Identifying Sources of Ideas for Education and Training Programs
6.1
1. An educational training that I am planning currently is to show the teachers that using technology in the classroom can be easily integrated within their curriculum. I plan on explaining uses for PowerPoint, podcasting, videocasting, and web authoring in the classroom. These can be prepared by the teacher to explain concepts to the students or by students to present concepts to others in the classroom. During the presentation, teachers will be on the computers in the lab so they can emulate my strokes. This will allow them to participate hands-on in the training. I will also provide them with a sheet with step-by-step instructions so they can do more of the same individually. By the end of the training, I hope they realize how simple it is for students and teachers to incorporate technology into the classroom.
2. The sources I am using are as follows:
People – The people that will be in attendance are teachers in my building in several different content areas. They vary in years of experience, subject matter, educational background, and technological ability. Some will be administrators and others will be teacher aides. Some of these teachers have more access to the computer lab than others. Science and math teachers already have programs that enable them to incorporate technology easily into their curriculum so they may not be as open minded about other uses for technology.
The teachers who will be applying this as a hands-on activity for students will need to take into account the situation of each student. While it is easy for some students to work on the computer after school hours, it is not for others. Although the gap between those with and without technology access in their homes is decreasing, it is still apparent in some schools. Computer time for all students needs to be allotted for them to have ample time preparing their presentation. Teachers will need to sign up for lab time to incorporate these technologies into their lessons. Teachers might feel that this takes away from their TAKS teaching time. I hope they realize this is to enhance what they are teaching and not a separate entity that is taking up their time.
Organizations – Changes in curriculum is delivered has been trickling down from the government in the No Child Left Behind act. This has prompted TAKS in our schools today. This test is becoming more difficult and teachers need to find ways to expand their technical delivery methods for teaching. It has been identified in recent TAKS scores at our school that ESL and LEP students are lacking in Science and Math as well as Reading. We need to raise their scores across the board. Technology in classrooms will help bridge the gap because it will teach students how to learn instead of having them regurgitate information. For the teachers who teach how to take a test, learning with technology will teach deductive reasoning, which they can apply to testing strategies. The government mandates that these students master the academic language in only three years. We have to try new methods of teaching to reach the LEP students who are falling behind in many of their subjects. Technology is a great way to lessen the gap between those native speakers and those LEP students. Technology has many services available for the student to increase test scores as they work together and learn from their peers. The Title I money that we receive is going to have to be documented to assure the state that we have used it in a manner that helps the most students. Not only will technology help bridge the gap for EP students, it will engage all students and enhance their ability to learn.
Responsibilities and tasks for adult life – Most of the tasks used in applying technology to the classroom curriculum are simple enough to be done in a conference period. We all have student aids who grade our papers, so we can use this time to beef up our lessons. If you must stay after school to work on this I am always available. I also know that sometimes children (our own) staying after school can become a chore because they also need to get their homework done and participate in after-school activities. Adding technology applications to your everyday classroom would be a great way for them to learn as well. They would first learn that adding technology can be simple. Second, you are a good example of how to work after school and although this might not hit home now, it will in the future when they say how much they have to do. You can come back with, “I worked every day after school, and I could do it.” Your children are very creative; they can probably help you, depending on their ages, design and create some applications. Most often they know more than we do.
Communities and Society – Today society dictates that we use technology in our every-day lives. Students use technology at home quite often, but when it comes to using it for academic reasons, they are not as well-versed. LEP students especially, do not have access to technology as often in their homes, making the school environment the only place they are accessing technology. Society has also mandated the NETS for students that must be accomplished in order to graduate from high school. These require the students to apply technology skills in a working environment individually and collaboratively so they can succeed in the business world. Society today looks down upon those who are not familiar with how to use technology. We need to do everything we can to ensure these students become successful in using technology.
3. I am currently in the beginnings of planning the training. The sources I am currently using are the teachers, administrators, and teacher aides in my building. They will be able to put together a technological application to add to their curriculum so the students can participate in a hands-on environment. I am using information from last year’s TAKS scores to determine who needs the most help and in what area. It was already mentioned in a staff development meeting that the LEP kids will be targeted for the most help this year. I am also using the survey to inquire as to how people want to receive information. I can offer this to them online with few classes, or many classes, or one on one depending on their needs. I have not figured out yet what I am not using because I have not gotten that far yet.
