Blog Post # 5

This semester, I have been surprised by the literacy level of my students.  They are able to read and write in Spanish at an early intermediate level.  They are not able to remember the proper way to conjugate and the endings for each conjugation.

What will your literacy-rich classroom look like?

Journal……Sept. 30, 2013

My literacy rich classroom looks like a full of students trying to remember what they learned the previous year.

My students are engaged in doing different types of homework's, games and projects where they learn not only the language but also the culture.

They are reading at a basic level. 

Diary……December 15, 2013

My literacy rich classroom looks like a room full of students having fun learning a language that they will use in their future jobs.

My students are engaged in learning more about the language and culture.

They are reading at an early intermediate level.

They are writing at an early intermediate level.

They are discussion about culture and how they are similar and different from theirs.

Diary……May 30, 2014

My literacy rich classroom looks like a home in Mexico where Spanish will be spoken on a daily basis.

My students are engaged in by speaking more in Spanish with making less mistakes.

They are capable of independent learning in the following areas, reading and writing full sentences.

Project Tomorrow (BP #4)

It amazes me how much technology is being use and how much difference it has made in the student’s education.  I know that most students have some form of device where they can look thing up via smart phone or tablet.  Technology is changing everything and we as teacher need to learn to adapt and use the tool that are being available via the internet.  I am not surprise that so many students have either a smart phone or a tablet and so I hope that it does not become a problem. 

After watching the video “Is Anyone Listening,” nothing that the students shared really surprised me.  I also wish that we had more resources available other than just relaying on the book.  I will be ok with having the students use a form of mobile device but there has to be restrictions.  Technology can most definitely help the student’s education, but like all thing there are pros and cons.  We must learn to be flexible and figure out ways to help develop our student’s education.

I would love to do a project like “YouthTEACH2learn.”  One thing that I didn’t know was that the high school students would go to an elementary to teach the younger generations.  It is good to know that a program like this can benefit so many lives.  My goal is to implement some type of project like this at my school.

Websites:

http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/MobileLearningReport2012.html

http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/IsAnyoneListeningVideo.html

http://www.tomorrow.org/programs/teach2learn.html

UNIT PLAN

UNIT TOPIC:  

o   Intro to new vocabulary & grammar (Chapter 1B)

o   This chapter fits during week 6 through week 8.

1. UNIT CONTEXT        

·        Subject/Content Area - Spanish

·        Course - Level II

·        Grade Level - 9^th, 10^th, 11^th & 12^th

·        Length of Unit

•  Monday –56 minutes
• Tuesday – 5O minutes
• Wednesday & Thursday – 120 minutes
• Friday – 56 minutes

2. FACTS ABOUT THE LEARNERS       

 Whole Class Information

 Number of students in class - 40 students

Demographic Information

o there are 6 native speakers and 3 of them are ELs

o there are 25 females and 14 males in the classroom

o There are 2 504 in the class

o All students are bilingual

·        Developmental Needs: Readiness, Interests, Learning Profiles (learning styles/dispositions), Affective-Management Strategies & Classroom Learning Environment

