STANDARD 1 – Learner Development The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Name of artifact: Practicum General Observation Log #3 Course: FL 694 – Practicum in Second or Foreign Languages TESOL/INTASC Standards Addressed: Standard 1.a., 1.b., 1.c., 1.d., 1.e., 1.h., 1.j., 1.k. Rationale: I took FL 694 – Practicum in Second or Foreign Languages in the spring of 2015-2106 as a final requirement of the Master of Arts in Teaching Languages program. I was able to indirectly evaluate the nature of foreign language learning by observing other teachers. I chose these observations for the artifact of Standard One because the other teachers I selected to observe showed a grasp of developing appropriate and challenging learning across the multi-leveled classroom. Students show individual and differing patterns of learning development and the teacher managed these differences in the selection of observations I chose. During the semester I had to observe 20-25 classes of which 10-15 classes were General Observations. I also observed 10 Focused Observations which covered specific tasks and I looked for the teacher performing those tasks during their delivery of the lesson. The General Observation Logs covered activities and interaction during the class period of the teacher. I was very impressed that the teachers I observed implemented instruction to address learners’ strengths and needs. While I sat and observed I learned that I was observing processes to learn more about my own teaching. I analyzed and wrote about the observations mostly and got to discuss the observation with the teachers. Also I reflected on the experience in a written submission for the class. First, I selected Ms. Shepard, Observation #3, for her differentiated instruction. She actually improves learning through a multifaceted approach to instruction. During the lesson she used group work to learn from each other and also used part of the reading as a read-aloud. She also had questions after their paired-group discussion. She didn’t only ask questions on the knowledge level but required them to solve problems that were connected to key concepts. The most interesting item to me was that she researched and found the Calderon method, which is a seven step method of teaching vocabulary. Lastly, she gave them a quiz using a program on the internet. I also viewed a teacher, Ms. Smith, who has the task of teaching 10th grade ESL. She helps them problem solve while they are answering the textbook questions. There is an obvious awareness of recognition of the diversity within her classroom. She explains an upcoming test carefully while talking very slowly and clearly. This ongoing formative assessment helps them understand the test. She reaches out to the parent by having the parent sign work. I just chose two examples for this artifact but these two teachers embodied the essence of this artifact recognizing the individual development of the learner. I already used the Calderon method in my classroom and the students were interested. I learned that we teachers can learn from each other and that we can share techniques that work. I learned that learner development is reached in differentiated instruction more than I thought previously.
References Cazden, C. (2001). Classroom discourse: The language of teaching and learning. (2nd) ed.). Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH.
Wajnryb, Ruth (1992). Classroom observation tasks. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Name of artifact: Bilingual exercises from Chaika, Chapter 8. Course: FL 665 – Sociocultural and Sociolinguistic Perspectives in Language Teaching TESOL/INTASC Standards Addressed: Standard 1.b., 1.d., 1.e., 1.f., 1.g., 1.h., 1.i., l.j. Rationale: Another artifact I used to demonstrate my recognition of learner development is an exercise I chose to complete for FL 665 Sociocultural and Sociolinguistic Perspectives in Language Teaching. In the course I not only learned about teaching culture and sociolinguistics or the way people speak and behave but also about how these are interwoven into the teaching and learning of languages. These exercises from Chapter 8 of Chaika’s (2008) book explored how words have multiple meanings in translations. This course taught me that learners are affected by cognitive, physical, social and cultural learning. Learners have different levels of learning and it is necessary to know how the native language of the student affects their ability to function in another language. Toward the end of the semester of spring 2014 we were required to do an exercise from a selection of Chapters 7-10 of our book. I chose exercise #5, in Chapter 8 entitled Bilingualism: Individual and Social. I had to look up five words in a bilingual dictionary and note what words are used to translate the non-English word. I took those translations and looked those up in an English dictionary. I saw different meanings and more meanings than I realized. I also was instructed to look up the word in English in a thesaurus. I know that there would be multiple usages of the word from one translation to another but began to feel the frustration and confusion that might occur with the learner when they are asking which translation is correct. In doing this exercise I saw that the diversity of learners and learning has a great effect on language learning. Teachers of language should know that language develops in a non-linear fashion. This exercise of not just giving a quick translation or word for word translation show language develops also over time. The languages and the cultures the students bring to the classroom are varied. This vocabulary exercise gives dimension to the languages and encourages students to look into the culture and social context of the language also. I thought at first “this is going to be confusing” but even at lower levels students need to understand that words can have multiple meanings. The course taught that language is affected by culture and is in a social context. It is necessary to identify the students’ strengths and needs so they can increase their learning. This exercise would help the students have a more thorough and quality understanding of the words in the language while assisting them on an individual basis.
References
Chaika, E. (2008). Language: The social mirror. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Heinle Cengage Learning.