Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Grade Teachers of English to
Diverse Learners Strategies St trateg gies for Effective Language Lang g Production
Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de R铆o Piedras Facultad ultad de Educaci贸n Centro de Investigaciones Educativas
Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Grade
Diverse Learners Teachers of English to
Strategies for Effective Language Production
Title: Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Grade Teachers of English to Diverse Learners: Strategies for Effective Language Production Copyright © 2012 Centro de Investigaciones Educativas Universidad de Puerto Rico Recinto de Río Piedras Project Director: Annette López de Méndez Telephone: 787-764-0000 ext. 4382, 4384 Fax: 787-764-2929 E-mail: cie.educacion@upr.edu Graphic Designer: Héctor E. Muñoz Editor: Dr. Rosemary Morales
This Project is funded (in part) by a federal grant under the Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act. (P.L. 017-110) administered by the Puerto Rico Council of Higher Education Opinions and findings expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by either of these agencies should be inferred. Autorizado por la Comisión Estatal de Elecciones CEE-SA-12-10736.
Resources Administrative Personnel Annette López de Méndez – Director María Antonia Irizarry – Co-Director Lymarie Berrios –Administrative Secretary Lourdes M. Torres – Coordinator Pablo Rivera –External Evaluator
Professors María Antonia Irizarry Aníbal Muñoz Claudio Elsie Candelaria Lowell Fiet Rosemary Morales Urbina Juan Carlos Vadi
Project Participants • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Alex X. Caride – Escuela Henry W. Longfellow Ángel Pérez Rivera - Escuela Evaristo Ribera Chevremont Belkis Escribano Díaz - Escuela Segundo Ruíz Belvis Blanca Sánchez Rivera - Escuela Segunda Unidad Cacique Majagua Carmen Ayala Cebollero - Escuela Intermedia Sta. Clara Carmen M. Figueroa - Escuela José N. Colón González Carmen Rosa Hernández - Escuela Agustín Fernández Colón Carmen Vera Molina - Escuela Juan B. Huyke Evelyn Ortiz Flores - Colegio San Juan Apóstol Gloria E. Ortiz Cotto - Escuela Segunda Unidad Ruiz Belvis Jaime Díaz Cruz - Escuela Manuel Cruz Maceira Jesse Aponte Rodríguez - Escuela Especializada en Deportes, Albergue Jessica Barreda García - Escuela República del Salvador Lilawaty Lozano Rosario - Benjamin Harrison Voc. School Lilliam Pagán Jiménez - Escuela Antonio R. Barceló Liz Badillo Rivera - Benjamin Harrison Voc. School Lourdes Vázquez Ortiz- Escuela Dolores Álvarez Madeline Díaz Guardiola - Escuela Luis Llorens Torres Margaret González- Colegio San Juan Apóstol Margarita López Vázquez - Colegio Congregación Mita María Rigau Jiménez - Colegio Rosa Bell María Virgen Ortiz - Escuela Ramón Luis Rivera Maybel Rivera Castro - Escuela Carlos Conde Marín Melissa M. Cintrón González - Segunda Unidad Eugenio María De Hostos Michael Torres Aquino - Escuela Elemental Barrio Ceiba Minerva Pérez Padua - Escuela Elemental Pedro C. Timotheé Mirian Vega Cortés - Escuela Dra. Concha Meléndez Myrna L. Ortiz Montañez – Escuela Román Baldorioty de Castro Rosa I. Díaz Rodríguez - Escuela Juan Zamora Elementary Rosa M. Miranda Torres - Escuela Epifanio Fernández Shayra León Caratini - Escuela Dr. Ramón E. Betances Sherly A. Planadeball Navarro - Colegio Mundo de los Niños Sulai Román Acevedo - Escuela Evaristo Ribera Chevremont Tamara Valle López-Cepero - Escuela Josefita Monserrate Sellés Vladimir Soto Lucca - Escuela Mariana Feliu Balseiro Yolanda Figueroa - Escuela Alfonso López O’Neill Zoila Latoni González- Colegio La Piedad
Content 7
Prologue
Annette López de Méndez 13 Role of the Environment in Second Language Acquisition
María Antonia Irizarry 17 Eliciting Attitudinal Domains in ESL Lesson Plans: How Effective Planning Aligns Motivational Techniques with Attitudinal Objectives
Aníbal Muñoz Claudio 23 Blended learning: The best of both worlds
Elsie Candelaria 25 The Museum as a Strategy for Developing English Language Skills in L2 learners: Visits to the Museums of the University of Puerto Rico and the University of El Turabo
Rosemary Morales Urbina 32 Synecdoche and Metonymy as Visual Figurative Language in Digital Storytelling
Juan Carlos Vadi 36 Should We Continue Creativity and Intelligence in the Classroom?
Lowell Fiet 42 Yet Another Hat
Alex X. Caride González 45 Stick to the Plan
Vladimir Soto Lucca 48 Lesson 1: The Party of your Dreams! Oral Presentation
Jesse Aponte 55 Lesson 2: Heroes
Mirian E. Vega Sulai Román
61
Lesson 3: Daily Lesson Plan for 9th grade
Vladimir Soto Lucca 64
Lesson 4: Preparing Photo Story Books
Zoila M. Latoni 68
Lesson 5: Lesson Plan for a Reading Activity
Carmen Ayala Figueroa 72
Lesson 6: I Went Walking
Jaime Díaz Cruz 76
Lesson 7: Lesson Plan for a “Storyboard”
Lilawaty Lozano Rosario 88
Lesson 8: Daily Lesson Plan
Carmen M. Figueroa Burgos 93
Lesson 9: Figurative Language and Imagery through Music
Liz Badillo Rivera 96
Lesson 10: Domestic and Farm Animals
Yolanda Figueroa 99
Lesson 11: The Writing Process
Alex X. Caride González 102
Lesson 12: Teaching Nouns and Pronouns through music Sandy A. González Figueroa
107
Resources
Prologue The Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Grade Teachers of English to Diverse Learners: Strategies for Effective Language Production was sponsored by a grant from the Puerto Rico Higher Education Council, No Child Left Behind, Title II Funds (NCLB – 10-01). The purpose of this Project was to offer a professional training program to teachers of diverse learners, leading to the development of innovative strategies that will foster a better linguistic achievement and stimulate learning through an integrated curriculum. This initiative was a response to the urgent need of both public and private schools to bring teachers up to date regarding the latest development in language teaching and learning according to the most recent findings in research. The goal was to provide teachers with the opportunity to reflect upon the potential and needs of diverse learners, and to explore the integration of art and technology as a way to enhance students’ learning. The context The Project concentrated its efforts in public and private schools coming from San Juan, Bayamón, Canovanas, Carolina, Juncos, Guaynabo, Aguas Buenas, Cayey, Cidra, Comerio, Caguas, and seven neighbor private schools. In order to plan and design this project the University of Puerto Rico project staff met on January 18, 2011 with the Department of Education English director, Dr. María T. Rodríguez, to discuss students’ and teachers’ needs. During the conversations we agreed upon the need to strengthen the content of English teaching, assessment, phonemic awareness, speaking and writing skills, reading comprehension, and curriculum alignment based on standards and expectations. Also, it was agreed the curriculum integration would help teachers and students understand the importance of English in all disciplines, and she suggested a variety of educational materials. In addition, the Project team contacted a group of nine private schools that shared their concerns and needs in the teaching of English to diverse learners. Both the private and public sector agreed to facilitate teachers’ recruitment process, the implementation of those strategies presented as part of the Project, and the access to visit the schools for the follow-up phase. The Project recruited 40 teachers from 4th to 6th grade, out of which 38 finished successfully the Project. Teaching diverse learners We live in a society dedicated to the idea of equality for all. For this reason, it is essential that the educational system afford every child an equal opportunity to progress and become a responsible and happy individual. The present vertiginous scientific – technological development and globalization require the use of English as a lingua franca in these processes. Every citizen is expected to be able to be part of these Diverse Learners - Page 7
tendencies and be able to respond to the demands of the existing reality, so that he/she can be a productive asset in the 21st Century. The effective teacher appreciates human diversity. An empowered instructor recognizes how diversity in the classroom creates an environment in which everyone accepts and celebrates both heterogeneity and the uniqueness of individuals. In that environment the teacher and the students view race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin, learning style, and gender of learners as strengths that foster learning with and from each other. The Educational System in Puerto Rico has a high percentage of students of diverse populations. Thus, it is crucial that teachers who impart education to these learners be equipped with the necessary tools to meet the needs of these students. The teacher needs to understand how students learn and develop language skills and use this knowledge to plan and organize an integrated curriculum, implement instruction, and assess learning. This Project was designed to provide teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop teaching strategies that would enhance the learning of diverse learners. The Project: How it evolved The Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Grade Teachers of English to Diverse Learners: Strategies for Effective Language Production is a commitment to guarantee equal opportunities for students of diverse populations. The Project envisioned the following goals, to: a. Achieve a high degree competent educator who can implement teaching strategies pertinent to the educational growth of diverse learners. b. Facilitate the professional development of teachers in the areas of visual and performing arts, music curriculum alignment, state of the art technology, and assessment strategies, as integrated to the teaching of English to diverse learners for a better academic achievement. c. Promote and disseminate participants’ strategic planning through the design of curricular matrix(es) and lessons based on standards of excellence. In order to accomplish these goals 40 teachers were recruited, that were trained in two separate sessions. The first session was offered at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus , while the second was offered at the Escuela Superior Urbana, Cidra School District, at Aguas Buenas. The University of Puerto Rico Project team is extremely grateful to Prof. Kelvin Pagån la Luz, Director of the Escuela Superior Urbana, for hosting the Project. We also would like to thank Prof. Hector Navedo, Supervisor at the Fine Arts Department, Cidra School District, who so diligently helped recruit and publicize the Project among teachers from the Cidra District. WTeachers attended 127 hours of professional development in the areas of visual and performing arts, music, curriculum alignment, state of the art technology, assessment strategies for the development of English language arts, and strategic planning and implementation of innovative lessons on how to integrate different topics to the development of the English language arts oral and written communication, and reading comprehension. In addition, the Project wanted to increase teachers’ confidence in planning
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for the integration of English to other disciplines, as well as increase students’ interest and academic background regarding the arts and technology. The Project was based on the premise that the development of linguistic and communicative competence benefits from the use of different approaches to prompt teachers’ and students’ awareness that language proficiency is required for effective communication. Researchers in the areas of linguistics, sociology, psychology, and education such as Brown (2001, 2007), Dodge (1998), Ginn (1999), Guerra and Shutz (1999), Rassias (1998), and Zapel (1999) advocate the use of visual and performing arts, technology, and recent assessment strategies in the development of communicative competence. This project reaffirms the following postulates:
• • •
• •
The use of different approaches and strategies contribute to better, gratifying, and faster acquisition and learning of a language. This is accomplished through the integration of poetry, drama movies, music, and the radio to the teaching lessons. Observing and thinking about art and poetry triggers in the individual the interpretation of the messages artists and writers intend to convey. This, in turn, stimulates critical thinking, creativity, and the construction and interpretation of meaning. The use of problem based learning, concept development, comparative learning and technology for the creation of digital stories, blogs, and chatrooms contribute to the exploration and understanding of concepts. These strategies foster the multiplicity of modalities of learning, perceptions, and learning styles. The integration of different subject areas develops reasoning, the understanding of distinct perspectives, problem solution ability, and the use of figurative language, which are essential for thinking skills. The effective educator understands the importance of ongoing assessment and uses a variety of assessment strategies to guide the teaching of diverse learners. In light of these assumptions, the following strategies were used, geared toward fostering the professional development of participating teachers:
1. Workshops on curriculum integration and instructional alignment. The purpose of these workshops was to acquaint participants with different strategies geared to foster the integration of standards of excellence, expectations, and the English language arts. The workshops included models of integration, alignment of standards and expectations, curriculum and instructional matrixes where technology and assessment were incorporated. 2. Workshops on the assessment of diverse learners. The Project recognizes the relevance and importance of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of diverse learners before planning the teaching-learning process. Therefore, it established as a priority the need to make participating teachers conscious of innovative ways to determine the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students bring to school. Assessment was visualized as a process, which implies to observe in a detailed and careful manner the development and growth of students. In the workshops, the trainers presented and implemented assessment strategies for the evaluation of oral communication, reading comprehension, and written communication. Diverse Learners - Page 9
3. Lectures and workshops regarding art, poetry, and drama. The Project offered the participating teachers a series of lectures in the areas of the visual and performing of arts as cues for speaking and writing production; poetry for the enjoyment of literature through figurative language, in addition to drama for the enhancement of oral communication. Through these lectures and workshops, participating teachers had practical and real experiences directed towards the fostering of appreciation of creativity, development of sensitivity, and understanding of the relationship of the areas studied and the teaching of English. Likewise, participating teachers had the opportunity to reflect about values and culture. Furthermore, the Project fostered in participants the necessary competencies to implement a creative agenda to enable students to express themselves freely, thus enhancing their self-esteem, perseverance, and motivation. 4. Visit to the museum. To complement the lectures and workshops, participating teachers had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Art, Anthropology, and History of the University of Puerto Rico and the Museum and Center for Humanistic Studies Dra. Josefina Camacho de la Nuez, at Universidad del Turabo. This experience enabled participants to be familiarized with artistic creativity, appreciate art, explore the value of art from the social and cultural dimensions, besides knowing how art is a means of expression that strengthens and enhances personal and collective self-esteem. 5. Workshops on the production of digital stories and the creation of blogs and chatrooms. The workshops on the production of digital stories and the creation of blogs and chatrooms enabled participating teachers to explore technology as a means of expression (speaking and writing). These workshops allowed participants to understand technological science as an everyday instrument, which can be easily learned and utilized to express ideas, develop new visions, and explore new concepts. The digital art is an integrating experience, which enabled participating teachers and their students to develop the capacity to inquire, identify and solve problems, invent, and create. At the same time, digital stories, blogs, and chart-rooms were presented as means of expression that foster the speaking, reading, and writing competencies, enticing the student to connect reality to visual image, oral and written expression creatively. Participating teachers had the opportunity to create and develop digital stories and blogs and chat-rooms with the purpose of maximizing their students’ academic achievement. 6. Workshops on the movies as a source of idiomatic expressions and using the radio for listening comprehension. These workshops were directed towards the recognition of individual differences among students. There are many approaches and techniques that can be used to attend to the learning styles of diverse students. These workshops provided participating teachers with basic tools to adapt and differentiate the teaching –learning process. Movies and the radio were used to present learners simple strategies to identify and understand idiomatic expressions for listening comprehension. The goal was to develop phonemic awareness and communicative competence. 7. Workshops on the use of music for language production through writing. In these workshops participants learned how creative writing emphasize the relation of music and the power of satisfaction and joy in the production of language. Workshops presented a variety of models and strategies that can Diverse Learners - Page 10
