastic job of promoting a growth mindset in her students. The first thing students see as they walk in the door is a welcome mat that spells out "hello" in the letters of the ASL fingerspelling alphabet, and the second is a chalkboard painted to say "Mistakes are proof that you are TRYING." Both of these aspects of the environment increase the feeling of safety in the classroom, and lower the affective filter so that students are more willing to try new things and feel comfortable doing so. It is clear in her class that more emphasis is placed on learning than on appearances. Most of her assessments are graded based on completion and effort, but students also receive feedback in the form of a card that tells them at what level of ACTFL proficiency they stand. This assessment of skill has no bearing on their grade, so there is less pressure to perform well, resulting in better performance because students are less stressed and do not get "tongue-tied" as they attempt to communicate in ASL.
This teacher also places a great emphasis on communication, rather than grammatical correctness. This view of language learning also helps students to develop a growth mindset because she only corrects mistakes that get in the way of students expressing their messages accurately. This form of specific, targeted feedback helps them to feel safe enough to continue signing, and the volume of signs created helps greatly for students to improve their skills.
Finally, the teacher does not grade on a curve, but based primarily on effort and engagement in her class. There is an abundance mentality in her class, wherein students understand that there are enough As to go around, and it is in their favor to collaborate with one another to learn together, rather than competing for good grades in a scarcity mentality. This promotes learning over performance.
Assessment TIPR
Prompt: How does the teacher assess student learning? Identify specific instances of informal and formal, formative and summative assessment and explain the types of assessments (e.g., self-assessment, portfolio, project, performance, etc.) that are used. How valid, reliable, biased, and practical are these assessments?
This teacher, like any good teacher, is constantly assessing her students throughout her classes. However, she uses far fewer formal assessments than any teacher I have ever seen. Her most common assessment, of course, consists of monitoring her students throughout each class period to determine their level of understanding, engagement, self-efficacy, proficiency with ASL, etc. This assessment is formative, and is very informal for the most part; it is not always associated with a grade, but it is a good assessment. It is reliable because it occurs over the course of the term; it is valid because she is assessing them precisely based on what she has taught and has asked them to do; it is fair because all students are expected to expend effort in their learning and maintenance of Deaf space; and it is practical, because it is intricately linked with good teaching practices, and does not at all interrupt the flow of any lesson; it does not cost any extra effort, time, or money/resources.
Her formal assessments occur three times per term in what she calls "Proficiency Progress Assessments." These can be in many forms (those listed in her disclosure document are an interview, group chat with prompt, assignment, and presentation), but this term there were two group chats with prompts and one interview. For the group chats, she places the students in groups heterogeneously based on past proficiency levels and gives them a prompt. One prompt for which I observed was asking what they were doing for Homecoming week. Like many schools, each day of Homecoming week had a theme for how students should dress, and the students had spent the previous two days discussing and practicing in small groups describing clothing and physical features of people, so this assessment was very valid. The reliability of this assessment is mixed; it is a "single snapshot" and so is affected by students' and the teacher's mood, but the description and grading mechanism are made very clear in her disclosure document: The proficiency assessment simply has to be completed and have effort shown. This is open to interpretation somewhat, but she and I both saw very few students who were not engaged enough in the process to receive full points. I believe the assessment is also very fair, as it asks something with which all students are familiar, no outside resources are required, and there is no vocabulary with which students could be confused. The only potential issue is that in grading any form of expression in ASL there is potential for bias to creep in, because there is no way to separate the work from the student's identity (i.e. the student will always be visible when you can see their work in ASL). Finally, this assessment, as well, is very practical, as it requires little extra effort, and no extra time or resources.
This teacher, like any good teacher, is constantly assessing her students throughout her classes. However, she uses far fewer formal assessments than any teacher I have ever seen. Her most common assessment, of course, consists of monitoring her students throughout each class period to determine their level of understanding, engagement, self-efficacy, proficiency with ASL, etc. This assessment is formative, and is very informal for the most part; it is not always associated with a grade, but it is a good assessment. It is reliable because it occurs over the course of the term; it is valid because she is assessing them precisely based on what she has taught and has asked them to do; it is fair because all students are expected to expend effort in their learning and maintenance of Deaf space; and it is practical, because it is intricately linked with good teaching practices, and does not at all interrupt the flow of any lesson; it does not cost any extra effort, time, or money/resources.
Her formal assessments occur three times per term in what she calls "Proficiency Progress Assessments." These can be in many forms (those listed in her disclosure document are an interview, group chat with prompt, assignment, and presentation), but this term there were two group chats with prompts and one interview. For the group chats, she places the students in groups heterogeneously based on past proficiency levels and gives them a prompt. One prompt for which I observed was asking what they were doing for Homecoming week. Like many schools, each day of Homecoming week had a theme for how students should dress, and the students had spent the previous two days discussing and practicing in small groups describing clothing and physical features of people, so this assessment was very valid. The reliability of this assessment is mixed; it is a "single snapshot" and so is affected by students' and the teacher's mood, but the description and grading mechanism are made very clear in her disclosure document: The proficiency assessment simply has to be completed and have effort shown. This is open to interpretation somewhat, but she and I both saw very few students who were not engaged enough in the process to receive full points. I believe the assessment is also very fair, as it asks something with which all students are familiar, no outside resources are required, and there is no vocabulary with which students could be confused. The only potential issue is that in grading any form of expression in ASL there is potential for bias to creep in, because there is no way to separate the work from the student's identity (i.e. the student will always be visible when you can see their work in ASL). Finally, this assessment, as well, is very practical, as it requires little extra effort, and no extra time or resources.
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