Recent Changes

This article suggests that, as math teachers, the best thing that we can be doing for our ELLs is providing them with language support in the classroom. In terms of diagnostics, we need look no further than our student's CELDT scores to see if they are below the implied threshold. Students below will, likely, need more language and computational support. Those higher than would benefit from some language support. It does imply that we must be weary of their zones of proximal development. Thus, our lessons must be tailored with detailed vocabulary lessons and review exercises to get them to recall prior knowledge (the latter to aid in computational processes). In terms of assessment, with these students, we should use simplified language and diagrams as much as possible. The visual connection to the material may aid in overcoming the language difficulties. However, we must be careful not to keep them in the lower-levels of thinking. That is, in order for them to succeed on the CST or CAHSEE our goal must be to elevate their thinking.
-Rob Nakayama
School Subtracts Math Texts to Add E-Lessons, Tests.__
Trotter, Andrew. (2007). Education Week 26, no. 36 10-11.
Link to article:
http://0-vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.patris.apu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml _DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35
Summary:
This article, written in 2007, references an attempt to improve assessment results by substituting online math curriculum for the conventional math texts. The online curriculum was called Agile Mind, and its goal was to provide for the individual needs of students, rather than the pace and structure of the textbook.
The Texas school that took this step to integrate online curriculum had not met its AYP in math the previous year, and they adopted this new strategy to be proactive in improving assessment results. Agile Mind provided their students with a new, engaging way to learn math – using online animations, realistic applications, and topic overviews to help students.
The Agile Mind program provided many opportunities for teachers to use formative assessments, whether they were multiple choice, short answer, or self-assessments, they provided immediate feedback and hints if the teacher desired. The school’s biggest concern was the overuse (and automation) of instruction – by those who were relying more and more on the computer program to teach their students. The overall consensus of the integration of this curriculum in the classroom is that it can be a great tool if used appropriately, and that it was effective in producing stronger assessment results.
Thoughts:
I think this is indicative of the education of the future. We need to increase our ability to differentiate, and through the use of digital technology, we can do this effectively while reaching many more students. I agree with the article's main stance in the cons of this electronic curriculum, being that some teachers will take advantage of the technology and expect it to be the main source of instruction for our students. As teachers, we still need to be the main source of knowledge, encouragement, assessment, and feedback for our students -- we can't rely on computers to have the empathy and compassion that is truly necessary for these students to be prepared to succeed in society.
- Tyler Hensley

Anyone who isFallis, Guadalupe Valdes. (1975). Teaching spanish to the spanish-speaking: classroom strategies. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED097806.pdf.
Database: ERIC
Summary:
The basic summary of this book deals with aiding native Spanish speakers in becoming literate in their reading and writing skills in the Spanish language. We often think that these students do not need any extra guidance from the teacher because they already know how to speak the language. Unfortunately, although many students are able to speak and understand Spanish, please followthey are illiterate when it comes to writing or reading in that same language. What this book suggests are several strategies to improve the reading and writing skills of these native Spanish speakers so that they can be literate bilinguals. Most native speakers know many more words than they are actually capable of writing. When the spoken words are written the problem lies within the spelling. There are several irregularities in the native speakers writing. The first is that they write in incomplete forms. Their writing can seem unusual to the reader that is accustomed to standard Spanish and many errors are caused by interferences of English spelling conventions. These native speakers need to be taught the sound and orthographic symbols of both vowels and consonants. First, the vowel phonemes need to be introduced and simple sentences should be written using those phonemes. Next, the students need to be introduced to the concept of dipthongs and list and give examples. Just like vowel phonemes, students need to be drilled over consonant phonemes. Lastly, the students should be taught about the rules for syllabic stresses and accent marks within the written language. Integrating these four steps into the instruction will go a long way in improving the written work of our native Spanish speaking students. Native speakers also need to be taught how to read in Spanish. The goal of teaching reading is for the student to acquire ease and confidence in their ability to read Spanish.Students need to read for understanding and should take their best guess of words they are unsure of. We do not want these students to confuse reading aloud and "sounding good" with understanding what they are reading. Comprehension is the most important goal. There are several ways to begin implementing and then progressing through teaching reading to native Spanish speakers. Students need to be given daily reading assignments. They should review the sounds learned previously in class, should be presented to new sounds, practice writing new sounds from dictation, complete listening exercises, prepare short narrations to present to classmates, and discuss previously assigned readings in class. By providing our native speakers with in their own dialect, they will begin to see how being bilingual is an asset and a very marketable quality.
Assessment Strategies:
Based upon my reading of this book I have come up with several suggestions for how to accurately assess these "special needs" students. Each week that a new step is added to the writing and reading process the students need to demonstrate that they understand the phonemes and readings gone over in class. This can be done simply be asking students to list words with simple vowel symbols as opposed to dipthongs. A more formative assessment could consist of giving the student a list of words and asking them to label the vowels as either a simple vowel or a dipthong. I could make flashcards for the students of the vowel and consonant sounds and ask them to give me a word that uses those sounds when the flashcard is shown. After going over the rules for syllabication, the students could complete a worksheet in which they have to separate each word by syllables and underline the stressed syllable within each word. All of these are good ways to assess whether or not the student is grasping the new concepts and ideas being presented to them. As far as reading goes, it is most important that the student understand what they read. It makes most sense to start off with short paragraphs or stories and then ask the student to summarize the main points of the reading. This would be a good way to assess reading comprehension. This could be done on a day to day basis in the classroom or could be done on a formative assessment in which the directionsstudent had to read and answer comprehension questions. Students could also be assessed on their reading of selected portions to the home page, thank you!class.