be used in the fostering creativity and the use of music to stimulate the writing expression in learners. Similarly, alternative writing strategies were presented to participants. The main goal was to arouse participating teachers’ thinking about alternate and wholistic strategies to motivate and get learners interested in writing. Moreover, the calendar of lectures and workshops included poetry, drama, music, movies, the radio, and technology to illustrate the integration of different disciplines in the development of the language arts for communicative competence. 8. Workshops of strategic planning for oral communication, reading comprehension, and written communication. The effect of strategically planned instruction increases the probability of successful achievement of goals. Because of this reality, the concept of strategically planned instruction was introduced in order to consider a series of events which affect the learner. It is assumed that this planning facilitates learning. The purpose of strategically planned instruction is to develop an organized system to promote learning, which will create change in the behavior of people. This kind of planning activate and maintain the students’ learning. This process should be planned and not left to fate. This way the teaching-learning process will not only propitiate the development of the affective level and human values but it will also reinforce diversity. During the workshops, different experts helped participating teachers integrate the areas studied in strategic lessons. Examples of these lessons have been included as part of this publication. In addition, follow-up visits were coordinated to entail conversations with participating teachers to discuss the challenges schools present and how to facilitate the integration of teachers’ experiences in the Project to their daily classes. Besides, the professional resources of the Project served as mentors giving support, observing, and offering feedback to participating teachers in the process of implementation of the school curriculum. Also, they will secure the teachers’ planning and adaptation of the program of study to stimulate students’ learning. Although not all participants were visited, through the eyes of those that were visited it became evident that the project had made a difference in their lives and in their students learning. Teachers were grateful because now they could make better use of the technology, some claimed to have found a bridge to listening skill and poetry through music, to writing skills through digital storytelling and blogs, to speaking skills through video production and art. In many occasions, we as visitors received thank you notes from the students, and were amazed at the quality of the video productions, poetry writing, and the effort each student made to express himself or herself in English, as the lingua franca. The product: The teachers’ manual In order to complete the Project we embarked in putting together this publication, which is dedicated to all participating teachers for instilling passion to the teaching profession and for their great effort to pursue quality education for all. In the manual the reader will find several articles written by the Project faculty, lessons plans written by some of the participants, and photographs that allows us to see how teachers integrated the innovative strategies in their classrooms.
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In the article written by Dra. Maria A. Iguirizarry, co-director of the Project and an ardent advocate of diverse learners, the reader will be able to reflect upon the idea of how the learning environment affects language acquisition. In her writing she reminds us about the “importance of the connection between the second language-learning environment and student motivation.” Thus, the need for teachers to learn how to design interesting lessons, characterized for encouraging students’ active participation. The articles written by Prof. Anibal Muñoz, Dra. Elsie Candelaria, Dra. Rosemary Morales Urbina, and Dr. Juan Vadi Fantauzzi and the Manual serve two purposes. First, they are articles that speak to teachers about strategies and techniques that can be used in their classrooms to make the L2 learning environment more active and participatory. Second, the Manual serves as a document that summarizes the different strategies that participating teachers learned throughout the workshops. Following the faculty writings the Manual presents a series of participants’ writing and lesson plans. These are examples of the work of how participants perceived and can transfer what was learned to the classroom reality. Thus, we are grateful to those participants who allowed us to publish their reflections, teaching plans, and reflections. I would like to invite the reader, to see this Project as a learning experience from which we all can learn; as a request to the educational system to consider the importance of providing the time and the opportunity to teachers to explore and experiment with the use of technology and art in the teaching of English as a second language. I applaud the effort and support the Educational Council of Puerto Rico provides to universities in order to make these projects a reality and make them accessible to the teachers, the students, and the schools. The hope is that this effort will begin to change the classroom environment in order to motivate students’ interest and desire to learn. Annette López de Méndez, Ed.D. Project Director References
Brown, H.D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (2nd. ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman. Brown, H.D. (2007). Principles of language learning and teaching (4 th. ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman. Dodge, D. (1998). Creative drama in the second language classroom: Action Research. Retrieved from http:// educ.queensu.ca/~ar/11drama.htm Ginn, W.Y. (1999). Jean Piaget-Intellectural development. Retrieved from http://english.sk.com.br/sk-piage.html Guerra, C., & Shutz, R. (1999). Vygotsky. Retrieved from http://english.sk.com.br/sk-vygoy.html Rassias Foundation. (1998). Language in action: A profile of Professor Rassias. Retrieved from http://Dartmouth. edu/arsci/rassias/JAR.html Zapel, A.L. (Ed.). (1999). 1999-2000 Theater, drama, and speech resources. Catalog #144. Colorado, Springs, CO: Meriwether Publishing.
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Role of the Environment in Second Language Acquisition María A. Irizarry, Ed. D. Introduction The environment plays a crucial role in second language acquisition. Key characteristics of successful language learners have their foundation in the creation, management, and manipulation of the learning environment. Motivation is one of the key traits that a successful language learner should have; however, without an appropriate and supportive language-learning environment, even the most motivated student will encounter learning constraints. What follows is a concise summary of how the environment impacts second language acquisition. In order to do this, let’s examine what a language environment is and identify some of the variables that a teacher can manage to modify the environment. With a careful understanding of the nature of the language environment, we will discuss the teacher’s role in creating, manipulating, and managing environmWents. We will also see the connection between the learning environment and student motivation. Then, we will examine this connection and identify key issues of student motivation impacted by the environment. Role of the environment in second language acquisition (SLA) Before discussing the role of the environment in second language acquisition, we must first talk about language environment. We can frame this discussion by defining what we mean by a language-learning environment. We are familiar with the physical aspect of an environment, like the size and shape of the classroom, whether the room has a window, where the students sit and so on. On the other hand, there are many aspects of the environment that are less tangible, but they are important to successful language learning. For instance, whether the class is conducted in the target language is one of the most well-known intangibles of the language environment. What is a language environment? The Free Dictionary (2011) defines environment as the totality of circumstances surrounding an organism or group of organisms, especially: a. b.
The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of organisms, and The complex of social and cultural conditions affecting the nature of an individual or community.
Thus, as we examine this definition, it encompasses almost anything we can imagine as being relevant to a second language learner. Nevertheless, to frame our discussion of the role of the environment in second language acquisition, it is important that we get specific in our definition. The basis of our definition must encompass all of the external physical conditions of the languagelearning classroom that does not create any unforeseen barriers or constraints within the language learning process. One limitation to the physical environment is that a teacher’s options may be very limited. The guidelines of any specific institution might place limitations on what they can do to change Diverse Learners - Page 13
the physical environment. This emphasizes the strong need for teachers to be aware of the social and cultural aspects of the environment. Intangible environment factors In light of our definition, we must examine social and cultural conditions affecting the nature of an individual or community. According to Vize (2010), as teachers, we are in direct control of the learning environment of our students. We are, therefore, able to influence the way in which they learn most effectively, and to make decisions about how we structure our classes to suit the needs of both our students and ourselves. Using tasks is an example of how we can shape an intangible learning environment. We can do this by planning our classroom and choosing the experiences which best facilitate second language acquisition. According to Moss and Ross-Feldman (2003), task-based teaching provides learners with opportunities for learner-to-learner interactions that encourage authentic use of language and meaningful communication. By using tasks, learners fulfill their language communication purpose as they practice language, knowledge, and the skills they have constructed and the understandable messages they have produced. The goal of a task is to exchange meaning in second language. Learners produce longer sentences and negotiate meaning more often in pair and group work than in teacher-fronted instruction. Tasks may be most successful when they contain elements that: • • • • • •
Are new or unfamiliar to the participants; Require learners to exchange information with their partners or group members; Have a specific outcome; Involve detail; Center on a problem, especially an ethical one, such as deciding in a small group who should take the last spot in a lifeboat, a nuclear physicist or a pregnant woman; Involve the use of naturally occurring conversation and narrative discourse.
There are many ways teachers can shape the learning environment to provide learners with opportunities to share ideas, build consensus, and explain decisions about real-life issues important to them. Some of the most crucial social conditions are those linked directly to the students themselves. It should be, therefore, every teacher’s goal to provide a learning environment that promotes a positive psychological quality, stable mood, and strong will power that will have an impact on a learner’s choice of learning strategies. A student who lacks confidence usually cannot express his ideas fluently or do well in language communication, cannot control his own feelings, and cannot have positive emotional strategies. Meanwhile, a confident student expresses himself naturally, has a light mood, is active, and dares to take risks. Role of the teacher There are two distinctions that every teacher must make. First, many of the physical aspects of her environment are out of his/her control. They will be given to him/her. For instance, the institution may
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control the size, shape, and color of the classroom. Moreover, facilities such as, access to technology and resource room will probably also be managed by the institution. Secondly, this means that teachers must be aware that everything else that happens in the classroom is mostly under his/her control. A teacher must carefully shape the classroom environment beyond what is given to him/her. It is the charge of the teacher to create an atmosphere of confidence and familiarity. Planning ahead, a teacher can create, manage, and manipulate the learning environment to enable students to become successful language learners. There are still some social and cultural variables of the learning environment that may be out of a teacher’s control. Each student has a wide degree of variance regarding exposure to the target language outside of the English classroom. For many students, their only exposure to English is within the English classroom. As Li (2009) emphasizes, this means that teachers must speak English clearly within the classroom for they become one of the primary English speaking role models for their students. Moss and Ross-Feldman (2003) suggest teachers to develop opportunities to stimulate language use when learners are not in the classroom. Project work provides learners with a bridge between practice in and outside of class. Furthermore, projects provide opportunities for learners to work with others to accomplish tasks using English in real-life situations. How does the environment support motivation? Norris-Holt (2001) refers to motivation as the orientation regarding the goal of learning a second language. This underpins the importance of understanding how the environment can help students acquire a second language. Let’s consider some of the ways in which we can influence the environment in second language acquisition: • • • • • • • •
The classroom is conducted entirely in the target language; The class in conducted using small groups, pair activities, whole group approach; The class is developed entirely in the classroom or a combination of in class and community activities; We encourage questions during the class; Students are encouraged to interact and discuss teaching methods and learning styles; We investigate the preferred learning styles of our students (such as whether they are visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) and the teaching method we use for second language acquisition; or We offer a variety of classroom activities which include different level challenges.