6.2
I am currently involved in an organization that is the ESL after-school program. I am in charge of getting over 150 students extra tutorials from 4-5 after school. To give the students incentive to come they can also play soccer, do art projects, and play on the computer. Students are not required to come; however, another incentive is that we take field trips. This year we are going to the Grossology museum in Frisco. I organize volunteers and paid teachers to stay after school on Tuesday and Thursday after school so the students have a place and a person to talk to about school work. This year we are also organizing a soccer team that is intramural and next year will play other schools in the district. This is being organized by one of our assistant principals and myself. It is to give the LEP students more of an incentive to do well in school, because just like any athletic program, they must pass all of their classes to play.
I have also been involved in the Campus Improvement Team which provides snacks for testing days and an academic after –school program. They involve the community in Sachse with the school and the parents. In my experience with this program, it is more talk than action. Seems like a good idea to get everyone involved, but there are no clear guidelines as to what could be done, so it is a lot of talking.
In the after-school program it is successful because of the teachers who volunteer to stay with the ESL students. They get a chance to work with them on a smaller scale. The classes are smaller to ensure more one on one time with the students. We have tried to rotate days in which science is done one day, math the next, and so on, but the results were not as good. Students had homework in other subjects than the ones targeted. Not all students needed help in the targeted subjects either. So now it is a free for all – you must have at least 30 minutes worth of work, but in any subject. We have also talked about rotating teachers so that there is a science or math teacher in the room with a reading or English teacher, but what we have discovered is that the students form relationships with the teacher that is in there with them most often. They perform for that teacher better than for a random one that comes in every once in a while. With these students, the relationship is often most important.
Obviously the people matter. If the student is not comfortable with the teacher, he will not perform well. There are some teachers who do not like working with our LEP population. They prefer working with the gifted and talented, which is fine, to each his own. The ones who work with our kids find it rewarding because they are, for the most part, grateful for the help they are getting. They want to do well. Some of them just don’t have the opportunity at home to do school-related tasks. Some teachers who want to volunteer cannot because of prior commitments, or begin volunteering and have to stop because of outside factors. I get new teachers every year that are willing and able to work with our kids. It is interesting to see them in a different light.
I prefer to use the any subject, any day technique because after all the trial and error, it seems to work the best. Students are able to form relationships with teachers who encourage them. I do try to put a math/science teacher in with a reading/English teacher just because – let’s face it – we all have our strengths and weaknesses. This works the best because it is more efficient to help the most students during the smallest amount of time. Seeing as we only have 30 minutes to help these kids, whatever they need – I will get to them. This year we will see if anything new comes up. I have a feeling, with what we have tried in the past, the current way may be the best, but I’m open to suggestions!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Research Summary
Technology is becoming more prevalent in the everyday lives of people throughout the world. We have entered into an information age where students need to become more advanced in their uses for technology in an academic setting to support them in their future. Studies suggest that students use more technology at home than they do at school (Lee and Spires 2009). Students use technology for networking, researching, gaming, and sharing information with others at home. Why not transfer some of that knowledge to the academic sector? Teachers are struggling to apply technology in their classes and use the technology in a rigorous manner. It is a challenge for teachers to implement appropriate technology into classes today because some teachers are not as technologically savvy as the students. Using the technology in class can be a way that students can learn about themselves as well as academia (Hansen 2008).
Historically, technical thinking in schools has been considered intangible (Hansen 2008). A case study was done by a teacher in elementary school who wanted to measure the level of engagement of her class as a whole (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). She knew that different students were engaged at different times of the day, but it was typically in the subject matter they were most interested in. She used a variety of different technologies in the classroom such as wireless write pads, document cameras, and student response systems. She also included a module lacking technology. Using observations by fellow teachers and student self-reports she concluded that technology in the classroom increased student engagement. Her goal, however, was to increase engagement of the whole class, and not just a few students. The study concluded that the student response systems increased student engagement of the class as a whole more than the document camera and the wireless writing pads. Students relate more to having a hand-held device of their own because they all have hand-held devices at home for themselves (Hansen 2008).
