My students really enjoyed discussing Flynn on Wednesday and Delpit on Friday. My lesson plan for Wednesday was slightly revised by class discussion, which usually happens. I started out by asking a male student to answer for a female and vice versa during roll call. Then when I asked why I might have done that, my students went back to Yergeau and explained how uncomfortable it was to have someone speak for them. This is not a connection I meant for them to make, but it was beneficial nonetheless. After we spoke about the link to Yergeau, I asked them to make a connection to Flynn. Then my students picked up on how the male student sometimes answered differently than what the female student would have. I then asked them to talk about how they communicate with one another. One of my male students brought up how guys don't feel the need to speak to strangers but girls do, say in elevators or seated next to someone on a bus. Then I asked why they thought this was true and what part of language was affected. This led to a great classroom discussion about language and communication. Then we moved to text. I pulled up The Guardian Quiz that Lauren Pisanelli had included in her lesson plan. It allows students to choose based on a paragraph of a novel whether the author is male or female. My class had so much fun doing this. I split them up into two teams and made it a competition. Each paragraph had a one minute discussion time and we evaluated word choices and subject matter within the text. The exercise was very successful, proving to my students that you cannot base your choice on stereotyping (which I plan to bring up with Alexander and Cixous as well). After the exercise we moved into pulling out 5 major points of Flynn's article, finding them in the text, and discussing whether or not Flynn would have liked or agreed with the quiz we took. The answer was mixed but they had serious reflection on the text and language.
On Friday, I reminded my students that we would be having class on Monday and those who were planning on coming should bring their Project #3 and their peer review. I did not elaborate on why because I fear they will not come if they know it's a workshop opportunity. I have 3 students saying they will be in class on Monday. So I did explain the homework for the following Monday--Project #4 Essay proposal due, reading the selected text of Alexander and Cixous, and a 300 word essay on a moment in which they wished or thought being the opposite sex would have been easier. They recognize that the workload is more significant because they are not coming to class, but I think that's fine for them to realize.
Our discussion on Delpit and Smitherman went well. I have a group of students who are several different ethnicities so I decided to approach the conversation of dialect by way of personal experience so they would feel more comfortable sharing their ideas about their own. I showed an Appalachian dialect video and codeswitched for them so that they understood the idea of register and appropriation. they thought it was hilarious but understood the seriousness of losing language and heritage as well. Then I showed a video of a prisoner speaking BE, a news segment of a black man trying to change BI speakers into Standard AE converts, and then a clip of Maya Angelou reading in BE but speaking in Standard AE. The discussion that followed was amazing! We discussed whether or not dialects should be accepted forms of English in academia (with no bias of my own) and whether speaking in dialect meant you were not capable of speaking Standard AE (which Maya Angelou really proved wrong with my class). We focused on the text and the points Delpit makes vs. what Smitherman says and what my class eventually decided is that this was the debate several years ago but it is still a current debate (especially with the newsclip). My class's reactions were very split down the middle and they were able to have a very respectful but passionate conversation about language and acceptance, but more importantly, text and identity.
I've been proud of them before, but this week was a week full of pride for me. I really needed this week to go this well, given the last two weeks had been ridden with problematic student situations.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Teaching Journal Week #11--Nov. 5-9
While showing the Autism video during class to go along with Yergeau's text, I had a student laugh. I shot him the teacher "glare" hoping he would get the picture that he was being immature and disrespectful. After the video was finished, we started a conversation about communication and the language we use to communicate with others. The same student said "I don't think this is a language or a way to communicate. I think it's a person with a disability and we are watching them in a video that doesn't matter to this class. I'm supposed to be learning about writing." To this I answered, "This does have to do with this class because people communicate in many different ways. Yeargeau describes her experience with Autism as wanting to speak for others just like her, but continually people think they need to speak for her because they are under the impression that she cannot. The difference between being an advocate and a supporter is very different. This is why it's important to not speak for a group you are not part of. It's like trying to translate a Spanish speaker's feelings when you do not know Spanish. You cannot speak for an autistic person if you are not autistic. Understand?"