Li (2009) states that with a favorable language environment as well as language input, language acquisition will be fulfilled; notwithstanding, teachers must understand the connection between the learning environment and student motivation. According to Norris-Holt (2001), students who are most successful when learning a target language are those who like the people that speak the language, admire the culture, and have a desire to become familiar with or even integrate into the society in which the language is used. Thus, another way that a teacher can emphasize the relationship between environment and motivation is to use instrumental motivation. This is generally characterized by the desire to obtain something practical or concrete from the study of a second language; for example, by demonstrating Diverse Learners - Page 15
the value of language acquisition to meet requirements for school or university graduation, applying for a job, or requesting a higher pay based on language ability. According to Moss and Ross-Feldman (2003), research examining how to improve learner motivation suggests that social factors (e.g., group dynamics, learning environment, and a partner’s motivation) affect a learner’s attitude, effort, classroom behavior, and achievement. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers create an environment that is conducive to learning by encouraging group cohesion in the classroom. Pair and group work activities can provide learners with opportunities to share information and build a sense of community. Conclusion There is a great deal that is not known about the effect of environmental variables on language acquisition. Research on interaction and about input is ongoing. Since there is still debate as to the connection between the learning environment and successful second language learning more research in this area is necessary. I have succinctly defined language environment. I’ve delineated between the physical and the social or cultural conditions, as well as identified the given aspects of a language-learning environment. Doing so, I provide some recommendations a teacher can follow to shape his/her classroom environment. I summarized the importance of the connection between the second language-learning environment and student motivation. It is important to consider the following when Norris-Holt (2001) suggests that: Teachers need to create interesting lessons in which the students’ attention is gained. This can sometimes be accomplished by the use of teaching strategies, which are not often called upon by other teachers in mainstream subject areas. Encouraging students to become more active participants in a lesson can sometimes assist them to see a purpose for improving their communication skills in the target language. Successful communication using the target language should result in students feeling some sense of accomplishment since achievement in L2 strongly affects learner’s motivation. References Li, C. (2009) A research on second language acquisition and college English teaching. Retrieved from: http// www.ccsenet.org/journal.index.php/elt/article/download/4447/3787 Marinova-Todd, S., Marshall, D., Snow, C. (2000). Three misconceptions about age and L2 learning. TESOL Quarterly, 34 (1) 9 – 34. Retrieved from: http://ling75.arts.ubc.ca/ling/100/readings/Marinova-Todd.pdf Moss, D., Ross-Feldman, L. (2003). Second language acquisition in adults: From research to practice. Retrieved from: http://www.cal.org/caela?esl_resources/digests/SLA.html Norris-Holt, J. (2001). Motivation as a contributing factor in second language acquisition. The Internet TESL Journal. Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Norris-Motivation.html The Free Dictionary. (2011). Environment. Retrieved from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/environment Vize, A. (2010). Environment in language acquisition: How to choose the best ESL learning environment. Retrieved from: http://wwwbringtub.com/education/languages/articles/70397.aspx
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Eliciting Attitudinal Domains in ESL Lesson Plans:
How Effective Planning Aligns Motivational Techniques with Attitudinal Objectives Aníbal Muñoz Claudio, Ed. D. “I really hate doing lesson plans!” “I don’t know how to write objectives!” “Why do we need attitudinal objectives in lesson plans?” These and hundreds more are the usual complaints we often hear from experienced Puerto Rican ESL teachers when it comes to writing daily lesson plans. In spite of its crucial importance in teaching practices, lesson planning has never been considered the favorite academic task of any educator I have met. This lately yet ever-growing resentment by many educators is one direct result of the constant changing of public policies in the Department of Education of Puerto Rico (DEPR) with regards to its planning procedures. As specified in its most recent official letter “Planificación del Proceso de Aprendizaje” (CC-2-2010-2011, (July 22, 2010), the DEPR changed the core of its previous planning procedures and even added other areas as well. Among others, the most significant changes presented in the DEPR latest policy include the interdisciplinary curricular integration, teachers’ reflective practices at the end of lessons, categorization of grade level expectations by their depth of knowledge (better known as Webb’s DOK¹), and the new conceptualization of objective domains in which the old trilogy of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains has been replaced by conceptual, procedural, and attitudinal objectives. The latter change has generated most of the controversy and resentment by teachers. Today, teachers are not only puzzled with internalizing and conceptualizing the DEPR changes in terminology for writing objectives and their implications, but they are also questioning the need to include each of the three domains in every lesson plan as implied in CC-2-2010-2011. One specific domain that most teachers debate about is the attitudinal objective (former affective domain) for they find it very difficult to elicit this domain in every single lesson they carry out. Most educators complain that it is practically impossible to evoke positive attitudes from students in every lesson given. Precisely, one common misconception about writing attitudinal objectives in lesson plans is that teachers believe they must always obtain positive attitudes or a great sense of happiness in their students in every given class. As a result, we encounter a lot of unattainable objectives such as: .students will understand..., students will appreciate..., students will comprehend..., students will value..., students will be grateful..., and others. The ways (verb choice) in which these objectives are written represent teachers’ naive expectations for they are objectives very difficult to observe much less to assess. Let’s remember that effective planning is based on objectives –assessment alignment and that all objectives must be
¹ Refers to Norman Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Levels (1997) DOK is the degree of depth or complexity of knowledge standards and assessments require; this criterion is met if the assessment is as demanding cognitively as the expectations standards are set for the students.
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observable and/or measured to some extent. The learners’ positive attitudes will emerge naturally from the activities or strategies selected by their teachers, but, by no means, could those processes be guaranteed or planned for. Much to the contrary, attitudinal objectives should emphasize open discussions for students to communicate their attitudes (positive, neutral, or negative) towards the content presented in class. Therefore, these objectives must be written using verbs that would bring forth learners’ observable/ measurable behavior such as: students will respond orally to..., students will comment on..., students will write their opinions about..., students will discuss about..., students will debate on..., students will react to..., students will fill out a questionnaire to react to..., students will complete a chart to denote their views about...etc. Once, these activities are carried out (totally observable/measurable), teachers will tell which attitudes students reveal with regards to the content presented in class. In this way, the attitudinal objectives will be met. Furthermore, when we examine closely the task of planning for attitudinal objectives in a lesson, we can suggest that teachers, instead of being mystified by its complexity, should rather feel the opposite –enlightened. Attitudinal objectives are the easiest to attain in every lesson if teachers discover how to maximize their class instances. The best instance of every class occurs with the motivational techniques (MTs), indeed. Reflecting on common traditional planning methods used by many ESL educators, we notice that MTs are almost non-existent, particularly at the secondary level (7-12). How often do we observe classes in which teachers greet students, check attendance, and engage students into class content without providing any slight transition period or connection to it at all? Nonetheless, if ESL educators are looking for ways to elicit attitudinal domains in order to boost class motivation (and to comply with DEPR planning policies of including attitudinal objectives in a lesson plan), they must launch themselves into developing and carrying out effective motivational techniques to begin/close their daily lessons. By adopting this element of surprise in their lessons, ESL teachers will not only ignite class enthusiasm and learning, but will also discover how easily it would be to attain the attitudinal domain when planning.
LESSON PLANS!!!
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Motivational Techniques:
An essential component of an effective lesson plan Motivational techniques (MT) are the most engaging powerful tools ESL educators can rely on to elicit the attitudinal domain in every lesson! This essential part of a lesson plan, which is usually disregarded by many teachers, is precisely what educators need in order to deliver an effective lesson. MT could vary for every different lesson and content, but in essence they all bring about the same four fundamental purposes: 1. Provide a transition period for learners to get acquainted and comfortable with their English classrooms and teachers alike. At the elementary and secondary levels, students, naturally, take some time to adjust to any class before forgetting their earlier class period. After conducting routine activities (attendance, etc.) ESL teachers must rely on effective MT to ease the way for students to feel relaxed and calm in the English classroom. 2. Provide an opportunity for learners to engage smoothly into the English language. MTs are critical in decreasing ESL learners’ anxiety to participate in an ESL class. Krashen (1982) contended in his Affective Filter Hypothesis that there exists a “filter” or “mental block” that impedes L2 from “getting in” in learners; a low filter is associated with relaxation, confidence to take risks, and a pleasant learning environment. MTs easily induce the affective filter and evoke the attitudinal domain of every learner. 3. Connect the learners with the objectives (conceptual and procedural) and content of the lesson. Vygotsky (1978) contended in his ZPD, mediation, and scaffolding theories that learners become better acquainted with concepts and procedures when they make proper connections and associations (particularly when they are contextualized). For instance, the scaffolding theory describes social and instructional support for students learning new concepts, comparable to structures erected alongside newly constructed buildings. Scaffolding supports the construction (the introduction of new material in motivational techniques) and is taken away after completion (or when the lesson/or concepts are understood). 4. Provide an opportunity for teachers to bring their class to a graceful ending in closing activities. Motivational techniques could very well be used to close a lesson, thus leaving learners and educators fully engaged with class content even after the class is over.
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60 examples of motivational techniques to begin/close an ESL lesson: Educators can juxtapose them in any unimaginable way. Written
Audio-Visual / Technological
Oral & Kinesthetic
Present Reflections on the board, Begin/close your class by showing Sing Songs, or recite Poetry cardboards, projector, or in
Real life Pictures (from albums or out loud with proper intonation
handouts.
digital), Video clips of TV shows,
patterns.
or Video Games demos (by Present Quotations from Famous
students). Begin your class with some of
People.
the best motivational techniques:
Tell Personal Anecdotes or Joke.
Movie Trailers, Documentary Clips, Song Videos, and Real-life Domestic Videos. Present Poems, Fables, Songs or
Introduce Real-life Objects or
Perform a live Dramatization (act
other short pieces of writing.
gadgets (hats, t-shirts, shoes,
out in front of the class). Invite
electronic devices, household
students to participate along with
groceries, etc.).
you (chorus line, etc.).
Bring Local or International
Show Drawings, Posters,
Begin a class with short
Newspaper Headlines/news
Paintings, Graffiti samples
Dialogues between you and a
(short passages).
(digital samples are very
different student every day.
convenient). Read short Articles from
Begin a class by showing Banners, Deliver Monologues (by yourself,
magazines, books, etc.
Maps (specific places and how
Present Eccentric Words from
to get there), Foreign money,
dictionaries.
Family albums, etc. to connect
or assigned students).
with content. Use personal Letters, Postcards,
Begin a class by showing Flyers,
Play Oral Games (Simon Says,
Bookmarks Anecdotes, Short
Brochures, Car Stickers, and
etc.) to practice oral commands
Biographies etc.
Concert Tickets (or any tickets).
and to boost physical activity.
Bring copies of Invitations,
Show Diagrams, Cartoons,
Begin or close your class with
Menus, Flyers of concerts, etc.
Charts (stadium seating
Tongue Twisters to practice
arrangements, etc.) Tables
difficult phonemes
(dietary pyramid, etc.) to connect
(in both languages).
to class content. Present amusing Acrostics,
Play a Musical Instrument live
Begin your class by introducing
Acronyms of associations, or
(if you have the skills, or have any
Foreign Words that are used in
important Abbreviations of titles, talented student doing it).
English such as: burritos, pizza,
etc. to start your class.
croissants, etc.).
Begin your class by reading
Begin our class by playing
Use ClichĂŠs, Sayings, or well-
Labels from medications, clothes,
Songs (use a regular CD player,
known Idiomatic-Colloquial
products, etc. (health and
computer, or even Karaoke
Expressions (eg. Like father like
warning labels are very useful and system if available). important).
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son).
I. Practice Exercises Directions: Design adequate motivational techniques for the following lessons. Indicate the proper connection with objectives and lesson content. Justify your selection based on DEPR Content Standards and Grade Level Expectations. 1. Exercise 1. Elementary Level (1st grade) a. (DEPR Standard & GLE: L/S 1.2 –Develops and demonstrates phonemic awareness and auditory discrimination to identify distinctive sounds) b. You are to conduct a class in which your main objective (both CONCEPTUAL and PROCEDURAL) is to distinguish the different pronunciation of long and short vowels. c. Attitudinal Objective- Students will select and comment about their favorite item from a given list of items.