During the four phases of this study, the teacher incorporated various methods of technology to measure whole class engagement. The document camera phase allowed the students to share their work with everyone and work on a large screen in front of the room. This, however, did not increase the engagement of the whole class, but only the student whose work was displayed at that time on the camera (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). The writing pad phase elicited more student engagement than the document camera, however it was also not engaging for the entire class. The last phase of the project was using the student survey systems. These are handheld devices for each student that allow them to respond to a question anonymously. This engaged most all students because they enjoyed the anonymity of their responses as well as a chart that displayed all students’ answers. Answers could then be discussed as to which was correct and why the others were incorrect. This was the device that captured all students’ attention and allowed the student to have individual attention placed upon him (Hansen 2008).
Observations taken from each class and student self-reports were compiled to form the conclusion of the study (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). Observations were recorded by teachers to measure each student at a certain point during the lesson. These observations concluded that of all technologies used, the student survey systems engaged all students more than the other uses of technology. Student self reports were also used after each class where technology was used. These were surveys given to the students where they responded to questions about their own feelings about using technology in the specific classroom activity. Students answered that the technology “made learning more fun” and it made them “pay more attention”.
Overall this study elicits that technology in the classroom increases engagement, but the most efficient way to increase whole class engagement is to provide each student with his or her own device to participate (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). Student testimonials were recorded after using the student response systems. Some of the statements are as follows:
“I loved it. I want to do it again. Please”
“It was fun how no one knows how you answered.”
Consistent reports state that using technology in the classroom increases student engagement and makes it possible for them to actively participate in the whole class activity.
Hansen suggests that we need to bridge the gap between what students use at home in regards to technology and how they use technology at school. Currently education is behind in the way it uses technology in the classroom. Students are more advanced and more dependent on technology than teachers. Students appreciate more real-world applications that use different technologies such as Mp3s, PDAs, and computers when it comes to using technology in school say Hansen. Students appreciate the rigor and authenticity that technology is able to bring to the learning process because they feel that it will better prepare them for their future. Unfortunately, according to Hansen, the percentage of students in computer classes in the upper grades is less than 15%, making the technology gap even larger.
In a perfect world, technology in schools would match that of home usage by students today. One day…….
Bibliography
Swan, K., Kratcoski, A., van’tHooft, M., Campbell, D. (2007). Technology support for whole class engagement. [Elctronic version]. Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology, 3(1).
Hansen, R. (2008). The roots of technical learning and thinking: situating TLT in schools. [Electronic version]. Journal of Technology Education, 20(1), 5-15.
Lee, J., Spires, H. (2009). What students think about technology and academic engagement in school: implications for middle grades teaching and learning. [Electronic version]. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Journal, 17(2), 61-81.
Historically, technical thinking in schools has been considered intangible (Hansen 2008). A case study was done by a teacher in elementary school who wanted to measure the level of engagement of her class as a whole (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). She knew that different students were engaged at different times of the day, but it was typically in the subject matter they were most interested in. She used a variety of different technologies in the classroom such as wireless write pads, document cameras, and student response systems. She also included a module lacking technology. Using observations by fellow teachers and student self-reports she concluded that technology in the classroom increased student engagement. Her goal, however, was to increase engagement of the whole class, and not just a few students. The study concluded that the student response systems increased student engagement of the class as a whole more than the document camera and the wireless writing pads. Students relate more to having a hand-held device of their own because they all have hand-held devices at home for themselves (Hansen 2008).
During the four phases of this study, the teacher incorporated various methods of technology to measure whole class engagement. The document camera phase allowed the students to share their work with everyone and work on a large screen in front of the room. This, however, did not increase the engagement of the whole class, but only the student whose work was displayed at that time on the camera (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). The writing pad phase elicited more student engagement than the document camera, however it was also not engaging for the entire class. The last phase of the project was using the student survey systems. These are handheld devices for each student that allow them to respond to a question anonymously. This engaged most all students because they enjoyed the anonymity of their responses as well as a chart that displayed all students’ answers. Answers could then be discussed as to which was correct and why the others were incorrect. This was the device that captured all students’ attention and allowed the student to have individual attention placed upon him (Hansen 2008).