I was very nurturing while saying this, not trying to be rude but continually trying to be helpful in processing, and the student's face turned red and he shut down. At the end of class I tried to talk to him and he just kept walking passed me. My initial response was to worry that he felt in some way that I was asking if he was autistic in front of the class by asking why he was speaking for them. This might be a bit of a stretch, but I worry about things. So I e-mailed him and asked if he could come see me during my office hours. I got no response. On Wednesday I asked if he received my e-mail and he said yes, but offered no other answer. So after class I asked him to please come see me on Thursday during my office hour, and so he did. I explained that I felt like he thought I was dismissing his ideas in class but assuming things I should not have. I explained to him that I have no idea unless I'm contacted whether or not a student has learning impairments, and I shouldn't have assumed that he could not speak for autistic people. He, again, laughed and told me that he shut down in class because he knew I was right in my point. He just didn't like hearing it but he did not feel as though I dismissed him.
This was a big worry off my chest! Friday's class went great, with no lingering cloud over top of me. We discussed Project #3's deadline, the process of sending it to their peer and myself, and workshopped an introduction. The students found the workshopping to be very helpful and many of them submitted papers on time that evening.
I was very nurturing while saying this, not trying to be rude but continually trying to be helpful in processing, and the student's face turned red and he shut down. At the end of class I tried to talk to him and he just kept walking passed me. My initial response was to worry that he felt in some way that I was asking if he was autistic in front of the class by asking why he was speaking for them. This might be a bit of a stretch, but I worry about things. So I e-mailed him and asked if he could come see me during my office hours. I got no response. On Wednesday I asked if he received my e-mail and he said yes, but offered no other answer. So after class I asked him to please come see me on Thursday during my office hour, and so he did. I explained that I felt like he thought I was dismissing his ideas in class but assuming things I should not have. I explained to him that I have no idea unless I'm contacted whether or not a student has learning impairments, and I shouldn't have assumed that he could not speak for autistic people. He, again, laughed and told me that he shut down in class because he knew I was right in my point. He just didn't like hearing it but he did not feel as though I dismissed him.
This was a big worry off my chest! Friday's class went great, with no lingering cloud over top of me. We discussed Project #3's deadline, the process of sending it to their peer and myself, and workshopped an introduction. The students found the workshopping to be very helpful and many of them submitted papers on time that evening.
Teaching Journal Week #10--Oct. 29th-Nov.2nd
An update on my student in the previous post: the ROTC coordinator e-mailed me to tell me that my student would be late every Wednesday and sometimes on Fridays. The wording of the e-mail was intended to be intimidating, I believe, because specific wording was:
"*&^%$ will continually be late because her first priority is to us. I appreciate your understanding and ability to excuse her absence at such times".
My response was:
"*^%$ signed up for my class at this specified time. If she knew she would be out or late getting back, she should have signed up for a different class. I am willing to excuse her tardiness as long as it is not disrupting my class and no more than 15 minutes. Anything after will not be excused and please understand that no amount of help from me to fill her in on what she misses is the same as being in class discussion. It's hurting her grade by interrupting her understanding of the material for her to write her projects. Please consider allowing her to leave your program early to make it to my class because her education is important as well."
A following e-mail was sent to me after this that said "Duly noted."
The student has not been absent or late since.
*Yay*
Teaching this week went great. My students really enjoyed getting to see each other's presentations. They worked so hard on them that I thought it would only be right to allow them to showcase them in class. I had a superb outcome of projects!
Also, we broke up into groups of two on Wednesday and I had one person pretend to be from the other's discourse community while the other person asked questions. This was a fun exercise because it demonstrated both "mushfaking" and gave the student an idea of how to build interview questions. I asked them to consider what they need to know to be able to understand how to communicate and interpret the data. The trial run was fun and successful.
"*&^%$ will continually be late because her first priority is to us. I appreciate your understanding and ability to excuse her absence at such times".