• (Motivational Technique –Real-life Objects: Visual-tactile mode) Begin your class by presenting familiar and engaging items such as technological gadgets (cellular phones, iPods, laptops, GPS, etc.), fruits (bananas, apples, grapes, etc.), money (dollar, dime, nickel, penny), or even small toys or games (cars, dolls, Wii, etc.). Usually, these items are very common to find at home (cost-effective), they are appealing to students’ interests, and they provide an ample variety of English phonemes to practice. Provide the correct pronunciation of these items in English and have your students repeat them. Then asked your students which item they prefer the most out of each category and why. Write the winning items on the board to emphasize their spelling and pronunciation. The Conceptual objective of the skill (distinguishing short and long vowels) is enhanced by a more direct visual-tactile appeal than the actual pictures in a book. The learners’ attitudinal domain will emerge as they select their favorite item and establish a direct connection and association to its English pronunciation. 2. Exercise 2. Secondary Level (9th grade) a. DEPR Standard & GLE: R 9.3 –Analyzes characters and traits; explains setting in fiction and non-fiction; distinguishes between first person, third person, and omniscient point of view. b. You are to conduct a class in which your main objective (both CONCEPTUAL and PROCEDURAL) is to identify and classify character traits (direct and indirect characterization) c. Attitudinal Objective- Students will debate on which character traits they consider more important in life.
• (Motivational Technique –Juxtapose Pictures with Movie Trailers: Audio-visual/technological) Begin your class by presenting a series of digital pictures from famous/infamous people such as: Osama Bin-Laden, Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, others (avoid local politicians). Ask students what characters traits these personalities evoke upon them. You must establish the connection of this part of your MT to the concept of direct characterization (character traits students already know from the characters –given information). Then, show your students a movie trailer (or video clip) of an unknown character performing certain noticeable actions. Repeat the process by asking your students what character traits this character evokes upon them based on his/her actions in the video clip. You must establish the connection of this second part of your MT to the concept of indirect characterization (character traits students can infer based on actions). Having conducted your class, you can close it graciously by engaging your students in a debate about which character traits are more important in life. The Conceptual objective of the skill Diverse Learners - Page 21
(direct and indirect characterization) is enhanced by establishing a direct connection between the MT and class content (reading selection, etc.). The learners’ attitudinal domain will emerge as they argue/ present the pros and cons of each character trait. Here is a list of suggested exercises for you to practice aligning motivational techniques with writing attitudinal objectives. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
(Standard R) (elementary/ secondary level) Your class main objective is to identify setting in a short story. (Standard R) (secondary level) You will conduct a class in which your main objective is to identify sensory images (imagery) in a folk tale. (Standard R) (secondary level) You will conduct a class in which your main objective is to identify figurative language (similes, metaphors, and personification) in poetry. (Standard W) (elementary level) Your class main objective is to write the past tense for regular action verbs. (Standard W) (secondary level) Your class main objective is to write progressive tenses (past, present, and future for regular and irregular action verbs. (Standard W) (elementary level) Your class’ main objective is to write an autobiography. (Standard W) (elementary/secondary levels) Your class main objectives are to identify and practice the 5 pre-writing techniques. (Standard W) (elementary level) Your class main objective is to write a Bio-Poem. (Standard W) (secondary level) Your class main objective is to identify the components of a comparison and contrast essay. (Standard W) (secondary level) Your class main objective is to write creative Haikus and Tankas (Japanese poems). (Standard L/S) (intermediate level) You are to conduct a class in which your main objective is to practice idiomatic expressions. (Standard L/S) (intermediate level) You are to conduct a class in which your main objective is to practice homonyms and homophones.
References
Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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Blended Learning: The Best of Both Worlds Elsie Candelaria, Ed. D. The appearance of computer technology in our society has changed the way we view and do many of our normal, routine activities. Teaching is not impervious to these changes and the appearance of computers in our classrooms and laboratories has become ubiquitous. Many teachers and college professors resisted these changes because, like most humans, we are quite resistant to changes in our milieus. The option offered by blended learning allows us to keep both the traditional teacher-student contact, alongside all types of technologically enhanced activities and experiences. Blended learning has become increasingly important and is closely related to distance learning and e-learning. In spite of the many attractive advantages of accessibility, flexibility, and cost savings of e-Learning, direct human contact, especially the physical face-to-face interaction is missed in the learning process. Putting learning materials online doesn’t make learning happen. According to Graham (2009) the use of the term blended learning is relatively new in higher education. The term “hybrid course” was often used in higher education prior to the emergence of the term “blended learning”. Now the two terms are used interchangeably. Since this term is rather new, Graham states that there are still ongoing debates regarding its meaning and relevance (Driscoll, 2002; Graham, Allen, & Ure, 2003; Laster, 2004; Masie, 2005; Oliver & Trigwell, 2005; Osguthorpe & Graham, 2003, in Graham, 2009). Most authors do agree that “the most commonly held position is that blended learning environments combine faceto-face instruction with technology-mediated instruction (Graham, 2009, p. 375). This definition points to a convergence of two well-known learning environments: the traditional face-to-face (F2F) with the distributed (or technology-mediated) environment. There are many reasons to choose the blended approach to learning. Graham (2009) states that the three most common reasons listed in the literature are: • To increase learning effectiveness • To increase convenience and access • To increase cost effectiveness Another issue that needs to be clarified is the model to be implemented since several are identified by Graham (2009) and it is important to “share successful models of blended learning so that all can benefit (Graham 2009, p. 376). According to this author, blending occurs at different levels including the institutional level, the program level, the course level, and the activity level. Furthermore, “models at the course and activity levels have instructor stakeholders who are primarily interested in issues of learning effectiveness and productivity” (Graham, 2009, p.376). Blended learning that occurs at the program and institutional levels has administrator stakeholders who are usually more interested in cost effectiveness and expanding access of the learning to untapped audiences. Since a wide range of blends is possible, Graham (2009) organizes this vast spectrum into three major categories: enabling blends, enhancing blends, and transforming blends. Enabling blends focus on access and convenience; they use communication technologies to provide learning experiences that are very similar to the face-to-face modality. Enhancing blends include small changes in the teaching experience. They can be distinguished
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from enabling blends because they provide online resources and activities, yet these activities tend to be somewhat small in scope. Transforming blends allow for a significant change in pedagogy and facilitate active learner construction of knowledge. Most schools and colleges begin by using enabling blends that are slowly changed, along with appropriate teacher professional development activities, into transforming blends. Integrating blended learning in our classrooms is now seen as the best way to comply with the needs of our students for an environment that merges technologies such as web based activities, video and audio and our needs, as teachers, to be able to interact with our students in a �face to face� environment. The use of blogs, e-mail, chatting, podcasts, and even Facebook is contemplated in a blended learning environment and does not feel as threatening as a completely online teaching experience.
References
Graham, C.R (2009). Blended learning models. In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition, pp. 375-382. Retrieved from http://www.irma-international.org/viewtitle/13601/.
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The Museum as a Strategy for Developing English Language Skills in L2 learners: Visits to the Museums of the University of Puerto Rico and the University of El Turabo Rosemary Morales Urbina, Ed. D. English teachers are constantly mulling over in their heads how literacies can be developed in English language learners (ELLs) in innovative and inspiring ways. These educators want their students to engage and interact with English and the environment in natural settings. They trust that these settings will be teaching and learning experiences learners will never forget. One experience that can be memorable and effective in developing English language skills is the class visit to the museum. Museums in many parts of the world have programs for nonnative speakers of all ages that propose to strengthen and create meaningful language learning experiences. According to Cooker and Pemberton (2010), in their study at The University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom (UK) with English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), “self-access centers,” such as museums, play an important role in providing flexible language learning opportunities for second language (L2) learners. The museum can be understood as a social space where ELLs can meet and devise favorable junctures to use the target language before, during, and after a visit to the museum. Cooker and Pemberton (2010) suggest that these non-traditional learning environments offer ELLs opportunities to engage in the English language in a “relaxed atmosphere” when they are given the right amount of support and challenge. Other museums with programs fostering the importance of improving language skills and supporting language development to ESOL learners in a stimulating environment are the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City and the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK (Oder, 2011). Many educators are favoring alternative sources of information to heighten their lesson plans (Tuffy, 2011). One of these sources that provides a wealth of knowledge and infinite access to cultures, ideas, history, and information about the community, the region, the country, or the world are museums. An excursion to the museum to enhance English language skills and facilitate materials that the second language learner (L2) will later use to create his or her own learning experience may help the learner to acquire the vocabulary words, grammar features, and English language skills needed for effective communication. Eakle and Dalesio (2008) posit that museum literacies can be engaging and transforming for students while covering the content in core subjects and meeting school curriculum standards. Incorporating museum-based pedagogy enables the teaching of multiple literacies, such as verbal, visual, technological, social, and critical (Schwartz, 2008). Schwartz (2008) suggests that this pedagogy consists of classroom instruction that develops students to understand the “persuasive nature” of museum displays in which digital technology mediates, powerful interests influence, social agents negotiate, and multimodal texts communicate meaning. Conforming to (Tuffy, 2011), students learn in many different styles. These different styles can be categorized as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. She believes that differentiated learning is achieved by incorporating unique museum visit experiences and by exploring museum resources to captivate students. English language teachers can also develop and provide these experiences from meaningful classroom learning activities. Diverse Learners - Page 25
Tuffy, (2011) identifies four key elements responsible educators should follow in order to have an effective and meaningful fieldtrip at a museum. The four elements include: pre-planning, interaction, task-oriented activities, and follow-up (p. 46). By following these steps, teachers can obtain significant language learning in ELLs.
The University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, College of Education, Educational Investigations Center, directed and co-directed by Dr. Annette Lopez and Dr. Maria A. Irizarry, respectively, has provided a myriad of workshops under the proposal titled, The Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Grade Teachers of English to Diverse Learners: Strategies for Effective Language Production. Sponsored by a grant from the Puerto Rico Higher Education Council, No Child Left Behind Act, and Title II Funds, the program proposes to train English teachers of different school districts in Puerto Rico in innovative pedagogies that will develop speaking and writing production and effective communication skills in L2 learners. One of the workshops, Visit to the Museum, is an animating teaching strategy that sparks lessons teachers can plan and students can enjoy and remember. The purpose is to create meaningful lessons and activities at each workshop for teachers to interact with and take back to their classrooms. The visits to the museums turned into effective and affective English language learning opportunities. Excursions to the museums took place in June of 2011 at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus and the other at the University of El Turabo in February of 2012. Before offering the workshops, I paid a visit to each museum to become familiarized with the current exhibitions. On the first day of the workshop, teachers were given a survey regarding their knowledge about the exhibitions at the museums, the integration of art into the English language curriculum and assessment strategies. Next, I presented a set of interview questions the participants would ask each other. The purpose was to begin a conversation about art Diverse Learners - Page 26
to explore their knowledge about the exhibition, the different genres of art, paintings, and experiences at museums. They were asked whether they owned any art forms as well. At the museums, the teacher participants asked the tour guides questions about the exhibitions, read the descriptionsThe University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, College of Education, Educational Investigations Center, directed and co-directed by Dr. Annette López and Dr. Maria A. Irizarry, respectively, has provided a myriad of workshops under the proposal titled, Professional Development for Kinder to 12th Grade Teachers of English to Diverse Learners: Strategies for Effective Language Production. Sponsored by a grant from the Puerto Rico Higher Education Council, and Title II Funds under the No Child Left Behind Act, the program proposes to train English teachers of different school districts in Puerto Rico in innovative pedagogies that will develop speaking and writing production and effective communication skills in L2 learners. One of the workshops, Visit to the Museum, is an animating teaching strategy that sparks lessons teachers can plan and students can enjoy and remember. The purpose is to create meaningful lessons and activities at each workshop for teachers to interact with and take back to their classrooms. The visits to the museums turned into effective and affective English language learning opportunities. Excursions to the museums took place in June of 2011 at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus and the other at the University of El Turabo in February of 2012. Before offering the workshops, I paid a visit to each museum to become familiarized with the current exhibitions. On the first day of the workshop, teachers were given a survey regarding their knowledge about the exhibitions at the museums, the integration of art into the English language curriculum and assessment strategies. Next, I presented a set of interview questions the participants would ask each other. The purpose was to begin a conversation about art to explore their knowledge about the exhibition, the different genres of art, paintings, and experiences at museums. They were asked whether they owned any art forms as well. At the museums, the teacher participants asked the tour guides questions about the exhibitions, read the descriptions next to the paintings, and interacted with each other. English language learning and assessment activities followed after the fieldtrips to the museums. In retrospect, I feel the mission was accomplished with the four fundamental elements (Tuffy, 2011) responsible educators should follow in order to have an effective and meaningful fieldtrip at a museum. The first museum visited in 2011 was the Museum of History, Anthropology, and Art at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus. The building was designed by German born Henry Klumb, one of Puerto Rico's most prominent architects in the mid-20th century. First, a guided tour in English explained the anthropological exhibition, the Ostiones Cultural Burial Site (460-1435 AD), which features prehistoric objects and the remains of a woman, a man, and an infant, the indigenous people in Puerto Rico before the Taino Indians. Next stop on the guided tour was to learn more about “The Wake” or “El Velorio” painted by Francisco Oller in 1893. This permanent painting is a depiction of a group of people in a room of a hut celebrating the ritual of Baquiné or "wake of little angels," in which an infant, being free from sin, would go to heaven (http://sirisartinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!324674!0# focus).
