Knowledge of Learners

One of the strategies of learning (or perhaps more relevant - investigating) any topic, skill, theory, or philosophy (etc.) is to ask yourself what you already know - diving into the idea of preconceived notions and previously learned concepts. This strategy is explicit here in our reading questions. We all have a foundation to build from, and Tompkins' text and accompanying ideas will no doubt help to broaden our knowledge and "open our minds" (plagerism: The Matrix!) to new concepts and ways of thinking. From a child's point-of-view I believe there are negative connotations that come with the subject "Language Arts." This is unfortunate because the art of language is so beautiful and can be so powerful that there really are no boundaries to what you can do with "words". Children as we know learn in many different ways. The idea of multiple intelligences - and I believe Bloom's taxonomy - help encourage educators to use different teaching styles to cultivate student learning by building students' interest in a given topic. The days of Language Arts being about opening a reader and reciting passage after passage while answering a few given questions, are over. Children are eager to be taught in different ways. We need to embrace the world of social media, invest time in podcasts, video blogs, and explore how Language is used differently by different people in different circumstances. I think this relates greatly to the question of how teachers can adapt instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students in the classroom. Touching on reading reflection #1 slightly, it is important to do more than add a few culturally specific books to the class library. Have students Investigate song lyrics, locate journal entries from a variety of authors relating to a variety of relevant topics, and have students explore how twitter, myspace, instagram, and others are being used effectively (and uniquely) by a diverse group of "explorers". If we use these forums to help investigate and teach the four cueing systems that Tompkins describes, we may find students are learning what we want them to without  them even knowing it (which is - for a lack of a better word - cool). The opportunities for students to improve their understanding and competency of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing (I wonder if this is the most neglected one?), and visually representing skills is boundless. One of the problems I have seen in the education system (especially with the advent of new technology) is teachers using new-age tools just for the sake of it. I wonder if some (including myself) have used new technology for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way? Some of the items that come to mind include, Powerpoint, electronic games, video blogs, and (I plead guilty to this last one) different types of creative movie building. It is imperative as educators to learn about how these mediums are best utilized, and therefore can be used effectively by students. I have done some digging to find some resources from the World Wide Web that could be effective in supporting the teaching and learning of language arts. Grammar Ninja is a resource at www.kwarp.com/portfolio/grammarninja that is interactive fun approach to teaching Grammar. It is in a game setting that, from my experience, elementary students enjoy (especially on a Smartboard). This resource can help children improve their understanding of the basics of the language, and help them understand the meaning and proper usage of words. Teaching novels is another area of language arts that needs some retooling. www.squidoo.com/teachingnovels gives teachers (who can then pass this knowledge on to students) information that may make the art of reading longer works more enjoyable and beneficial. Students need to pick the right book, be asked the right questions, be able to relate to the book, and find support for the ideas and themes through supplementary works. This resource can help guide everyone in the right direction.  Another resource that I have seen in practice (while volunteering) is CorkboardMe. I would love to investigate this further, but when used interactively it empowers students to contribute when questions are posed, topics discussed, and brainstorming ensues. It also allows students to visualize how other students are learning as well. These skills are all imperative in the writing process as well. I was exposed to a web resource that is easy to use and helps teachers monitor student created blogs. The one I am thinking of escapes me, but I found a similar one - www.edublogs.org that appears to work similarly. Once again this resource gives students the opportunity to practice their writing skills in a format (medium) that I believe encourages and facilitates their participation. The fifth resource I would like to share is something outside the box. I have had some tremendous experience participating in the Second City Improvisation program (in Toronto) and recognize the value these skills can have on the development and broadening of language skills. There are a ton of resources on Improvisation online (and ofcourse students can learn by performing, and through writing reflection activities). www.childdrama.com/warmups is one website that offers game ideas for teachers to use. I would consider this a stretch myself if I hadn't seen the value of this firsthand. Is improvisation taught explicitly at the Junior level currently? My cousin teaches grade 7 and mentioned that he implements it when it is advantageous to do so. The last task that needs "tackling", is how to improve my students' reference skills in a grade five setting (as an example). I probably won't be able to hit the nail on the head in this concept, so I am going to speak to what I feel strongly about. Grade five students are so impressionable, and in my opinion are at the age where they are branching out in terms of where they are getting their knowledge. This is important, and is something teachers must take advantage of. We must learn about the different texts that our students are reading, and help them to decide for themselves (which may seem like an oxymoron), whether what they are reading is the most valid source of information. My grade five students would spend a large amount of their time making connections to real-life situations, but also different texts that have thematic relevance to the ideas I want them to find connections to. I want my students to find joy and excitement in referencing different ideas to support something current. In order to do this I will need to pull from some of the resources I have discussed previously, plus many more. .