Observations taken from each class and student self-reports were compiled to form the conclusion of the study (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). Observations were recorded by teachers to measure each student at a certain point during the lesson. These observations concluded that of all technologies used, the student survey systems engaged all students more than the other uses of technology. Student self reports were also used after each class where technology was used. These were surveys given to the students where they responded to questions about their own feelings about using technology in the specific classroom activity. Students answered that the technology “made learning more fun” and it made them “pay more attention”.
Overall this study elicits that technology in the classroom increases engagement, but the most efficient way to increase whole class engagement is to provide each student with his or her own device to participate (Swan, Kratcoski, Hooft, & Campbell 2007). Student testimonials were recorded after using the student response systems. Some of the statements are as follows:
“I loved it. I want to do it again. Please”
“It was fun how no one knows how you answered.”
Consistent reports state that using technology in the classroom increases student engagement and makes it possible for them to actively participate in the whole class activity.
Hansen suggests that we need to bridge the gap between what students use at home in regards to technology and how they use technology at school. Currently education is behind in the way it uses technology in the classroom. Students are more advanced and more dependent on technology than teachers. Students appreciate more real-world applications that use different technologies such as Mp3s, PDAs, and computers when it comes to using technology in school say Hansen. Students appreciate the rigor and authenticity that technology is able to bring to the learning process because they feel that it will better prepare them for their future. Unfortunately, according to Hansen, the percentage of students in computer classes in the upper grades is less than 15%, making the technology gap even larger.
In a perfect world, technology in schools would match that of home usage by students today. One day…….
Bibliography
Swan, K., Kratcoski, A., van’tHooft, M., Campbell, D. (2007). Technology support for whole class engagement. [Elctronic version]. Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology, 3(1).
Hansen, R. (2008). The roots of technical learning and thinking: situating TLT in schools. [Electronic version]. Journal of Technology Education, 20(1), 5-15.
Lee, J., Spires, H. (2009). What students think about technology and academic engagement in school: implications for middle grades teaching and learning. [Electronic version]. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Journal, 17(2), 61-81.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Mentor/Mentee
I have been a mentee and a mentor. My first year of teaching, I was mentored by Janelle Ball. I got my certification with Region X. When I did my probation year, I had to have a mentor for Region X and Hudson. Lucky for me it was the same person. Janelle observed me throughout the year as well as my principal. Janelle and I would look at things that I was doing well as well as things that I needed to work on. She was always available for help and questions as was the rest of my department. My first year teaching, I had to fill out papers about the mentor/mentee relationship and the benefits and disadvantages of the program. I found little disadvantages to having Janelle as a mentor. Actually at this point I can think of none. She taught me organization and planning as well as classroom management skills, and I taught her about new things I had just learned at Region X. It was more of a give and take relationship than anything else.
My experience as a mentor was different. I had a teacher who had taught before and was only interested in me for what I knew about the school. We didn’t have the sharing relationship that Janelle and I had (and still do). My mentee was more interested in moving up the chain and this was just one step on her way. She was a nice person, but I didn’t get to share my knowledge about ESL and teaching like I had hoped. Maybe I will be a mentor again for a new teacher. I feel the role could be fulfilling and a refresher to what I learned. I hope that it enlightens me about new things to do with my students.
My experience as a mentor was different. I had a teacher who had taught before and was only interested in me for what I knew about the school. We didn’t have the sharing relationship that Janelle and I had (and still do). My mentee was more interested in moving up the chain and this was just one step on her way. She was a nice person, but I didn’t get to share my knowledge about ESL and teaching like I had hoped. Maybe I will be a mentor again for a new teacher. I feel the role could be fulfilling and a refresher to what I learned. I hope that it enlightens me about new things to do with my students.
Reflecting and Defining Blog
Exercise 1.1
I teach ESL to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in Sachse, Texas. For the past four years, I have taught beginner Social Studies and intermediate ELA. This year I have been swindled into teaching an advanced theater class for the first time. I am also in charge of the ESL after-school program that begins on October 12th. It is for all students whose first language is not English. I organize the teachers to stay after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5pm. Students get help with their homework for thirty minutes and then they choose to do art, soccer, or computer for the remaining thirty minutes. This year I am also trying to incorporate a soccer team with the assistant principal. This will give ESL kids an incentive to keep their grades up and behave. I also coordinate the transportation for all students who attend.