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Each segment of this large painting was discussed in terms of the different class of people interacting with one another in different activities, food and drink, weapons, landscape and other cultural aspects. Why this painting continues to stir our senses was deliberated as well.
The new exhibition at that time dealt with the Grito de Lares. The "Grito de Lares" was Puerto Rico's first and only cry for independence. On September 23, 1868, 600 to 1000 men, mostly born in Puerto Rico and from the western part of the Island, revolted for independence from Spain (http://www.elboricua. com/lares.html) Many artifacts from the 19th century, such as the original revolutionary flag, as shown below, rifles, machetes, chains, collars with spikes worn by slaves and original documents were displayed and discussed.
One important document exhibited was The Ten Commandments of Free Men written by the Puerto Rican nationalist, Ram贸n Emeterio Betances and his friends while in exile. They were to be the flagship of the Independence movement known today as the Grito de Lares. The Commandments include: 1. Abolition of slavery; 2. Right to fix taxes; 3. Freedom of worship; 4. Freedom of the press; 5. Freedom of speech; 6. Free trade; 7. Freedom of assembly; 8. Right to bear arms; 9. Citizens civil liberties; and 10. Right to elect own public officials. Many of these Commandments are similar to the Bill of Rights found in the Constitution of the United States. The next day teacher participants were given an activity sheet to reinforce their learning experience at the Museum. They were also asked to design a new flag for Puerto Rico. Next, I presented the website, Clickable Map of Puerto Rico Municipalities (http://www.fotw.net/flags/pr(.html). This site offers not only a map of the Island, but also images of the flags that represent each of the 78 municipalities. It also includes a historical overview of all the towns and a description of the symbols and colors of the flags. The participants enjoyed observing the flag of the municipality where their grandparents and Diverse Learners - Page 28
parents were from or where they were born and raised, as well as the one they lived in at the moment. Moreover, the participants’ creative and critical thinking skills were tapped when asked to create a flag that represented their own values and beliefs. Then they were asked to write about the significance of each of the colors and symbols of their flags. Finally, as a culminating activity, the participants read aloud their thoughts about the flag and explained orally what their flag meant to them and why. They seemed very excited about adapting all of these activities to their own teaching level and presenting them to their students to develop their English language skills. The booklet provided to the teachers included a list of the museums in Puerto Rico (http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Puerto_Rico) with the town/city, type of museum, and a brief summary of each to facilitate the planning of a trip with their students to the museum closest to their town or of interest in the future. I administered a post-survey to determine the effectiveness of the visit to the Museum on the participants. The results revealed it was a successful strategy to teach ELLs. The second museum visited took place at the Museo y Centro de Estudios HumanĂsticos at the University of El Turabo in 2012. It is the only archeological-folkloric center in Puerto Rico and serves more than 12 municipalities in the zone. It was founded in 1981 and sponsored by the Chancellor then, Dr. Juan Gonzalez Lamela. Recently it has been greatly developed and supported by Dr. Dennis Alicea, the present Chancellor of the University (http://www.suagm.edu/utmuseo/historia.html). The same four steps for a meaningful museum experience proposed by Tuffy (2011) were followed. I visited the museum prior to meeting with the participants and prepared materials and activities based on the museum exhibition at the University of El Turabo. The workshop was held in one of the multimedia rooms at the Museum. The teachers were given the questionnaire right before the guided tour, as well as the interview session regarding their knowledge about the exhibition, art, and the English curriculum. We observed that the museum exhibits six rooms. The Ana G. Mendez room is dedicated to her legacy and contribution to education in Puerto Rico. The Foundations of Serigraphy room hosts dozens of posters designed by artisans to promote commemorative events in Puerto Rico. Due to time constraints, the tour guide led us through the following four of the six rooms. The Huecoides in Punta Candelario room is an archeological display of prehistoric artifacts, utensils, and handicrafts made by aboriginal groups of Indians from 250 B.C. found in the region of Humacao. The Points of Departure room is devoted to objects, paintings, and photographs that depict the craftsmanship of artisans and woodcarvers of Puerto Rico, and the Sacred Art of Hispanic America room, shows devotional images of Spanish colonial art from the XVII and XVIII centuries. Lastly, but by no means least, the Turabo Valley interactive room consists of images and videos of the historical development of the sugarcane, coffee, and tobacco industries of the region, comprised of Caguas, Gurabo, San Lorenzo, Juncos, Las Piedras, and Humacao centuries ago. The use of digitalized technology and multimodal texts converted this museum visit into a stimulating and exciting experience. Back at the multimedia room, one learning activity was to color the municipalities of the Turabo Valley on a map. I presented once more the site that provides the towns and flags of the Island, Clickable Map of Puerto Rico Municipalities (http://www.fotw.net/flags/pr(.html). Since most of the teachers were from this region, they were asked to draw the flag of their town and create their own flag that symbolized Diverse Learners - Page 29
their values, beliefs, and customs. All the language skills were practiced as the participants described and explained what their flags meant to them. Next, a painting about the first landing of Christopher Columbus in Puerto Rico was discussed and analyzed.
The participants were then asked to answer questions in complete sentences based on the painting above and color the picture. A few teachers suggested other activities to foster English language skills, such as • Write a dialogue between the characters in the painting. Perform the dialogue with a classmate. • Name the ships in the bay. • Compare and contrast the gifts exchanged between the characters in the painting. Finally, the participants were administered the post-survey to determine the outcome of the museum visit. The results demonstrated once more the success of the visit for teaching English language skills to L2 learners. Other English learning tasks to engage students in individual or collaborative work include: • Draw a poster about the museum exhibit you liked best. • Write 5-10 sentences (or an essay, depending on the level of the students) about the exhibition you liked best in the museum. • Look up the biography of the artist(s) that made the most impression on you. • Present to the class the artist’s major accomplishments. • Provide the names of artists who are positive role models in Puerto Rico and discuss their accomplishments. • Older children can write about how an artist can be a positive role model. • Invite an artist from your town to talk to the students about his/her art work, motivations, and future projects. Have a class discussion afterward about the artist’s positive attributes. In accordance with Tuffy, (2011), 88% of museums in the United States reported have some sort of educational programs that are thoughtful, meaningful and accessible. One of them is the J. Paul Getty Museum. (http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/classroo_resources/curricula/arts_lang_arts/) Its Arts & Language Arts: Ideas for the Classroom comprehensive program helps teachers from the Los Angeles elementary schools develop art-centered, interdisciplinary teaching strategies that are meaningful and attractive for students. The program supports the California Content Standards for Diverse Learners - Page 30
English language arts and visual arts. It sustains teachers’ professional development over a period of a school year. Teachers produce model units and teaching strategies, test them in their classrooms, and report the results to the professional community at large. Would that kind of program exist in Puerto Rico for a meaningful, successful, and lasting relationship between the museum and schools for the benefit of our students! Responsible educators can be part of their own professional development by creating lesson plans and activities in nontraditional settings to encourage students to interact with the English language before, during, and after a visit to the museum. Classroom environments in natural settings tend to motivate students to learn and remember. I am certain that teachers who render creative and significant learning opportunities for English language learners will leave a memorable and unforgettable experience with the visit to the museum. References
Christopher Columbus arriving in Puerto Rico. Google Image. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://endrtimes.blogspot. com/2007/10/examining-reputation-of-colombus.html Clickable Map of Puerto Rico Municipalities. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://www.fotw.net/flags/pr(.html Cooker, L. & Pemberton, R. (2010). Self-access language learning in museums: A materials development project. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 1(2), 87-99. Eakle, A. J. and Dalesio, B. L. (2008, May) Museum literacies of a second-grade classroom. Reading Teacher, 61(8), 604-613. Grito de Lares. Google Image. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://www.elboricua.com/lares.html J. Paul Getty Museum. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/classroo_resources/curricula/ arts_lang_arts/ List of museums in Puerto Rico. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Puerto_Rico Oder. N. Developing and Engaging Museum Communities. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://voices.yahoo.com/developingengaging-museum-communities-9010301.html?cat=48 Schwartz, J. P. (2008, September). Object lessons: Teaching multiliteracies through the museum. College English, 71(1), 27-47. Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. El Velorio (painting). Retrieved May 10, 2012 from (http://sirisartinventories. si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!324674!0#focus) The Wake. Google Image. Retrieved May 11, 2012 from http://www.eons.com/groups/topic/665554-Puerto-Rican-Artist-Francisco-Oller The revolutionary flag of Puerto Rico. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http://www.google.com.pr/imgres?hl=en&gbv=2&biw=1280&bih=578&tbm=i sch&tbnid=P1kyO nTkPUpFzM:&imgrefurl=http://manifestfreedom.tumblr.com/post/6538874731&docid=GRhnKhiA2WUNM&imgurl=http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llbegyM5hN1qfr8zko1_500.jpg&w=4 53&h=320&ei=n9awT5Lx LoOG8QSirqnSCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=684&vpy=256&dur=89&hov h=189&hovw=267&tx=74&ty=157&sig=10 6142718924178796011&page=1&tbnh=161&tbnw=215&start=0&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:88 Tuffy, J. (2011). The learning trip: Using the museum field trip experience as a teaching resource to enhance curriculum and student engagement. Retrieved May 10, 2012 from http//www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED517713.pdf University of El Turabo. Retrieved May 11, 2012 from (http://www.suagm.edu/utmuseo/historia.html).
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Synecdoche and Metonymy as Visual Figurative Language in Digital Storytelling Juan C. Vadi-Fantauzzi, Ed. D.
DIGITAL MEDIA
"In photographic and filmic media a close-up is a simple synecdoche, a part representing the whole. Synecdoche invites or expects the viewer to fill in the gaps." (Chandler, 2002)
Synecdoche is the way in which we construct our understanding of the whole, although we only have access to the part. Synecdoches are part of our general cultural heritage and they exist in literature as well as visual arts, science and media communication. A photo, archetypes, mythic characters, and gods and goddesses have also been viewed as synecdochical, as have some literary characters, such as Hamlet by William Shakespeare, The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams, or Quintuples by Luis Rafael SĂĄnchez. Richardson (1990) said that within science writing, synecdoches are common as well. For example, DNA is a synecdoche for life, the test tube for experiment, the statistical test for proof, and Tally's corner for a kind of social organization. The language of mathematics, statistical data, or dates that represent symbols and cultural meanings would be examples of synecdoches. A good one is the numbers 9/11 to summarize and synthesize a tragic event in the USA. The daily press and broadcast media are superb at synecdoche at giving us a small thing that stands for a much larger thing. Reporters on the ground, embedded or otherwise, can tell us about or send us pictures of what happened in that place at that time among those people. The overarching theory rationalizing the great expense and effort that goes into those little stories is that they somehow give us access to the big story and the big picture about what is really going on. Synecdoche is closely related to metonymy, the figure of speech in which a term denoting one thing is used to refer to a related thing. The line, “The pen is mightier than the sword,â€? means that literary power is superior to military force is an example of metonymy (See Appendix 1). Indeed, synecdoche is sometimes considered a subclass of metonymy. It is easy to confuse synecdoche and metonymy because they both use an image, word, or phrase to represent something else. It is more distantly related to other figures of speech, such as metaphor. Indeed, synecdoche and metonymy may be considered as a subspecies of metaphor, intending metaphor as a type of conceptual substitution. How can we use it in the language classroom, specifically in digital storytelling? The use of synecdoche and metonymy in digital storytelling is a common way to emphasize an important aspect of a fictional character; for example, a character might be consistently described by a single body part, such as the eyes, which comes to represent the character. This is often used when the main character does not know or care about the names of the characters that are being referred to. In the phrase, "all hands on deck," everyone understands immediately that the word "hands" refers to entire human beings rather than to the parts of those human beings below their wrists. However, what most of us have to look up to find Diverse Learners - Page 32
out is that this is an example of a synecdoche, that is, an instance of where a part of some entity stands in for the whole of that entity (Kauffman, 2008). When we are creating a digital story, we are limited by time. It means that we have 3, 5 or 7 minutes to tell our story. We have to summarize and synthesize with images. In addition to video clips and photos, sometimes clip arts, icons, and symbols are good examples of visual synecdoche and metonymy. Remember that synecdoche and metonymy invite or expect the viewer to fill in the gaps. These images will substitute a part of the speech. For this reason, it is important to consider the construction and selection of images as figurative speech. In digital storytelling, our students will be writing with images and words in oral or written form, such as voice over or subtitles. Constantly, we see our students constructing and using visual synecdoches in their discourses. Do they know what kind of figurative language they are using? Perhaps not, but the reality is that the digital technologies are already bringing about profound changes in the way to tell our stories, speeding and facilitating borderless thinking to delivering global stories. So, now you have many examples and can recognize a synecdoche or a metonymy when you see one. Go to Appendix 2 below and identify the meaning of synecdoche or metonymy in the following fragment of Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. He was a French writer and founder of modern science fiction literature. He predicted with great accuracy in his fantastic tales the appearance of some of the products generated by the technological advances of the twentieth century, such as television, helicopters, submarines, and space crafts. Remember that synecdoche and metonymy is a way that we construct our understanding of the whole. They are not only used in literary language, but also in the visual arts and visual storytelling.
