Nov 2 1999

When it comes to grading and teacher practice change, the main area in which I need to modify my current practices is the overuse of TAAS type assessment in the classroom. I hear teachers throughout my school eagerly anticipating the next TAAS benchmark to see how much my kids learned. I too use TAAS benchmarks to ascertain the level of student improvement. However I greatly want to expand my use of other tests so as to balance and round my data.

 Until I started reading the Framing Literacy text I thought that other forms of assessment consisted of grading papers, usually finished product and criterion based output.

 I am beginning to understand the role of mid-stream assessment. That is, assessment, which takes place during instruction and before any piece of work, is termed finished. This kind of progressive observation and steady reflection allow for more instruction time as well as a better-rounded picture of the learner’s competence, development and areas for improvement.

 The school at which I instruct is guided by a person who respects research based instruction as well as sound methods of assessment even if they deviate from her personal theories. The reading of this book, coupled with my own research allows for a relatively good chance I will be able to change my classroom assessment practices.

Justin Olmanson

Nov 5 1999

 Intertwining the assessment and instructional methods seem like a missing chapter or table in the book. I was looking for some guidance, in the form of a table, showing the instructional options overlaid with their assessment performance.

 The book is otherwise well laid out, and technically one could say the information exists in chapter 9 in the sub-sections entitled When a learner has one or more of these targets for growth

  When you feel the varied aspects of the teaching profession pulling you in opposing directions, pulling you apart, you look for things that are already done for you. No, I’m not talking about teaching by worksheet. You have the district putting pressure on administration, pressure for high performance. Administration refocuses it on their teachers, tries to help them, but sometimes simply threatens. You have students who need special modifications both socially and instructionally. There are science fairs, and history fairs, spelling and geography bees, speeches and performances, PTO, PTA, IEP, LEP, DEC and HISD bureaucracy.

 I imagine after the third, fourth, or fifth year there is more of an opportunity for using the ten-kan of teaching to bring these seemingly opposing forces into balance and, in so doing letting them work in harmony instead of in competition for time and resources.

Justin Olmanson

 Nov 8 1999

It appears to me that the Language Experience Approach, as described in chapter 9 in the Framing Literacy Text, is most useful to learners still developing their print concepts.

 As I said earlier it is often difficult to read with an open mind once the notion creeps into one’s mind that the theory or concept doesn’t directly pertain to one’s situation. I read about LEA and think, wait a minute, my kids mostly know how to read, they understand the concepts and conventions of print. This pertains to first and second grade teachers, not me and my third grade class.

 I need to guard against being so pejorative, when I rethink my students and classroom situation I realize the various opportunities and levels at which LEA might function.

 1.        With N who reads at a 1^st grade level and seems to take little joy in literacy due to his struggles with fluency and comprehension.

2.        With J in hopes that she might strengthen her budding understanding of print conventions and sound symbol correspondence.

3.        With Jo to help him realize the cyclical connection between reading and writing.

4.        With M to aid his fluency and sound / symbol understanding.

5.        For my entire class, with the aim of demonstrating the spontaneity and fun of writing.

 It seems there is much over which to think as I approach the thanksgiving break and winter holiday. Looks like there will be little time for turkey and goose, what with most of it spent on fixing in my classroom (what is loose).

Justin Olmanson

 Nov 11 1999

I am a big fan of writing text for picture books, although at times it is better to write the text first and then construct the pictures. I have used the Writing Text for Wordless Picture Books in my ESL class with a good deal of success (if one might perceive success as student engagement, which drives one to risk taking).

 There were a few variations:

 ·         The text was written on the chalkboard instead of on note cards.

·         This method was used with a group of 28 students (instead of a small group, which seems to be the suggested size).

·         Because the text was written on the black board there was little chance of placing the text in any random order for the purposes of ascertaining the level of understanding and acquired sequencing derived from the activity (in the future I will try using enlarged sentence strips or butcher paper to facilitate this option).

 My students constantly doubt their literacy in their second language. My students speak a varied amount of English, however few have any self-efficacy when they think about their production abilities in their second language. I have taken many principles of the Natural Approach and Chomsky’s ideas on language acquisition devices and attempted to create an environment in which there is little stress or pressure to produce in their second language or L2. I teach the core areas including literacy in their native language, however most of what is social in the classroom is done in English, teacher requests and some announcements as well. Mostly I attempt to contextualize all L2 input so as to achieve a maximum amount to comprehensible input. In the 3 or 4 months that we have been together my students have increased their understanding of English as well as their efficacy when it comes to listening and reading.  

 Gotta go see the next journal entry for the rest of the story (a.k.a. Paul Harvey)

 Justin Olmanson

 Nov 14 1999

ESL and L2 literacy continued

 Krashen says some students need up to a 5-month silent period before they begin to produce in the L2.  I also believe in setting boundaries and verbalizing expectations so to that end I remind them from time to time that they may answer any comment or question I offer in whichever language they feel most comfortable. This includes ESL until January when I expect them to begin to produce in the L2 for ESL and Spelling done in English-. March brings my expectations up to where some social aspects of the classroom will be negotiated in English. May has been billed as English month where we get out the English texts and experiment with conducting 80% of the class in an ESL format heavy on L2 literacy development.