I do plan the after-school program for the bilingual students. This does not require parental involvement, except a permission slip that allows their child to stay. This does, however, require a meeting with teachers to discuss rules of the program for the students and expectations of the teachers. I am responsible for purchasing what is needed for the program to continue. This is not something that I get paid to do, it was passed down to me from the department head, and I am glad to take it on. Many ESL students benefit from this program and the teachers get to see our students in a different light. The students are very appreciative and the teachers enjoy it. We go on a fieldtrip at the end of the program with all the students who have stayed consistently throughout the year. This year we are going to see the Grossology exhibit in Frisco. I am responsible for transportation and chaperones as well as collecting money and permission slips from students eligible for the trip. I am also in charge of planning the parties we have throughout the year and the events for those parties.
As an ESL teacher, my department is also responsible for teaching other teachers about the laws for our students. During staff development, since I am the only one who doesn’t care about speaking in front of others, I am chosen to tell the staff the difference between accommodating and modifying as well as how to recognize the codes of ESL students in their classes and what to do to help them in their content classes. The principal sets time aside for this every year during the week of staff development. My department passes out papers of LEP codes, accommodations, and suggestions for our students.
My department is outlined as follows….
Janelle Ball is the department head. She has been at Hudson for about 15 years. She teaches the newcomers all subjects except social studies. She is in charge of budgeting and overseeing the entire department. She is in charge of the ESL honor club. She is required to observe us in our class routine twice every six weeks. She also designs the ESL newsletter which contains information about the honor club, inclement weather, school information, teachers’ conference periods, and interesting things we are doing in our classes.
I have been at Hudson for 7 years. I have beginners, intermediates, and the 8th grade advanced students. I am in charge of the ESL after-school program and field trips throughout the year. I listed my duties above for the after-school program as well as the staff development day.
Judy Jaremski has been at Hudson for three years. She teaches the advanced 6th graders literacy. She helps with field trips and also helps coordinate the honor club rewards program. She plans for each six weeks where the honor club will meet and what prize they will receive for having an A in ESL and passing all of their other classes. Judy is also in charge of planning our birthday celebrations within the department. We celebrate each one with cake (queso for me because I am not a cake fan) and presents. If you are gonna work hard, you must party hard too!
Jessie Cordova is the ESL aide. Although Janelle is the department head, Jessie runs the department. She is the “behind the scenes” leader. She goes into the classrooms and helps the students with their content area classes. She sells blowpops for our fundraiser three days a week. She lets us know when we are low on supplies, she makes parent phone calls for us because she is fluent in Spanish, and she serves on our campus improvement team as an ESL liaison. She knows every ESL student and makes sure they are in the correct classes. She is a vital part of our team.
The most recent member of our department is Diane Strickland. She is in teaches the advanced 7th graders writers workshop because they take the writing TAKS. This is her second year with us.
We meet once a month as a department to discuss the future of our students such as student placement, parties, fieldtrips, parent meetings, and any school related news. Our department works extremely well together. We look after each other and are willing to help each other in any way possible for ourselves and the students. My assistant principal just told us that she doesn’t worry about us as much as the other department she is over because we are organized and do what we are supposed to do and we do it together.
Exercise 1.3
I have attended professional development for ESL teachers every year. This year before school we were put in a cafeteria and the head of the ESL departments in Garland for middle schools talked to us all morning about the ELPS and the TEKS and their alignment with each other. We sat and listened with little interactivity with each other. We have ESL meetings that are divided into subjects this year. For instance, I will attend a meeting with teachers that teach only ESL II. Here I assume we will discuss plans and interventions for students in our classes. Some of these meetings I find pointless, this year, hopefully they will be worth my time.
As an ESL teacher, our students have outside pressures that native students do not. Other than our monthly department meetings and a parent meeting once a year, we do not discuss the lack of parental involvement or the fact that our students complete less homework than the typical native English speaker due to different home situations. It is difficult getting support from a parent who is not familiar with the education system in the United States. We brainstorm ways to get them involved and have planned meetings that are closer to them so they are more apt to come. These meetings are still scarcely attended even when food is provided. We are in the process of coming up with a new way to get the parents involved in schools and letting them know what their rights as parents are.