References
Chandler, D. (2002). Semiotics: The basics. Routledge.
Clifton, N. (1983). The figure in film. Associated University Press. Kaufman, C. (2008). Synecdoche. New York, New York. Knowles, M. & Moon, R. (2006). Introducing Metaphor. Routledge. Richardson, L. (1990). Writing strategies: Reaching diverse audiences. Sage.
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Appendix 2 Describe the synecdoche or metonymy ___________________________________________________________________________
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Synecdoche and Metonymy as Visual Figurative Language, VadiǦFantauzzi.
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Should We Continue Creativity and Intelligence in the Classroom? Lowell Fiet, PhD Should I continue giving these workshops? That was the question I asked the teachers from the Aguas Buenas region who took a mask-making and creative arts workshop with me in February and May of 2012. These Professional Development for Teachers of English to Diverse Learners: Strategies for Integrating Art and Technology for Effective Communication workshops for public and private school teachers receive remarkably positive responses from the participants. As a specialist in Caribbean theater and performance, and as a mask-maker, I use mask-making and performance as the basis of a creative process to stimulate the imagination, encourage innovation, and promote academic development, especially in English but in other content areas as well, in elementary, middle, and high schools. The activity-based workshops challenge the teacher-participants intellectually and artistically. With only minor structural changes, the levels of commitment and the aesthetic outcomes appear to improve in each subsequent semester. The Aguas Buenas group is a case in point. Their work demonstrated a superior overall involvement in the theoretical and practical aspects of the workshops as well as the skills and knowledge inherent in designing and painting masks, learning and singing songs, improvising texts based on pre-established oral structures, and staging brief performances. The aesthetic elements of their masks and the ability to improvise spoken texts in performance (in the February sessions) and the results they demonstrated (in the May sessions) of adapting the creative model proposed to specific classroom projects and conditions distinguished their work. Yet as a firm believer that positive results and academic success require the same rigorous evaluation as less successful efforts, I find it important to ask (1) if the energy, sense of innovation, and obvious pleasure of the teachers in the workshops translate into effective classroom learning?, (2) on what basis can we assess that learning process?, and (3) how effective can creative arts techniques be without corollary changes in the structure of education and its institutional bureaucracy? Masking-making and masked performances are certainly engaging and entertaining for students and for teachers. The “recreational” or “extra-curricular” character of creative arts workshops inside the normative classroom environment has value in and of itself. However, the “extended value” of imaginative work in overall academic growth can only be assessed, at least in quantitative terms, as a long-term process that impacts on individual and collective student performance over the course of various semesters. An ancillary concern arises as to whether or not aesthetic criteria should be applied to the assessment of the objects and activities created in the classroom and if such assessment contributes to long-range creative learning. To a certain degree, such issues are apocryphal. The effectiveness of imaginative and creative work as a catalyzing agent with benefits in all academic areas now appears to be thoroughly documented—if still not recognized or well-funded by the educational bureaucracy. Yet
¹ The Project operates through the Center for Educational Research of the College of Education of the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras Campus with support from the Puerto Rico Council of Higher Education.
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it seems important for personal and systemic reasons to pause and ask, “Is this process really worth the commitment required to implement it?� To probe these issues, the focus group of Aguas Buenas teachers responded to a questionnaire: 1. Describe how you introduced mask-making or other creative arts techniques into your classroom. A. What was your primary objective? A.1. Were there secondary objectives?
B. How many class periods were devoted to these techniques? Just one (1) ____ two (2) or three (3) ____ four (4) or more ____
C. Were you able to alter the normative classroom structure for all class sessions? (e.g. to work around tables, to work on the floor, to move to an interior patio) D. Did you combine mask-making and/or other creative arts techniques with other learning skills? Creative writing ____
Language-learning ____ Math ____ History ____ Social Studies
____ Science ____ Briefly describe the process:
E. What technological tools were you able to incorporate? Photography ____
Video ____
Digital projection ____
Blog or Webpage publication ____ Other ____
2. Describe your results. A. How enthusiastic and receptive were the students? Very ___ response ____
Mildly ____
Normal
Not receptive ____
A.1. Did the reception change over the period of instruction? A.1. Did the reception change over the period of instruction?
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B. How do you appraise the level of participation and the performance of your students? Highly involved ____ Involved ____ Normal participation ___ Uninterested ____ Your comments:
C. Are there lasting benefits from using creative arts techniques in your classroom? (e.g. more interest in language learning, requests for additional creative projects, better oral reports or written responses in other class assignments) C.1. Were there drawbacks or negative aspects in the process? (e.g. discipline problems, inappropriate use of materials, conflicts with other class work, students from other classes, or teachers)
3. How would you describe the response of the school administration to the use of creative arts techniques in the classroom? Very positive ____ Positive ____ Normal response level ____ Unresponsive or negative ____ Comments:
Through the responses and discussion, it became apparent that the most successful projects (1) incorporated the creative arts (mask-making) techniques as an aspect of larger and more complex projects or (2) did not create masks at all and instead used the same visual and plastic arts techniques to create designs, read and write creatively, or explore other ideas. The work of Carmen Ayala, a seventhgrade teacher at the Santa Clara Intermediate School, best exemplifies the first option. Ms. Ayala worked over a period of several weeks to develop a play based on the book Luck used in her class. The final project involved a spoken text, masked characters, costumes, scenery, and acting, and it incorporated elements of a mathematics class, another staff member, and the participation of parents. In the process, she also developed a complete lesson plan and a post-performance assessment form. Each step of the process was documented in digital photos and video, and the process can be reviewed at any time. The second option is best illustrated by the work of Jesse Aponte, a high school-level sports and recreation specialist, whose students designed a model Olympic Village and new Olympic symbols—flag, mascot, emblem—for the Puerto Rican Olympic team and the Alberque Olímpico. Research, writing, and critical discussion were combined with creative arts in the exercises. Diverse Learners - Page 38
Puerto Rican Olympic team and the Alberque Olímpico. Research, writing, and critical discussion were combined with creative arts in the exercises. Other laudable projects included masking-making to teach kindergarteners animal vocabulary (Yolanda Figueroa, Alfonso López O’Neill School), puppet-making to create a play in English (Evelyn Ortiz, first to third grades, San Juan Apóstol College), story writing with characters who use masks for presentation (Lilawaty Lozano, high school, Benjamin Harrison School), reading a story, making masks and puppets to play the roles, and finally writing a letter to “The Little Red Hen” (María Vírgen Ortiz, second grade, Ramón Luis Rivera School), creating a Chinese dragon for the story “The Last Dragon” (Michael Torres Aquino, kindergarten, Barrio Ceiba Elementary School), using masks to retell the story “I went Walking” as a play (Jaime Díaz, first grade, Manuel Cruz Maceira School), and introducing sculptures and maskmaking to read and perform the story “A Very Important Day” (Carmen M. Figueroa, fifth and sixth grades, José N. Colón González School). It is important to repeat one of the basic maxims of the workshops: I use mask-making metaphorically, as an example of one of many creative and participatory arts that can stimulate learning, because I’m a mask-maker who studies masks and masquerade and also makes masks in workshops with children, young people, and adults. This activity combines with creative writing exercises, poster painting, costuming, creative drama, movement, music, festival and protest processions, digital photography and video, and computerized slideshows. At the end of the completed process, students are masked and costumed, speak lines they have written, photograph themselves in the creative and performance process, and reflect critically via computerized imaging on their process and participation. Commercial digital applications such as Photo Shop, MovieMaker, PowerPoint, Garage Band, etc. and the near universality of digital cameras and cellular phones with still and video camera functions further contribute to the process. However, that is the “frosting on the cake,” the way of, mixing metaphors, “breaking the ice” with students already hardened by media and peer pressure against manual creativity and in favor of prefabricated commercial culture and representation. The “cake” is the creative act itself—mask-making or painting or creating drama or writing poems or telling stories or all of these in the same process and experience—that taps the pleasure of multiplicity and complexity, of metaphor, of creative intelligence. Each of these teachers grasped that notion and put it into practice. With that in mind, we can return to the three questions asked earlier: (1) does the teachers’ interest translate into effective classroom learning? (2) can that learning be assessed? and (3) how effective can these techniques be without changes in the stagnant structure of most public and private education?
² “Masks and masquerade in multi-aesthetic and transcultural education”, Professional Training for Teachers of Diverse Learners: Strategies for Language Enhancement edited by María Antonia Irizarry (College of Education, UPR-Río Piedras, 2010): 32-37.
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The answers are short and long. Briefly, interested teachers teach better. Teachers with more options, strategies, and techniques at their disposal can better diversify their teaching to engage students in the materials of the class. However, the mask-making workshops do not intend to teach teachers how to teach. They offer them the opportunity to be more creative and imaginative in their approaches to teaching assignments. Some of the immediate effects of more varied and innovative teaching can be readily observed and assessed. However, initial reactions can also prove to be cosmetic, and only long-term individual and collective results will demonstrate how effective the systematic introduction of creative arts techniques are in improving academic progress across the curriculum. Teacher-by-teacher and school-by-school changes are important, but without broad institutional support for systemic change, academic development will remain a hit-and-miss proposition. Finally, at what point does the introduction in the classroom of the creative techniques offered in the workshops elide the assessment of the object or activity created by the students in aesthetic terms? How does the (utilitarian?) use of creative art in education relate to (aesthetic?) education in art or the arts? My experiences in the past two years with various groups of adolescents (usually from lower-income groups and neighborhoods and schools with limited access to specialized programs) in the public school system of Puerto Rico indicate that the distinction between “arts in education” and “education in the arts” has no bearing in their cases. They receive little of either. Except for the self-sacrificing individual teacher or limited community-based projects, education in the arts has become the province of specialized middle and high schools in music, theater, and visual arts, and admission to these is highly competitive. I have encountered adolescent students with “arts in education” learning experience only in schools such as the Central High School for the Visual Arts and the University High School of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Mask-making workshops function very effectively at the community level with groups of children from ages 6 to 12. In these cases, the joy of painting and the freedom of unrestricted expression produce sometimes astounding visual results. Young people and adults with specific motivations such as an interest in theater, dance, visual arts, arts in education, ethnography, etc. enthusiastically engage in the process of mask-making and then perform with the masks. Unlike pre-teens, and unless they have these specific interests, adolescents frequently resist the process of making masks—although not specifically the painting of the masks themselves—and especially the acts of rehearsing and performing with masks.