My response was:
"*^%$ signed up for my class at this specified time. If she knew she would be out or late getting back, she should have signed up for a different class. I am willing to excuse her tardiness as long as it is not disrupting my class and no more than 15 minutes. Anything after will not be excused and please understand that no amount of help from me to fill her in on what she misses is the same as being in class discussion. It's hurting her grade by interrupting her understanding of the material for her to write her projects. Please consider allowing her to leave your program early to make it to my class because her education is important as well."
A following e-mail was sent to me after this that said "Duly noted."
The student has not been absent or late since.
*Yay*
Teaching this week went great. My students really enjoyed getting to see each other's presentations. They worked so hard on them that I thought it would only be right to allow them to showcase them in class. I had a superb outcome of projects!
Also, we broke up into groups of two on Wednesday and I had one person pretend to be from the other's discourse community while the other person asked questions. This was a fun exercise because it demonstrated both "mushfaking" and gave the student an idea of how to build interview questions. I asked them to consider what they need to know to be able to understand how to communicate and interpret the data. The trial run was fun and successful.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Teaching Journal 10/22-10/26 Week#9
This week brought a first for me: conflict with a student. While my lesson plans went over well and teaching went great with nothing new to report, really, my issue of the week is of a different measure. Throughout this semester I've had a student that has come to class late consistently. I've approached her out of class and asked if she had a medical reason for being late or if she was just late of her own accord, and always the same answer is given--"I had to be somewhere else and just got finished." Her excuse seemed very private and the only other thing I told her was that she would need to show me documentation for me to allow her to makeup missed in-class work. The student is otherwise a responsible student, does homework, and writes well so the only minor violations she's received are for tardiness, 3 times equalling a minor violation. So Friday she came to class 35 minutes late. I have never addressed the issue in class before, always waited until after, however this time the student asked me in the middle of class in front of everyone what I wanted her to do to makeup the freewrite that she missed in class. When I told her we'd talk after class she said, "Well, I'need to leave early, too." I was already upset that she came to class so late and let the door slam behind her while everyone was writing, but I held my cool. I really felt like she was trying to push my authority, when ironically enough, authority was what she missed in class discussion. So I replied, "You aren't making up the work because it's part of in class work for a reason and you are being counted absent for today if you are leaving early, also." This must have upset her a great deal because she spent the rest of the time she was there rolling her eyes at me and clicking her pencil on the desk. About 5 minutes before class was up, she started crying and left class. One of my other students before leaving said, "You are just trying to be fair to us, Mrs. Jones. Don't worry about it."
My first concern is that my other student recognized that I was baffled by the situation. I don't want them to see me uneasy and feel the need to comfort me. Also, I sent the other student and e-mail asking again why she was late. The student replied that she is in ROTC and that the group leader is not bringing them back from mandatory meetings until 5:30pm when our class starts at 5:15. I've asked for a written statement or an e-mail address for her leader to explain that the student's grade is being harmed by the tardiness. The student says she doesn't want me to talk to them. I'm really at a loss of what to do. I mean, if she won't bring me documentation, then I'm right for her grade to be docked because of this, correct? I may need to come speak to you in person about this, Albert, but I really feel like there's nothing else for me to do about it.
My first concern is that my other student recognized that I was baffled by the situation. I don't want them to see me uneasy and feel the need to comfort me. Also, I sent the other student and e-mail asking again why she was late. The student replied that she is in ROTC and that the group leader is not bringing them back from mandatory meetings until 5:30pm when our class starts at 5:15. I've asked for a written statement or an e-mail address for her leader to explain that the student's grade is being harmed by the tardiness. The student says she doesn't want me to talk to them. I'm really at a loss of what to do. I mean, if she won't bring me documentation, then I'm right for her grade to be docked because of this, correct? I may need to come speak to you in person about this, Albert, but I really feel like there's nothing else for me to do about it.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Teaching Journal 10/15-10/19 Week #8
This week my students spent most of their time dong lab work on Project#2. I don't have a lot to report other than I am pleasantly surprised about how well their storyboards turned out and how well their rough drafts of Project #2 turned out as well. I have a group doing exploring how music has influenced their literacy and one group has done a project on how technology has influenced them. Two other groups have created videos on Youtube. The most entertaining project is one of the Youtube videos in which one of my students presents his literacy history in a galaxy far far away, with the Star Wars them song, and then battles technology while he's dressed as Darth Vadar. The really have put a lot of work into their projects, however, several of the groups need to work on strengthening their arguments a bit. Overall, it was a good week. No major problems just major successes with creativity and great effort.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Teaching Journal--10/8-12--Week #7
My class is at 5:10-6:15, so I'm reflecting on last week's classes before my class this evening. Last week went very well, so there is much to talk about.