I have been a mentor teacher for those new to Hudson. As mentor teachers we are required to orientate the new teachers to the school and the expectations of teachers in the building. We are there to answer questions they may have. I would go to some of the “rookie” meetings and then to the rookie celebration at the end of the year. In the meetings, different things were discussed such as classroom management, the importance of TAKS, and special education and ESL assistance. I did not have to facilitate any of the meetings. My job as mentor was to show up and provide support to my mentee.
As a teacher, we are always changing for the TAKS test. We attend meetings during staff development week where TAKS is discussed. The principal discusses the changes that are going to be made this year for our scores to go up. She lets us know how the changes will be implemented. For example, this year my theater class will only be held four times a week. The other day will be dedicated to 8th grade science because our LEP scores were so low. We are also getting Title I money this year that will be spent on technology for math and science as well as a revolving computer lab. We will see how these will be implemented into our school day.
As a department we have dedicated a scholarship that is given to an ESL or special education student in honor of a teacher who passed away from cancer. She was important to our students, so we want her legacy to live on in a scholarship that will further a students’ education, which was extremely important to her. We are making it possible for students to further their education with our help. We ask for teacher volunteers to read essays written by the students. We plan fundraisers which consist of broom ball games for each grade. Students pay $1 for each game. The money goes into a fund for the scholarship which will be given to the winner after they graduate from high school and are accepted into a school of higher learning. Our department is in charge of getting that money to the students for tuition, books, or housing.
The highlights are working with the people that I enjoy when planning the scholarship fundraisers, fieldtrips, and even planning for professional development. I enjoy what I do, so that makes it easier I suppose. What I do not like are the ESL meetings. I feel that interaction is low and when we do interact sometimes I feel it is not something that I would use in the classroom and therefore a waste of time. We will see this year if they are going to be any different than in the past. Hopefully!
I teach ESL to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in Sachse, Texas. For the past four years, I have taught beginner Social Studies and intermediate ELA. This year I have been swindled into teaching an advanced theater class for the first time. I am also in charge of the ESL after-school program that begins on October 12th. It is for all students whose first language is not English. I organize the teachers to stay after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5pm. Students get help with their homework for thirty minutes and then they choose to do art, soccer, or computer for the remaining thirty minutes. This year I am also trying to incorporate a soccer team with the assistant principal. This will give ESL kids an incentive to keep their grades up and behave. I also coordinate the transportation for all students who attend.
I do plan the after-school program for the bilingual students. This does not require parental involvement, except a permission slip that allows their child to stay. This does, however, require a meeting with teachers to discuss rules of the program for the students and expectations of the teachers. I am responsible for purchasing what is needed for the program to continue. This is not something that I get paid to do, it was passed down to me from the department head, and I am glad to take it on. Many ESL students benefit from this program and the teachers get to see our students in a different light. The students are very appreciative and the teachers enjoy it. We go on a fieldtrip at the end of the program with all the students who have stayed consistently throughout the year. This year we are going to see the Grossology exhibit in Frisco. I am responsible for transportation and chaperones as well as collecting money and permission slips from students eligible for the trip. I am also in charge of planning the parties we have throughout the year and the events for those parties.
As an ESL teacher, my department is also responsible for teaching other teachers about the laws for our students. During staff development, since I am the only one who doesn’t care about speaking in front of others, I am chosen to tell the staff the difference between accommodating and modifying as well as how to recognize the codes of ESL students in their classes and what to do to help them in their content classes. The principal sets time aside for this every year during the week of staff development. My department passes out papers of LEP codes, accommodations, and suggestions for our students.
My department is outlined as follows….
Janelle Ball is the department head. She has been at Hudson for about 15 years. She teaches the newcomers all subjects except social studies. She is in charge of budgeting and overseeing the entire department. She is in charge of the ESL honor club. She is required to observe us in our class routine twice every six weeks. She also designs the ESL newsletter which contains information about the honor club, inclement weather, school information, teachers’ conference periods, and interesting things we are doing in our classes.
I have been at Hudson for 7 years. I have beginners, intermediates, and the 8th grade advanced students. I am in charge of the ESL after-school program and field trips throughout the year. I listed my duties above for the after-school program as well as the staff development day.