Individual Student Information and Differentiation Strategies

·        Elena	·        Fernando	·        Batavia	·        Alex	·        JESUS
·        - ELL / L3 -  Helen is a 15-year-old 10th grader and is a heritage speaker of the language that you are teaching. Both of her parents are professionals. Her extended family includes aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her grandparents live in their native country, and she and her family visit them in the summer. Helen was born in the United States. She is orally proficient but not literate in her native language, which is the target language of the class. Her report cards indicate above average grades, and she is identified as G.A.T.E. Helen is somewhat shy socially but is well liked and works well in small groups. She is seldom absent from school.  Also, her need will be allowing her to write things on the board like sentences and giving her more access to her culture.	·        - ELL / L2 - 10th grade, Mexican, lives with mom and dad, parents are separated, like to hang out with friends, likes food, sports.  Does not like school and prefer to listen to music.  He has a lot of moods swings. -Main goal is just have a job. - Needs someone that believes in him and positive feedback. - Differentiation: Make sure he is in the front so he can see, tutoring, checking on him often to see if he is understanding the material, saying hello to him so he feels included, and continue to be a supporting in his daily life.  Asking what how he really is doing. Since he is a native speaker but struggle with grammar, he will be assessing less strictly and making sure he get positive feedback often.	·        - SP / 504 - 11th grade, Mexican decent, loves soccer, lives with both parents, struggles during test even if she knows the material, social, loves the school but not the students, ties to stay away from drama. - Main goal is to go to college and have a government job. - Needs a little bit more time during test and positive feedback. - Differentiation: Giving her about a minute or two to finish her test.  Having her work with a partner that can help her and not distract her.  Calling on her more often to give answers, and tutoring. Not allowing her to get off track and calling her out if she is misbehaving.  Giving her positive feedback to help her confidence.	·        - SP / 504 -  Alex is a 15-year-old boy in the tenth grade stage two language class. He had difficulty with the development of his early literacy skills, including the acquisition of sound/symbol relationships and word identification, demonstrated in both his reading and writing. In the second grade, Alex was identified as a student with specific learning disabilities. Since then, Alex has received special education support primarily in a resource room for language arts, while he is included in the general education curriculum. He is able to independently read text at a 7th grade level and continues to struggle with decoding words. Alex also has asthma for which he takes daily medication and occasionally needs to use an inhaler. He is a self-isolating person who does not readily join into whole-class conversations or contribute to group learning situations. His tendency is to sit alone at lunch and to be by himself during transitional time. There is no in-class support for this student.	·        - ELL / L4 - 12th grade, lives with both parents, gets bore and distracted very easy, needs to sit in front of the class, very sociable, loves to play and watch sports. - His needs are to be challenge during school and positive feedback. - Differentiation: Every now and then having him to get up and help students when they are struggling, having him sit in front of the call so he doesn't get distracted, having him do extra homework since he is a native speaker.  More reading and writing.  During a test, being stricter on him and mark it wrong if it’s misspells or missing an accent mark.  Giving him feedback on what he is improving and what he needs help with to improve his confidence.

 

2. Unit Rationale: Enduring Understandings & Essential Questions

·        Enduring Understandings (see chart below)

·        Essential Questions

·        When will I use this form of vocabulary?

o   When is it proper to use the new vocabulary?

o   When can I use it in my daily life?

o   How is the grammar different from the grammar from previous years?

o   When will I be able to use the new grammar?