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The reasons behind the resistance are diverse, complex, and defy easy categorization, although one easily identifiable marker is the fact that the students that I see (or certainly the majority of them) do not choose but are placed in the workshops. Although a core group of committed participants always emerges when working with adolescents, a distracted or non-committal population is also present. These tendencies intensify as the size of the group increases. Beyond a certain age, creative activities such as mask-making—or theater, visual arts, dance, and music— become “interest-specific” as opposed to general, and freedom of choice plays a larger role in the individual’s willingness to participate. The reduction of group size also becomes a necessity to increase interpersonal communication between group members. The organizers of events involving adolescents need to look carefully at the design to their projects to insure that they offer a sufficient number of options to accommodate the interests of the participants. They may also need to consider a “free” or “non-activity” option for adolescents without specific interests. However, the Aguas Buenas group was quick to point out that the options of “specific interests,” reduced group size, and “non-activity” are not normally available in public middle and high schools. Should I continue giving these workshops? The Aguas Buenas group shouted out an immediate and loud “Yes!” And I have to concur that I enjoy directing the workshops as much as or more than the teachers enjoy participating in them. Beyond that, however, there are some personal and professional reservations. The first involves the frank observation that the teachers are the classroom-teaching professionals (my nearly 40 years of teaching experience is all at the university level), and I am only providing a toolbox of new strategies and ideas for them to explore and put into practice. The workshops try to help them be more creative in the classroom but do not “teach them how to teach.” The second indicates that masks and mask-making workshops are not for everyone. Generalized creative arts in education strategies and techniques have discernible limits in terms of age groups, grades, group sizes, and settings. The integration of the arts and technology across the curriculum provides a means of recuperating at least part of the promise of academic excellence in general education, but it is no panacea and requires continual assessment and modification in its application to varying groups and conditions.
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Yet Another Hat Alex Caride, Ed. D. Project Participant Escuela Henry W. Longfellow
Throughout history, and as a crucial part of society, teachers have been responsible for the formation of individuals who can function effectively among the other members of society. It is teachers who not only have to provide the proper instruction according to the established curricula, but also take charge of the development of each student as a whole. Teachers do not have just one role. In the formation of a holistic human being, teachers have turned out to be psychologists, nurses, guardians, role models, counselors, and even referees and entertainers. Some people may think this is too much for a single human being to handle. However, the good teachers have been doing all that and more for many years. I emphasize good teachers because it takes a good teacher to be willing to wear so many hats under the often undesirable conditions in which they have to work. For English teachers, it is even more challenging. If doing all the aforementioned things is difficult for any teacher, English teachers have one little element to add; that other is language. As an English teacher for 16 years, I have been able to work with students of almost all grades, from second grade up to high school and even the college level. I have witnessed many success stories and unfortunately, some not so successful as well. However, as a professional, I know I have done a good job. I am very satisfied with my performance as a teacher all these years and I am proud of all my students, the successful ones and the ones who were not so successful, but tried. That’s one of the lessons I always taught them. “Don’t give up.” “Never stop trying.” As a professional, I have never given up. As a human being, I have always reached for higher goals every time I accomplished one. At least, that’s what my grandmother taught me and what she would have expected from me, nothing less. Therefore, I have never stopped trying to improve myself with every opportunity that came knocking at my door. After all, if I want to be a good role model for my students, that’s what I must do. I must wear every hat with honor and assume every role with dignity and responsibility. From the San Germán campus of the Inter- American University, I received two Bachelor degrees, one in Elementary Education and the other in Teaching of English at the Elementary Level, on May 31st, 1995. On May 31st, 2004, I completed my Masters in Teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL) and on May 31st, 2011, I received my Doctoral Degree in Education in Curriculum and Teaching. By the way, my date of birth is May 31st, 1968. Is this a coincidence? Perhaps, so, after all that, what else did I need? Nothing, as it seemed. However, I was wrong. I was destined to encounter yet another hat. By the end of the 2011 school year (I think it was April), the art teacher from my school, Mr. Modesto Lugo, told me that he had attended a professional meeting of his program and that someone had given him a an application/registration form for a project at the University of Puerto Rico titled, “Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Diverse Learners - Page 42
Grade Teachers of English to Diverse Learners.” He had said, “Yo no doy inglés, pero dámelo. Yo conozco a alguien.” That “alguien” was me. He told me, “Mira Alex, a mi me dieron esto en una reunión y yo pensé en ti, así que si te interesa, pues…” I thanked him and thought immediately that I would like to be part of that project. Then I saw it was in Rio Piedras, a two plus hour drive from San Germán. It was going to be two weeks in the summer, every Saturday for the entire semester, and it seemed too much. I didn’t need that. When I received this application, I was just about to receive my doctoral degree a few weeks later. I faxed the application, got accepted into the project, and on June 15th I met THE hat. She entered the room at quite a fast speed; the person wearing it projected a lot of energy. I have to say that at first I found the hat somewhat peculiar. This type of accessory is not common in the area where I come from, but that was it. This person smiled and lit the room. She spoke and it turned out to be the greatest Ice Breaker, the unforgiving question, the most awaited, and the most feared question of all depending on who it was addressed to. “What’s good for you today?” Staying in Aguas Buenas during the two weeks in the summer, driving from San Germán every Saturday, getting up at 4:30 AM from August to December was quite a challenge. However, I only missed two days due to a family trip and I was never late. This should give you an idea of how amazing this experience was since the beginning. I couldn’t miss a day. I didn’t want to. The first thing was the people. I had the opportunity to meet such professionals like Dr. María Antonia Irizarry (Yes, the lady with the hat and the smile), Dr. Aníbal Muñoz, Dr. Lowell Fiet, Dr. Rosemary Morales, Dr. Juan C. Vadi and Dr. Elsie Candelaria, as well as the project staff and some wonderful colleagues who were part of the group of participants. This experience has provided many tools and ideas to put into practice in our classrooms from teaching methodologies, principles for teaching ESL, phonemic awareness and lesson planning to integration of new technologies like digital stories, poetry, art, music, video, blogs, and chat rooms. However, not only did we learn from these amazing professionals, but also learned from each other by being able to share what each of us knew with the rest of the group. The participants had the freedom to express themselves and contribute with their knowledge and experiences, thus providing a new perspective on things. I, for example had the privilege to provide some updated information about lesson planning and share the knowledge I had acquired working with the facilitators at the Cabo Rojo School District. Also, I was able to present some of my students’ work that resulted from applying what was learned during one of Dr. Rosemary Morales’ sessions. Society, in general, needs professionals who are brave enough to accept these opportunities. It is a shame that some people can just be happy with who they are and what they have when there is so much out there waiting. As teachers, it is our duty to grasp every opportunity that shows up at our door step. Our students are watching all the time. They see the hats we wear and how responsibly and effectively Diverse Learners - Page 43
we wear those hats. If they look at us with our hats and see a smile underneath, not only will we light the room for them, but also light their faces and touch their hearts. Thank you all for this amazing experience and I wish you all continued success and thank you, Mr. Modesto Lugo, for wearing the hat of a good colleague and friend that day back in April. I owe you a lot.
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Stick to the Plan
Vladimir Soto Project Participant
Escuela Mariana Feliu Balseiro
As technology has taken over the curriculum, students may have lost some fine motor skills and other abilities to create and think. Some studies reveal that in our modern age students are losing some of the critical thinking skills and other cortex abilities to perform in the classroom. This is observable in the standardized tests that are given in the Departments of Education throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Scores are noticeably lower than previous years, indicating that something is really wrong and teachers are being blamed for the poor performance of the students. Teachers are being challenged in all the aspects of teaching, because students even though, are technically speaking faster and sharper in the use of modern technology, their critical thinking skills and other functions are being diminished in many ways. For example, science, math and reading are the subjects that are suffering the most as scores are in the basic and pre-basic levels according to the new assessment for the standardized test. Teachers are required to be highly qualified in the subject they teach and in some districts planning is being issued to be followed and guided. This leaves a lot of creativity left behind for the teachers, because it atomizes the teaching and cuts the ability to create and perform in the classroom. In addition, budget cuts in funding, materials, payroll, and programs put a damper in the teacher’s careers and add to a students’ diminishing performance due to the lack of capable technology and programs that we are limited to use. THEREFORE, WHO’S TO BLAME? We need not point fingers. Planning has always been the open door for many years, even before computers. Effective planning and simple and ample materials has always been the answer to teachers’ teachings. We need not have all of the major technologies and many other gadgets to create mystical and magical stories for students to admire new worlds and places. The imagination has always been an important part of the teacher’s creativity to recreate dramas, poems, and beautiful narratives so students can enjoy life as we know it. Yes, I have learned through this seminar that it does not matter where we work. We will always have problems and many challenges, but we as teachers have to stick to the plan and work with what we have. Yes, we must stick to those plans. Planning is the key to success. Teachers should not improvise their lesson plans, because it shows and it is not fair for the student who is looking for a good learning experience. It looks bad and it is even a worse learning experience for the student. I believe that we should go back to basics, even though we are surrounded by technology. Technology as a tool is not necessarily the means for learning, because a computer will not learn for you. Go back to teaching art in the classroom, music, drama, and other extracurricular activities that help children express themselves and their emotions. This is why I chose to have a mask workshop inspired by Dr. Lowell Fiet, teacher and mentor of this project. I learned many skills throughout his workshops and that expression is an important part of any subject. I showed the students art, history, language, and many other subjects in one lesson plan. Integration of other subjects is important so students become aware and interested learners in many ways. Diverse Learners - Page 45
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LESSON
1
Lesson 1
The Party of Your Dreams! Oral Presentation Jesse Aponte Rodríguez– Escuela de la Comunidad Especializada en Deportes Albergue Olímpico Eugenio Guerra Cruz
Grade: 9th Time Frame: 1 to 2 weeks Theme/ UNIT: Oral Presentation Standard: 1. LISTENING/SPEAKING: The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and express ideas effectively in a variety of personal, social, and academic contexts. Standard: 2. WRITING The student effectively communicates to a variety of audiences in all forms of writing through the use of the writing process, proper grammar, and age appropriate expressive vocabulary. Grade Level expectations:
• • •
• • • • •
L/S. 9.2 Listens, responds to, analyzes, gives, and discusses complex instructions, statements, and directions, and answers and formulates closed and open-ended questions. L/S. 9.3 Uses appropriate language structure to interact in discussions and presentations, to problem solve, explain a process, and express opinions integrating comparison and contrast statements to interact in discussions and presentations. L/S. 9.4 Applies a variety of language patterns and structures to explain texts, discuss topics and themes, express thought on plot development, identify problem and solution, as well as make predictions, inferences, and draw conclusions from listening to a variety of texts and multimedia sources. L/S. 9.5 Explains the main idea or topic and important details from learned concepts or read out laud of a variety of expository texts, and applies sequence of events to clarify, discuss, and summarize a topic from a variety of texts. W. 9.1 Combines sentences and ideas using simple transitional phrase; applies commas and colons to correctly punctuate sentences; applies phrases in writing to construct complex sentences. W. 9.2 Uses vocabulary, accurate spelling, and appropriate grammar and syntax in writing. W. 9.3 Applies organizational patterns and the elements of descriptive, narrative, and expository forms to construct a three-paragraph composition. W. 9.5 Verifies information; writes a final draft using the writing process.
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Objectives: The student will create “THE PARTY OF YOUR DREAMS!” For this oral presentation, each student will have to plan a party that the rest of the students in the class will enjoy, using creative writing, organization, and artistic skills. The student will have to share his or her party plans aloud with the rest of the class and show things which were made – invitations, menu, decorations, and a picture of who will provide the entertainment. The student might want to bring samples of the foods which will be part of the party menu to share with the class. The student must not forget that this is a party for his or her classmates; therefore, no alcohol or illegal substances can be present at the party. Materials: • Three sheets of oak tag - One for the menu - One for the name of the party - One for the invitation • Colored markers, crayons, colored pencils, or any other articles needed • Party decorations (according to the theme of the party) • Small samples of some of the things which will be on the menu for the class to share at the end of the class period • Writing paper • Project handout • Oral presentation rubric
Procedure
Initial Activity: • The student will be presented with the “THE PARTY OF YOUR DREAMS!” handout at the beginning of the class period. • The teacher will read the instructions and clear any doubts that the student may have before continuing to the next step of the project. • The oral presentation rubric will be handed out and discussed after the project has been presented. The student will be given a copy of the rubric. Developmental Activity:
• The student will provide in written form the following information concerning his or her party:
*
- When and where will you have your party? - Whom will you invite? - Which foods will you serve? Design and draw a menu. Appetizers
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Soups Salads Main course Desserts Beverages
* * * * *
• • •
What activities will you have for your guests? What entertainment will you provide? If you could get a famous entertainer to come, who would it be? What decorations will you use?