Judy Jaremski has been at Hudson for three years. She teaches the advanced 6th graders literacy. She helps with field trips and also helps coordinate the honor club rewards program. She plans for each six weeks where the honor club will meet and what prize they will receive for having an A in ESL and passing all of their other classes. Judy is also in charge of planning our birthday celebrations within the department. We celebrate each one with cake (queso for me because I am not a cake fan) and presents. If you are gonna work hard, you must party hard too!
Jessie Cordova is the ESL aide. Although Janelle is the department head, Jessie runs the department. She is the “behind the scenes” leader. She goes into the classrooms and helps the students with their content area classes. She sells blowpops for our fundraiser three days a week. She lets us know when we are low on supplies, she makes parent phone calls for us because she is fluent in Spanish, and she serves on our campus improvement team as an ESL liaison. She knows every ESL student and makes sure they are in the correct classes. She is a vital part of our team.
The most recent member of our department is Diane Strickland. She is in teaches the advanced 7th graders writers workshop because they take the writing TAKS. This is her second year with us.
We meet once a month as a department to discuss the future of our students such as student placement, parties, fieldtrips, parent meetings, and any school related news. Our department works extremely well together. We look after each other and are willing to help each other in any way possible for ourselves and the students. My assistant principal just told us that she doesn’t worry about us as much as the other department she is over because we are organized and do what we are supposed to do and we do it together.
Exercise 1.3
I have attended professional development for ESL teachers every year. This year before school we were put in a cafeteria and the head of the ESL departments in Garland for middle schools talked to us all morning about the ELPS and the TEKS and their alignment with each other. We sat and listened with little interactivity with each other. We have ESL meetings that are divided into subjects this year. For instance, I will attend a meeting with teachers that teach only ESL II. Here I assume we will discuss plans and interventions for students in our classes. Some of these meetings I find pointless, this year, hopefully they will be worth my time.
As an ESL teacher, our students have outside pressures that native students do not. Other than our monthly department meetings and a parent meeting once a year, we do not discuss the lack of parental involvement or the fact that our students complete less homework than the typical native English speaker due to different home situations. It is difficult getting support from a parent who is not familiar with the education system in the United States. We brainstorm ways to get them involved and have planned meetings that are closer to them so they are more apt to come. These meetings are still scarcely attended even when food is provided. We are in the process of coming up with a new way to get the parents involved in schools and letting them know what their rights as parents are.
I have been a mentor teacher for those new to Hudson. As mentor teachers we are required to orientate the new teachers to the school and the expectations of teachers in the building. We are there to answer questions they may have. I would go to some of the “rookie” meetings and then to the rookie celebration at the end of the year. In the meetings, different things were discussed such as classroom management, the importance of TAKS, and special education and ESL assistance. I did not have to facilitate any of the meetings. My job as mentor was to show up and provide support to my mentee.
As a teacher, we are always changing for the TAKS test. We attend meetings during staff development week where TAKS is discussed. The principal discusses the changes that are going to be made this year for our scores to go up. She lets us know how the changes will be implemented. For example, this year my theater class will only be held four times a week. The other day will be dedicated to 8th grade science because our LEP scores were so low. We are also getting Title I money this year that will be spent on technology for math and science as well as a revolving computer lab. We will see how these will be implemented into our school day.
As a department we have dedicated a scholarship that is given to an ESL or special education student in honor of a teacher who passed away from cancer. She was important to our students, so we want her legacy to live on in a scholarship that will further a students’ education, which was extremely important to her. We are making it possible for students to further their education with our help. We ask for teacher volunteers to read essays written by the students. We plan fundraisers which consist of broom ball games for each grade. Students pay $1 for each game. The money goes into a fund for the scholarship which will be given to the winner after they graduate from high school and are accepted into a school of higher learning. Our department is in charge of getting that money to the students for tuition, books, or housing.
The highlights are working with the people that I enjoy when planning the scholarship fundraisers, fieldtrips, and even planning for professional development. I enjoy what I do, so that makes it easier I suppose. What I do not like are the ESL meetings. I feel that interaction is low and when we do interact sometimes I feel it is not something that I would use in the classroom and therefore a waste of time. We will see this year if they are going to be any different than in the past. Hopefully!
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