 I gave this background to show that there is forethought to what I am attempting to do with my ESL instruction. I do not believe that 45 minutes of ESL class is sufficient to prepare bilingual students for the reality of English Only instruction in the state of Texas in the middle and secondary schools.

 The goal of bilingual education in the United States is to:

 1.        Help children learn English as rapidly as possible.

2.        Give them background knowledge about society and mainstream culture as efficiently as possible.

3.        Raise their self-efficacy and knowledge base in order to produce functional productive speakers of English as well as their first language.

 At least that is my idea of what place bilingual education plays inside of the educational system since 1974.

 See the next journal entry for a continuation of this strand

Justin Olmanson

Nov 17 1999

 Bilingual / ESL literacy development part III

 Therefore when I recount the use of Writing Text for Wordless Picture Books one might better understand why it has been slightly modified for use in an ESL setting.

 Since my students hold onto the belief that they are not equipped to produce in their L2 this activity looked like an ideal opportunity to change that notion. I modeled a book for which I had constructed a logical / plausible yet simple story line. Then we began; I encouraged them to give possible text to a small picture book I borrowed from a kindergarten teacher. We looked at it as a preview the day before so they could aquatint themselves with it. I elicited any and all possible responses to the first page and though at first only a few students offered any input, it soon turned into a classroom of raised hands. Some really only repeated what the student before them said but that was OK too in that they were producing in their L2.

 After listening to every volunteered answer for the specific page I selected one and wrote it on the board. I encouraged them to follow along by either writing their own or if they didn’t feel comfortable taking that risk, they can simply write the class text that I put on the board.

 After we finished we read it together chorally, afterwards we went page by page listening to any students who deviated from the class text.

 Not only did they seem to enjoy themselves but also it gave them a chance to realize just how much English they knew and could produce with some help. This instructional tool will become a significant and reappearing instructional tool throughout the rest of the year.

Justin Olmanson

Nov 20 1999

Shared book experience appears as if it would be best implemented in my classroom in the form of small group tutoring. I see its setup and think about how far my kids have come from needing that type of hand holding. 

Then I stop and evaluate what I just thought and realize that everyone enjoys holing hands so to speak. There was a study done in which college students were read to for an hour a week for 13 or so weeks. The benefits were significant and lasting (even six months later the group that was read to was reading more than the control group which was simply instructed in the conventions of grammer).

 Within the confines of the Success For All reading / literacy program there is a constant component termed Listening Comprehension which in some ways approximates the Shared Book Experience instructional technique laid out in the ninth chapter of Framing Literacy.

 Children gather to listen to and follow along to a story, many times a favorite book or one recommended by a student. Discussion takes place as well as story retell and at times choral reaing.

 I don’t think that I would use SBE in my classroom where my entire class is concerned. Perhaps N and J might benefit from it possibly M as well. Looks like a tutoring session type activity. More on tutoring in the next journal entry.

Justin Olmanson

 Nov 23 1999

So the teachers I have had exposure to seem to vary significantly in terms of their approach to tutoring. One in particular lays everything out, well planned, certain target goals, work to do and consistent scheduling. Others simply run to the copier after school and copy a couple of TAAS passages off and go over them with their students. Still others come in with no agenda and help their students with homework and other requested student trouble areas.

 I don’t believe my style conforms to direct teaching in tutoring sessions, I prefer to help in bursts of insight. We do homework, read books, play chess, and other stimulating / hopefully stimulating games and activities. My resources are such that there is not yet time to put together a tutoring package that is teacher centered and objective driven. I don’t even know if that is the most viable way of going about it. I see more of the importance for clearly stated goals than I do for minute by minute instructor domination.

 I am not attempting to judge those who need to tutor exactly the way they teach. I just see this as an opportunity to deviate from personal norms, experiment and hopefully reach struggling students through different teaching vehicles.

 How does this relate to literacy? First of all it is very difficult to evade the fear that if one does not teach the TAAS one’s kids will suffer. People come into my room and see me at the computer or reading a book and see my kids reading or working on homework in a small group. I wonder what they think. Sometimes I wonder what will happen on the TAAS, as it IS the HISD curriculum.

Justin Olmanson

 Nov 27 1999

Happy thanksgiving from my two-bedroom apartment, no turkey, no cash, no cranberries in the shape of a can, not even Boston Market by myself. Ten hour days of personal work and reading. Ten hour days of no communication. Ten hour days of noodles and tuna in a dirty bowl. Ten-hour days of class work, ten-hour days of corrections. Ten-hour days of doing all the things I need to do but feeling a little bitter about it. Ten hour days of web-page construction.

 So its turkey day and I’ll be in the Houston area against my will and because of my pocket book, holidays so good for doing nothing, so nice for eating and talking. I’m reading Framing Literacy, a good book but not the greatest time to do so.

 Literacy Assessment on this Thanksgiving Holiday

Hail word and verse, hail grammar conventions

Comprehension and developmental contentions

Of reading and scribing even on this day

When gluttons and cholesterol have their way

People read and others watch advertisements

For coca cola an swatch, others say they’ve no time

For anything that rips attention away from the TV sublime

This poem left unfinished & in horrible condition in protest of Literacy Assessment on Thanksgiving Day.

I’m gonna stare at the ceiling, lay on the floor and think bout nothing see ya later  :) 

Justin Olmanson