Monday we discussed Wysocki and their homework assignment was to do a dialectical journal before class due to the large amount of terms I knew they would not know. Their journals were fairly lengthy, and not near as in depth as what I thought they would be, or rather, I hoped they would understand more of the reading than what they actually did. We tackled three main concepts with Wysocki: format, argument, and purpose, so they would at least have those to think on. When talking about format I asked what they thought of the layout of the article and the way she highlighted certain things, formated with pictures, and drew the human eye. Many of my students were comfortable talking about the very surface level critiquing. They said she was using her piece a s a visual example of her text and argument. This is when I reminded them of the Project #2 and that they should consider experimenting like Wysocki. However, they struggled with her overall argument. Several said she just didn't like nude pictures, others thought she was being a critic of art, a few admitted they didn't make it passed the fifth page of reading without losing the main concept. So for this struggle, we broke down each page with a main thought or point and pieced it together. this took about ten minutes of class, but many of them were taking notes and understood the vocabulary better afterward. Next I asked what the main purpose was. This is where I think the most interesting point was made. One of my students, who was female, said that she thought the main argument was that we have "beautiful" in our own minds versus what the world tells us to consider beautiful. Then a male student said "Well I thought the argument was that authors frame their articles sometimes to be so confusing that you can't find the main argument, because that's what she was talking about with the picture: where your eyes are drawn against what is important." Even though he was complaining about the piece being long and dense and he was struggling to understand, I still thought that this was a very intelligent answer, that we as a graduate class didn't even talk about. So I opened the class to discuss the issue and it went very well, even when I asked how many females agreed and how many males. It was split down the middle by gender. The females agreed with the female student's comment and the males agreed with the male student. I just though it was very interesting what the student preferred to defend. At the end of class I reminded them to meet in the library on Wednesday, and that Project #2 was underway. I also told them the day they would receive their papers back by e-mail, which varied by order in which they turned them in. I dedicated myself to do three a day until finished.
On Wednesday we had our first lab day, which went well. They had read their group members' literacy narratives as homework and identified three different points in which they had common interests and experience. So in class, they came ready and put these thoughts together. By the end of class I had them type out their group members' names, the argument they were focusing on, where they thought each student would branch out in the project and what forum they were using to communicate. All of them turned in very good work. This was a successful day.
On Friday, I had several missing students. I figured this would be the case because it was homecoming weekend and a Friday evening. This made it difficult to do group work with at least one group member missing from each group. So I demonstrated the different forms of presentations they could do and told them to think about which one interested them the most. I then showed the Pixar video of storyboarding and they liked it very much. In their groups they began mapping out on paper storyboards and then converting them to digital. Some of the groups made excellent headway, others struggled a bit, but after I went around to each group and answered their questions and brainstormed with them, they are doing much better. All in all, it was a great week.