Assessment suggestions:
This article suggests that, as math teachers, the best thing that we can be doing for our ELLs is providing them with language support in the classroom. In terms of diagnostics, we need look no further than our student's CELDT scores to see if they are below the implied threshold. Students below will, likely, need more language and computational support. Those higher than would benefit from some language support. It does imply that we must be weary of their zones of proximal development. Thus, our lessons must be tailored with detailed vocabulary lessons and review exercises to get them to recall prior knowledge (the latter to aid in computational processes). In terms of assessment, with these students, we should use simplified language and diagrams as much as possible. The visual connection to the material may aid in overcoming the language difficulties. However, we must be careful not to keep them in the lower-levels of thinking. That is, in order for them to succeed on the CST or CAHSEE our goal must be to elevate their thinking.
-Rob Nakayama

Anybody who is Math, please follow the home page's directions, thank you!
Reading Proficiency and Mathematics Problem Solving by High School English Language Learners
Neal, C., Adams, N., & Cohen, P. (2010). Reading Proficiency and Mathematics Problem Solving by High School English Language Learners. Urban Education, Volume 45. Retrieved from
EBSCO.
Additional link to article:
http://0-uex.sagepub.com.patris.apu.edu/content/45/1/58.full.pdf+html
Summary:
English language learners are increasingly being placed into English-only classrooms with little or no language support. These students fall behind their English-speaking peers to the point that 25% of ELLs that graduate from high school are completing the courses required to be admitted to colleges and universities. While research suggests that this is a problem in reading, it has ramifications for math. 40% of ELLs are unable to pass the math portion of the CAHSEE which requires only 6th grade proficiency. Algebra 1 failure rates are also high amongst this population. This is because students are focusing much of their 'working memory' on low-level functions, such as comprehension, rather than higher ones such as problem-solving. Some ways in which this can be circumvented include simplifying language in word problems, aiding basic comprehension, and making other basic accommodations. The article presents a study that examines the role of English proficiency in problem-solving and motivation. The study shows that English proficiency has a significant impact upon the success of students in math courses. Success is related only to reading skills, not conversational skills. The study also indicated that there is a minimum level of reading skill that is required to succeed. Students scoring lower than 550 on the CELDT showed 'flat' performance over the course of the study (involving individualized instruction the form of a software program). Students below that level showed minimal growth, and focused only on computations. They never had the opportunity to attempt higher-level problems. Those scoring higher than that showed linear growth and progressed into more challenging material.