Reason for the Instructional Strategies & Student Activities

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Content Standards	-Function: understand and express important ideas and some detail -Accuracy: Demonstrate increasing fluency and control of vocabulary.	-Function: understand and express important ideas and some detail -Accuracy: Demonstrate increasing fluency and control of vocabulary.	-Content: Making comparisons - Accuracy: Demonstrate increasing fluency and control of vocabulary. -Function: Describe and compare	-Content: Making comparisons - Accuracy: Demonstrate increasing fluency and control of vocabulary. -Function: Describe and compare	- Accuracy: Demonstrate increasing fluency and control of vocabulary.
Learning Objectives	-Students will be introduced to the vocabulary for Chapter 1B.  After, students will have multiple types of activities to demonstrate their acquisition of the new vocab.	-Students will be introduced to the vocabulary for Chapter 1B.  After, students will have multiple types of activities to demonstrate their acquisition of the new vocab.	-Students will be introduced to the vocabulary for Chapter 1B.  After, students will have multiple types of activities to demonstrate their acquisition of the new vocab.	-Students will be introduced to the vocabulary for Chapter 1B.  After, students will have multiple types of activities to demonstrate their acquisition of the new vocab.	-Student will have a quick warm-up. Then they will have a few minutes to review and then they will take a test.
Student Activity	-Students will have a warm-up to get ready for class.  (10 minutes) -Grammar P. 43 (20 minutes) -Write 5 sentences with Ir+a+infinitive. (5 minutes) -Students will write sentences on white board and check to see if there are any mistakes.  Students will also work with partner during this activity.  Can work alone if they choose to.  (10 minutes) -Students will listen to instruction from teacher and then begin working on their workbook exercises.  Students will also work with partner during this activity.  Can work alone if they choose to. (11 minutes)	-Students will have a warm-up to get ready for class.  (10 minutes) -Vocab list pg. 68. (10 minutes) - Activity # 1 Play CD and it will give instructions. Stop CD right after instructions and make sure students understand what they are doing. (10 minutes) -Go over answers. (5 minutes) -Activity # 2 Play CD and it will give instructions. Stop CD right after instructions and make sure students understand what they are doing. (10 minutes) -Go over answers. (5 minutes)	-Students will have a warm-up to get ready for class. (10 minutes) -Go over HW (10 minutes) - Pop-quiz (20 minutes) -5 minute break -Grammar Pg. 53 (20 minutes) -Activity # 10 Have a student read the instructions from the book.  Then have another student translate the instructions. Activity is a fill-in –the blank to complete a sentence. (10 minutes) -Activity # 11 Have a student read the instructions from the book.  Then have another student translate the instructions. (10 minutes) -Online Activity Student will fill in the blank using the proper words from the vocab to fill in the blank. (20 minutes) -Collect Warm-ups & activities (15 minutes)	-Students will have a warm-up to get ready for class. (10 minutes) -Go over HW (10 minutes) - Pop-quiz (20 minutes) -5 minute break -Grammar Pg. 53 (20 minutes) -Activity # 10 Have a student read the instructions from the book.  Then have another student translate the instructions. Activity is a fill-in –the blank to complete a sentence. (10 minutes) -Activity # 11 Have a student read the instructions from the book.  Then have another student translate the instructions. (10 minutes) -Online Activity Student will fill in the blank using the proper words from the vocab to fill in the blank. (20 minutes) -Collect Warm-ups & activities (15 minutes)	-Students will have a warm-up to get ready for class. (10 minutes) -Game: 4x4 This game will test the students’ knowledge of the vocab.  It’s a puzzle where the students have to do a word matching.  The pair that finishes 1st, will be awarded 3 points on the quiz. 2nd place will have 2 points, and 3rd place will have 1 point. (5 minutes) -Quick Study time (5 minutes) -QUIZ (correct in class if there is time) (36 minutes)
Assessment	The students will be assessed with an informal and entry level assessment.  This will be done by seeing their knowledge of the new grammar.	The students will be assessed with an informal assessment.  This will be accomplished with their listening and comprehension skills.	The student’s assessment will be an informal assessment.  This will be assessed by the score on the pop-quiz and reading of the sentences.	The student’s assessment will be an informal assessment.  This will be assessed by the score on the pop-quiz and reading of the sentences.	The student’s assessment will be a formal assessment.  This will be assessed with scores on the test.

3. STANDARDS

·        Content Standards (see chart above)

·        ELD Standards

·        Listening & Speaking

§  Speak to be understood (3EI & 3I)

o   Reading Fluency & Systematic Vocabulary Development

§  Read Aloud (1EI, 1EI, & 1I)

4. UNIT OBJECTIVES

·        (See chart above)

5. ASSESSMENT PLAN

·        (See chart above)