I love what I do, have I mentioned that? :)
Monday we discussed Wysocki and their homework assignment was to do a dialectical journal before class due to the large amount of terms I knew they would not know. Their journals were fairly lengthy, and not near as in depth as what I thought they would be, or rather, I hoped they would understand more of the reading than what they actually did. We tackled three main concepts with Wysocki: format, argument, and purpose, so they would at least have those to think on. When talking about format I asked what they thought of the layout of the article and the way she highlighted certain things, formated with pictures, and drew the human eye. Many of my students were comfortable talking about the very surface level critiquing. They said she was using her piece a s a visual example of her text and argument. This is when I reminded them of the Project #2 and that they should consider experimenting like Wysocki. However, they struggled with her overall argument. Several said she just didn't like nude pictures, others thought she was being a critic of art, a few admitted they didn't make it passed the fifth page of reading without losing the main concept. So for this struggle, we broke down each page with a main thought or point and pieced it together. this took about ten minutes of class, but many of them were taking notes and understood the vocabulary better afterward. Next I asked what the main purpose was. This is where I think the most interesting point was made. One of my students, who was female, said that she thought the main argument was that we have "beautiful" in our own minds versus what the world tells us to consider beautiful. Then a male student said "Well I thought the argument was that authors frame their articles sometimes to be so confusing that you can't find the main argument, because that's what she was talking about with the picture: where your eyes are drawn against what is important." Even though he was complaining about the piece being long and dense and he was struggling to understand, I still thought that this was a very intelligent answer, that we as a graduate class didn't even talk about. So I opened the class to discuss the issue and it went very well, even when I asked how many females agreed and how many males. It was split down the middle by gender. The females agreed with the female student's comment and the males agreed with the male student. I just though it was very interesting what the student preferred to defend. At the end of class I reminded them to meet in the library on Wednesday, and that Project #2 was underway. I also told them the day they would receive their papers back by e-mail, which varied by order in which they turned them in. I dedicated myself to do three a day until finished.
On Wednesday we had our first lab day, which went well. They had read their group members' literacy narratives as homework and identified three different points in which they had common interests and experience. So in class, they came ready and put these thoughts together. By the end of class I had them type out their group members' names, the argument they were focusing on, where they thought each student would branch out in the project and what forum they were using to communicate. All of them turned in very good work. This was a successful day.
On Friday, I had several missing students. I figured this would be the case because it was homecoming weekend and a Friday evening. This made it difficult to do group work with at least one group member missing from each group. So I demonstrated the different forms of presentations they could do and told them to think about which one interested them the most. I then showed the Pixar video of storyboarding and they liked it very much. In their groups they began mapping out on paper storyboards and then converting them to digital. Some of the groups made excellent headway, others struggled a bit, but after I went around to each group and answered their questions and brainstormed with them, they are doing much better. All in all, it was a great week.
I love what I do, have I mentioned that? :)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Teaching Journal 10/1-10/5 Extended
I chose to hold back my teaching journal for this last week for two reasons. One, I needed to see my students papers before I could completely evaluate how the week of teaching went; I had some concerns based on Draft #1 of their papers. And two, I couldn't tell if last week felt anxious ridden because I was ill or because the students just wanted to be done with Project #1. Nonetheless, here are the results of last week.
On Monday, Peer Reviews were due. I had two students not turn in the first draft of their papers so it messed with the grouping for peer reviews. I had reorganized the groups over the weekend so that the students who did not turn in papers on time, would still need to turn in something (even though it was a violation) so I could help them where they were struggling. One student e-mailed their paper to me Sunday night, 5 hours late, so that I could help him. this student I was lenient with. However, the second student turned in nothing. No draft, no SafeAssign, nothing. I informed this student via e-mail that it was a major violation, and in order to avoid any more violations, he would have to do the Peer Review for the next day. Okay. Both students did the Peer Review, as did everyone else. So Monday's conversation was about how much value their education should really hold in their lives and priorities. I explained that I was not just lurking waiting to write violations, that I was wanting to see them use their full potential and to let me help them push their potential even further. Many students looked inspired and even told me that they appreciated me, so I was hoping this was a revamp.
On Wednesday, we had a great class. We talked about Malcolm X, Alexie, and hooks. I split them into groups, assigned one reading per group, and had them list sponsors in the text, reasons for literacy, and then relate it back to one of the case studies in Brandt's article. We had great conversation about literacy as survival and a way to make their lives new and they genuinely enjoyed the readings. Heather Kaley also observed me this day, and it was all in all successful (even though I was still sick). I assigned them literacy narratives to write of their own (500 words).