Anybody who is Math, please follow the home page's directions, thank you!
Reading Proficiency and Mathematics Problem Solving by High School English Language Learners
Summary:
English language learners are increasingly being placed into English-only classrooms with little or no language support. These students fall behind their English-speaking peers to the point that 25% of ELLs that graduate from high school are completing the courses required to be admitted to colleges and universities. While research suggests that this is a problem in reading, it has ramifications for math. 40% of ELLs are unable to pass the math portion of the CAHSEE which requires only 6th grade proficiency. Algebra 1 failure rates are also high amongst this population. This is because students are focusing much of their 'working memory' on low-level functions, such as comprehension, rather than higher ones such as problem-solving. Some ways in which this can be circumvented include simplifying language in word problems, aiding basic comprehension, and making other basic accommodations. The article presents a study that examines the role of English proficiency in problem-solving and motivation. The study shows that English proficiency has a significant impact upon the success of students in math courses. Success is related only to reading skills, not conversational skills. The study also indicated that there is a minimum level of reading skill that is required to succeed. Students scoring lower than 550 on the CELDT showed 'flat' performance over the course of the study (involving individualized instruction the form of a software program). Students below that level showed minimal growth, and focused only on computations. They never had the opportunity to attempt higher-level problems. Those scoring higher than that showed linear growth and progressed into more challenging material.
Assessment suggestions:
This article suggests that, as math teachers, the best thing that we can be doing for our ELLs is providing them with language support in the classroom. In terms of diagnostics, we need look no further than our student's CELDT scores to see if they are below the implied threshold. Students below will, likely, need more language and computational support. Those higher than would benefit from some language support. It does imply that we must be weary of their zones of proximal development. Thus, our lessons must be tailored with detailed vocabulary lessons and review exercises to get them to recall prior knowledge (the latter to aid in computational processes). In terms of assessment, with these students, we should use simplified language and diagrams as much as possible. The visual connection to the material may aid in overcoming the language difficulties. However, we must be careful not to keep them in the lower-levels of thinking. That is, in order for them to succeed on the CST or CAHSEE our goal must be to elevate their thinking.

Assessment of Physical Activity Levels of 3rd and 4th Grade Children Using Pedometers during Physical Education Class
Smith, J., Nichols, D., Biggerstaff, K., & DiMarco, N. (2004). Assessment of Physical Activity Levels of 3rd and 4th Grade Children Using Pedometers during Physical Education Class. Journal of Research, 4 (1), 73-79.
Source: ERIC
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ903487.pdf
Summary

Anyone who isAssessment of Physical Eduction, please followActivity Levels of 3rd and 4th Grade Children Using Pedometers during Physical Education Class
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ903487.pdf
Summary
The study provides insight into physical activity levels of children. The article discussed how activity levels vary between boys and girls, those that participated in sports outside of school and those that did not, and intensity levels. The authors recommended from their finding that educators sometimes separate boys and girls and give them their own activities. It also emphasized the directionsimportance of physical education class in terms of meeting daily recommended amounts of activity. Pedometers given to students during their physical education class was their means of assessing a variety of factors in the study.
Implications for Assessment
The use of pedometers is a great way to assess physical activity in a physical education class. This becomes a more scientific approach to grading participation in class, which is usually done through observation and judgement on the home page, thank you!
Seeteachers part. If the teacher were to say you must reach a certain amount of steps in class, that would be an objective means of grading participation. The study also gave some useful insight into planning curriculum and lessons around gender, which I feel is important to do a some points through out the semester.
Also see Jillian's Post

Vol. 3, No. 4, Language Arts (Autumn, 1980), pp. 88-98
Published by: Council for Learning Disabilities
Summary:
One of the most challenging aspects of my job as an English teacher is helping my students develop more sophisticated writing skills by teaching them how to compose a variety of formal texts; e.g., professional letters, descriptive narratives, research reports, etc. As this article points out, written expression is the fifth and final stage of the language system to develop; "it is highly complex and requires the integration of all previous stages", which are the development of 1) ideas through experiences and thought, 2) comprehension of the spoken language of others through listening, 3) oral expression of ideas to others by use of spoken language, and 4) reading of the written language. For students with specific learning disabilities related to reading, the mastery of stage 5--written expression of ideas--is often extremely difficult. In his article, Poteet examines the benefits of informal assessment on the development of a learning disabled student's writing. Because the writing process is highly complex, it is essential that language arts teachers view the spectrum of written expression "as being comprised of components, each with unique elements" in order to design instruction and assessments that more adequately address the specific needs of learning disabled students. Poteet's solution for providing comprehensive, holistic assessment of a student's writing is two-fold. First, he has developed a "scope and sequence" checklist which allows the teacher to categorically evaluate the writing and keep a record of the types and amount of errors in each major category (i.e., penmanship, punctuation, grammar, ideation, etc). Second, Poteet asserts that teachers must consider not only the specific learning disabilities of the student but also the type of writing being taught, as each of the major types of writing taught in school has its own requirements for effectiveness (in other words, writing a research report is very different from writing a business letter, therefore the two should not be assessed in the exact same manner). I found this article incredibly valuable, especially as I consider the best way(s) to provide constructive, effective feedback on the writing produced by several of my students with dyslexia and/or similar learning disabilties.