6. STEPS OF INSTRUCTION

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Into: Teacher will first give the students a warm up to see what they remember from last week.  Then teacher will introduce the first half of the grammar. Through: -Teacher will have a warm-up ready for the students as then come in to get them ready for class. (10 minutes) -Teacher will introduce the first part of the grammar which is the verb -ir. (20 minutes) -Teacher will have students write 5 sentences to see if students understood the material. (5 minutes) -Teacher will have students write their sentences on the white board and they will check to see if they are any mistakes. (10 minutes) - Teacher will they give instruction about the pages from the workbook.  If students don't finish, it will be for homework. (11 minutes) Closure/Beyond: - The activities will help students use the new grammar with the new vocabulary.	Into: Teacher will first give the students a warm-up to see what they remember from the day before.  Then the teacher will introduce the new vocabulary. Through: -Teacher will have a warm-up ready for the students as then come in to get them ready for class (10 minutes). -Teacher will introduce the new vocabulary via reading the vocabulary aloud. (10 minutes) -Teacher will give the student instructions about the activities. -Activity 1 is a fill in the blank where the students need to use the proper word to finish the sentence. (10 minutes) -Teacher will then go over answers with students and ask students if they have any questions. (5 minutes) -Activity 2 is an activity where students most finish a sentence using the words that are being provided. (10 minutes) -Teacher will go over the answer with students. (5 minutes) Closure/Beyond: - The activities will help students use the grammar and the new vocabulary to prepare them for the vocab quiz.	Into: Teacher will first give the students a warm-up to see what they remember from the day before.  Then teacher will introduced the second half of the grammar. Through: -Teacher will have a warm-up ready for the students as then come in to get them ready for class. (10 minutes) -Teacher will go over homework and ask any questions that students may have about it. (10 minutes) -Teacher will give student a pop-quiz. (20 minutes) -Teacher will give the students a break. (5 minutes) -Teacher will introduce the second part of the grammar.  It will involved making comparisons.  This will be accomplish with the formulas: tan + adjective + como, tanto, -a + noun + como, tantos, -as + noun + como. (20 minutes) -Activity 10 is a fill in the blank where the students need to use the proper word to finish the sentence.  After, teacher will then go over answers with students. (10 minutes) -Activity 11 is an activity where students most finish a sentence using the words that are being provided.  After, teacher will go over the answer with students. (10 minutes) -Teacher will then give an online practice to the student for more practice of the new grammar. (20 minutes) -Teacher will check all activities and notes they have done in the previous weeks. (15 minutes) Closure/Beyond: -The student activities will prepare the students for their quiz.	Into: Teacher will first give the students a warm-up to see what they remember from the day before.  Then the teacher will introduced the second half of the grammar. Through: -Teacher will have a warm-up ready for the students as then come in to get them ready for class. (10 minutes) -Teacher will go over homework and ask any questions that students may have about it. (10 minutes) -Teacher will give student a pop-quiz. (20 minutes) -Teacher will give the students a break. (5 minutes) -Teacher will introduce the second part of the grammar.  It will involved making comparisons.  This will be accomplish with the formulas: tan + adjective + como, tanto, -a + noun + como, tantos, -as + noun + como. (20 minutes) -Activity 10 is a fill in the blank where the students need to use the proper word to finish the sentence.  After, teacher will then go over answers with students. (10 minutes) -Activity 11 is an activity where students most finish a sentence using the words that are being provided.  After, teacher will go over the answer with students. (10 minutes) -Teacher will then give an online practice to the student for more practice of the new grammar. (20 minutes) -Teacher will check all activities and notes they have done in the previous weeks. (15 minutes) Closure/Beyond: - The student activities will prepare the students for their quiz.	Into: Teacher will first give the students a warm-up to see what they remember from the day before.  Then the teacher will give the students time to study for the quiz. Through: -Teacher will have a warm-up ready for the students as then come in to get them ready for class. (10 minutes) - After warm-up, teacher will play a game with the students call 4x4.  The game is a puzzle that the students need to put together.  The top 3 pairs that finish the puzzle the quickest will be awarded extra points towards their quiz. (5 minutes) -Teacher will give students time for to study for the quiz. (5 minutes) - Teacher will give the students a vocab quiz. Once students are done, teacher will then have the students past their test to the person behind them to be corrected. (36 minutes) Closure/Beyond: -Everything that the students have done throughout the week will prepare the students for the next week since it will stack on top of what they learn.  Once the next week is done, the students will have a better understanding of the language.

 

7. MATERIALS/RESOURCES

·        Book website http://www.phschool.com/webcodes10/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.gotoWebCode&wcprefix=jdk&wcsuffix=0001

·        Vocabulary (see attachments)

·        Book activities (see attachments)

8. REFLECTION            

·        After doing the unit plan and actually teaching it, it has giving me more ability to see what truly are the needs of my students.  My love for this profession keeps growing and I love being involved more with my students.  I have being trying different strategies for differentiation according to what the needs of my students are.   If it doesn’t work, I try something different the next time I see my student.  Talking to them has helped me out a lot because not only I have gotten to see what strategies work for them, but I have gotten to know them.  It has only been 9 weeks, and some of my students have opening up to me.  I feel like I am more them their teacher, I feel more like their therapist.  This unit plan did give me an opportunity do the whole thing by myself, but it allow me see a glimpse of what the future would be.  I am beginning understand the strength and weakness of the plan and how I can improve it for the next week.  My CT has help out a lot during the course of my clinical practice.  She is not giving more than what I can handle and she has been very supportive.  During the time where we plan, we are in sync and so are planning sessions have been taking less time that the rest of the time we are just gathering all the materials that we need for the week.