For Friday, everyone turned in homework and everyone came to class (which is a rarity for me in a Friday evening class). I used Heather's suggestion in her presentation to split up the technologies in Baron's text, and so we did and had great conversation on the evolution of technology and where we'd be without each of them. It was another great class. I also assigned technology narratives of 300 words due Monday on the technology that has influenced them the most. I reminded them that their papers were due at midnight and to please put all effort forward. One student raised his hand and begged to have until Sunday. Since I knew I was not goin to make it to grading them until Sunday anyway, I went ahead and pushed back the deadline but made them all promise that since they had extra time, that I would get a submission from all of them.
So Sunday rolls around and two students, again and one of the same as last time, does not turn his paper in. I contact them and specifically ask the repeat violator to come see me in my office hours on Monday. Nothing. He will not reply to e-mail, he did not come to class on Monday, and I know that he is one student of seventeen but he was a good student up until Draft #1 was due. He had written in his journal entries that he had anxiety over assignments, and I'm still wishing he would just come talk to me e-mail me back.
However, after reading through the majority of my students papers, I can report that there was VAST improvements made in these drafts! i am so happy because I can tell that my talk with them about putting their best foot forward and giving the assignment all that they had was taken seriously. I genuinely love that they took my advice and seem to be getting what they can out of their opportunities.
Had I reported on the state of my teachings on Sunday, I feel that this would have been a much different submission and I'm glad that I held out and had hope. It restores my belief that I'm asking them for full effort and they know I'm giving full effort as well.
On Monday, Peer Reviews were due. I had two students not turn in the first draft of their papers so it messed with the grouping for peer reviews. I had reorganized the groups over the weekend so that the students who did not turn in papers on time, would still need to turn in something (even though it was a violation) so I could help them where they were struggling. One student e-mailed their paper to me Sunday night, 5 hours late, so that I could help him. this student I was lenient with. However, the second student turned in nothing. No draft, no SafeAssign, nothing. I informed this student via e-mail that it was a major violation, and in order to avoid any more violations, he would have to do the Peer Review for the next day. Okay. Both students did the Peer Review, as did everyone else. So Monday's conversation was about how much value their education should really hold in their lives and priorities. I explained that I was not just lurking waiting to write violations, that I was wanting to see them use their full potential and to let me help them push their potential even further. Many students looked inspired and even told me that they appreciated me, so I was hoping this was a revamp.
On Wednesday, we had a great class. We talked about Malcolm X, Alexie, and hooks. I split them into groups, assigned one reading per group, and had them list sponsors in the text, reasons for literacy, and then relate it back to one of the case studies in Brandt's article. We had great conversation about literacy as survival and a way to make their lives new and they genuinely enjoyed the readings. Heather Kaley also observed me this day, and it was all in all successful (even though I was still sick). I assigned them literacy narratives to write of their own (500 words).
For Friday, everyone turned in homework and everyone came to class (which is a rarity for me in a Friday evening class). I used Heather's suggestion in her presentation to split up the technologies in Baron's text, and so we did and had great conversation on the evolution of technology and where we'd be without each of them. It was another great class. I also assigned technology narratives of 300 words due Monday on the technology that has influenced them the most. I reminded them that their papers were due at midnight and to please put all effort forward. One student raised his hand and begged to have until Sunday. Since I knew I was not goin to make it to grading them until Sunday anyway, I went ahead and pushed back the deadline but made them all promise that since they had extra time, that I would get a submission from all of them.
So Sunday rolls around and two students, again and one of the same as last time, does not turn his paper in. I contact them and specifically ask the repeat violator to come see me in my office hours on Monday. Nothing. He will not reply to e-mail, he did not come to class on Monday, and I know that he is one student of seventeen but he was a good student up until Draft #1 was due. He had written in his journal entries that he had anxiety over assignments, and I'm still wishing he would just come talk to me e-mail me back.
However, after reading through the majority of my students papers, I can report that there was VAST improvements made in these drafts! i am so happy because I can tell that my talk with them about putting their best foot forward and giving the assignment all that they had was taken seriously. I genuinely love that they took my advice and seem to be getting what they can out of their opportunities.
Had I reported on the state of my teachings on Sunday, I feel that this would have been a much different submission and I'm glad that I held out and had hope. It restores my belief that I'm asking them for full effort and they know I'm giving full effort as well.
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