When all these items are decided, the student will design and draw an invitation, a menu, and a poster with the name of his or her party to be presented to classmates on the day of the oral presentation. The student will be encouraged to do any other writing and artwork to show and tell about all of the items mentioned above. Closing Activity The student will go to the front of the class and set up the decorations, the sheets of oak tag with the name of the party, the invitation of the party, and the menu of the party on the board. A table will be set on the side for the appetizers brought for the sharing at the end of the class period. The elements which will be evaluated during the oral presentation will be: speaks clearly, volume, posture and eye contact, stays on topic, time-limit, introduction, vocabulary, content, comprehension, dominion of the topic, attire, enthusiasm, conclusion, listens to other presentations, and audiovisual resources. The student will have five (5) minutes to begin, develop, and conclude the presentation. Note: the student will NOT use notes or any other device which might encourage him or her to read during the oral presentation. Thinking Skills: Order, classify, analyze, logic reasoning, and decision making Values Courtesy, self-esteem, tolerance, discipline, responsibility, sharing, and respect Special Accommodations Offered to SES: Individual help, additional time, sat close to teacher, sat close to board, copied materials, enlarged print, and positive reinforcement Appendix: 1. Student handout 2. Oral presentation rubric
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APENDIX 1 THE PARTY OF YOUR DREAMS! ORAL PRESENTATION To all ninth grade students,
You are going to have a party! It will be “THE PARTY OF YOUR DREAMS!” For this oral presentation, you will plan a party that the rest of the students in the class will enjoy, using creative writing, organizing, and artistic skills. You will share your party plans aloud with the rest of the class and show things you have made – invitations, menu, decorations, and a picture of who will provide the entertainment. You might even want to bring samples of the food to share with the class. Do not forget that this is a party for your athlete friends, therefore, no alcohol or illegal substances can be present at the party. You will provide the following information to the class concerning your party: 1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
When and where will you have your party? Whom will you invite? Which foods will you serve? Design and draw a menu. a. Appetizers b. Soups c. Salads d. Main course e. Desserts f. Beverages What activities will you have for your guests? What entertainment will you provide? If you could bring a famous entertainer to the party, who will it be? What decorations will you use?
When all these items are decided, design and draw an invitation to send to your friends. Do any other writing and artwork to show and tell about all of the items mentioned above. Remember to bring to your presentation the name of your party on a sheet of oak tag, the invitation, and the menu. The oral presentations will begin on: (date). You must be prepared to give your presentation to the class on this date. The students will be called at random; therefore you must be prepared at all times by (date). Keep in mind the elements which will be evaluated: speaks clearly, volume, posture and eye contact, stays on topic, time-limit, introduction, vocabulary, content, comprehension, dominion of the topic, attire, enthusiasm, conclusion, listens to other presentations, and audiovisual resources. Time for your presentation is five minutes. Diverse Learners - Page 52
APENDIX 2 Oral Presentation Rubric Topic:
Student's Name:
Teacher's Name: Prof. J. Aponte
Home room:
Needs Improvement (1)
Excellent (4)
Very Good (3)
Good (2)
Speaks Clearly
Speaks clearly and distinctly all (10095%) the time, and mispronounces no words.
Speaks clearly and distinctly all (10095%) the time, but mispronounces one word.
Often mumbles or cannot be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.
Posture and Eye Contact
Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation. Stays on topic all (100%) of the time
Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.
Speaks clearly and distinctly most (94-85%) of the time. mispronounces no more than one word. Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact.
Stays on topic some (89%-75%) of the time.
It was hard to tell what the topic was.
CATEGORY
Stays on Topic
Stays on topic most (99-90%) of the time.
Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation.
Time-Limit
Presentation is 5:00-4:45minutes long.
Presentation is Presentation 4:44– 3:30 minutes is 3:29 – 2:30 long. minutes long
Vocabulary
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Extends audience vocabulary by defining words that might be new to most of the audience. Shows a full understanding of the topic.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Includes 1-2 words that might be new to most of the audience, but does not define them.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Does not include any vocabulary that might be new to the audience.
Uses several (5 or more) words or phrases that are not understood by the audience.
Shows a good understanding of the topic.
Shows a good understanding of parts of the topic.
Does not seem to understand the topic very well.
Content
Presentation is less than 2:29 minutes.
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Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation. Wears complete uniform and very clean personal appearance.
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time. Wears complete uniform but one or two personal appearance not taken care of.
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time. Wears sneakers or seemed somewhat wrinkled.
Enthusiasm
Facial expressions and body language generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.
Facial expressions and body language are used to try to generate enthusiasm, but seem somewhat faked.
Very little use of facial expressions or body language. Did not generate much interest in topic being presented.
Introduction
The topic was well presented.
Facial expressions and body language sometimes generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others. The topic was presented.
The topic was not clearly stated in the introduction.
The topic was not presented in the introduction.
Conclusion
The conclusion stated an excellent final thought or an idea related to the topic.
The conclusion The conclusion stated a very good was weak. final statement related to the topic.
Volume
Attire
Dominion of the The student was able to work with topics all the topics and subtopics of the presentation. A u d i o v i s u a l The student resources
TOTAL: _____/52
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brought all the visual aids required for the presentation.
The student was able to cover more than half of the topics subdivisions of the presentation. The student was missing one visual aid required for the presentation.
Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members.
General attire and personal appearance not appropriate for audience.
The presentation did not have a conclusion.
The student was not able to provide strong supporting details.
The student was not able to provide any supporting details.
The student was missing two or more visual aids required for the presentation.
The student did not bring any visual aids required for the presentation.
LESSON
2
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Lesson 2 Heroes Mirian E. Vega - Dra. Concha Meléndez Elementary Sulai Román - Evaristo Ribera Chevremont Elementary
Grade: 5th Duration: One week Theme: Heroes Topic: Inspirational music General Strategy: Trilogy Literacy; after reading Subject Integration: Art, Music, Social Studies, Technology Standards & Expectations: Listening/Speaking: 5.5 Reading 5.1, 5.3, 5.5 Writing 5.1, 5.2, 5.5 Objectives: Conceptual: L/S: Memorize and repeat song lyrics. R: Analyze text to choose the appropriate song. Identify setting and organize text to create concert tickets and poster. W: Summarize and organize text into tickets and poster. Apply spelling and capitalization rule. Procedural: Memorize and sing “Never Say Never” song by Justin Bieber. Create promotional poster and concert tickets for local and world tours. Attitudinal: React to music and lyrics as a source of inspiration or strength. Materials: • Computer, paper, crayons or colored pencils, camera and World map
Procedure Initial Activities: Write the following questions on the board and discuss answers with students. 1. How many hours a week do you think you spend listening to music? 2. What music genre do you like to listen to? 3. Who are your favorite artists? 4. Why do you listen to music? Diverse Learners - Page 56
5.
Do you pay attention to the lyrics’ message or just the music?
•
Discuss the reasons why people choose certain songs for special events, like graduation, weddings, “Quinceañeros”, etc. or to change their mood. Ask the students: What is the first song that comes to your mind that you consider inspirational? Search the internet for the lyrics and the track. Discuss the lyrics and sing the song.
• •
Developmental activities: Divide the class into four groups of students. Each group will search for inspirational songs on the internet. Analyze the lyrics to select one that conveys an inspirational message. Each group proposes a song and then chooses one. Each group is assigned a task as follows: Group A: Promotional Poster (1) Group B: Local Tour tickets (3) Group C: International Tour tickets (3) Group D: Performers All groups: Souvenir t-shirt The class proposes and selects a name for the performers and the tour name. Group A: Promotional Poster- Using the Microsoft PowerPoint application, create a promotional poster for the local tour kick-off concert. The poster must include the name of the group, concert name, picture, venue, date, time, and sponsors. Group B: Local Tour Tickets – Create three concert tickets for different locations. They must include original background art, name of venue, city and state, date, time, price, seating number, and promoter. Look up three cities in Puerto Rico on a map. Search on the internet for a concert venue and seating. Group C: World Tour Tickets – Create three concert tickets for different locations. They must include original background art, name of venue, city and state, date, time, price, seating number, and promoter. Look up three countries around the world on a map. Search on the internet for a concert venue, seating, and price in the country’s currency. Group D: Performers – Search for the song on YouTube (karaoke version) and lyrics. Memorize the lyrics to the song. Practice singing the song chosen. Record the song using sound recorder application in the computer. Souvenir t-shirt – All groups will create a paper t-shirt for both the local and world tours. T-shirts must include original art work, cities and countries that will be toured, name of artist, and name of tour. Closing: Students will present their finished work in class and exhibit t-shirts in classroom. Assessment: Self-evaluation at http://www.tccsa.net/webquest/Freund/Self-evaluation.pdf Diverse Learners - Page 57
Writing rubrics for poster, tickets, and t-shirt (see attachments). Poster Rubric Student's name
Date
Criteria
Excellent 3
Colors and Patterns
Enhance readability
Good 2
Support readability
Needs improvement 1 Detract from readability
Titles and Subtitles
Text Size and Color
All titles and
Most titles and
Few or no titles or
subtitles are clear,
subtitles are clear,
subtitles to clarify
and enhance
and enhance
text
readability.
readability.
All text is clear and
Text is clear
Some text is clear
readable; a few
and readable;
and readable;
changes in size
changes in size
frequent changes
and color enhance
and color enhance
in size and color
understanding
understanding.
do not enhance
All graphics are
Graphics
Graphics do not
engaging and
enhance text
enhance text
Creatively
Balanced,
Not balanced,
enhances
uncluttered,
cluttered, insufficient
information
adequate white
white space
understanding. Graphics/Photos
enhance text Layout
space Writing
Well written,
Adequately
Poorly written
organized, clear,
written,
and organized,
and easy to
organized, clear,
unclear, hard to
follow
and reasonably
follow
easy to follow Grammar and
No grammar or
One grammar or
More than three
Spelling
spelling errors
two spelling
grammar and
errors
spelling errors
Comments
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Total points
Total Points
T-shirt Rubric Student's name
Date
Criteria
Excellent 3
Colors and Patterns
Enhance readability
Good 2
Support readability
Needs improvement 1
Total Points
Detract from readability
Titles and Subtitles
Text Size and Color
All titles and
Most titles and
Few or no titles or
subtitles are clear,
subtitles are clear,
subtitles to clarify
and enhance
and enhance
text
readability.
readability.
All text is clear and
Text is clear
Some text is clear
readable; a few
and readable;
and readable;
changes in size
changes in size
frequent changes
and color enhance
and color enhance
in size and color
understanding
understanding.
do not enhance
All graphics are
Graphics
Graphics do not
engaging and
enhance text
enhance text
Creatively
Balanced,
Not balanced,
enhances
uncluttered,
cluttered, insufficient
information
adequate white
white space
understanding. Graphics/Photos
enhance text Layout
space Grammar and
No grammar or
One grammar or
More than three
Spelling
spelling errors
two spelling
grammar and
errors
spelling errors
Comments
Total points
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Ticket Rubric
Student's name
Date
Criteria
Required Elements
Excellent
Very Good
Good
4
3
2
The ticket includes
All required elements All but 1 of
Several required
all required
are included on the the required
elements are
elements as well
poster.
elements is
missing.
included on the
as additional
poster.
information.
Labels
Needs improvement 1
All items of
Almost all items
Many items of
Labels are too
importance are
of importance are
importance are
small to view or
clearly labeled.
clearly labeled
clearly labeled.
no important items were labeled.
Graphics Relevance
All graphics are
All graphics are
Some graphics
Graphics do not
related to the topic
related to the
relate to the
relate to the
and make it easier
topic and most
topic and a few
topic.
to understand by
make it easier to
make it easier
using different font
understand.
to understand.
The ticket is
The ticket is
The ticket is
exceptionally
attractive in terms of acceptably
size and style.
Attractiveness
attractive in terms of design, layout and design, layout, and
neatness.
designed well. It is not attractive.
attractive though it may be a bit messy.
neatness.
Grammar
The ticket is not
There are no
There are 1-2
There are 3-4
There are
grammatical
grammatical
grammatical
more than 4
mistakes.
mistakes.
mistakes.
grammatical mistakes.
Comments
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Total points
Total Points
LESSON
3
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Lesson 3 Daily lesson Plan for 9th grade Vladimir Soto Lucca - Escuela Mariana Feliu Balseiro
Grade: 9th Theme: History of Masks Curricular Integration: Art, Social Studies Depth of Knowledge: Skill/ Concept Extended Thinking Standard: Listening and Speaking 9.2 9.4 Objectives: Conceptual: The students will analyze the historical concept of the History of Masks and their importance for man and society. Procedural: The students will create a mask by using a model to the best of their abilities. Affective: The students will improve themselves by listening to instructions in English and being able to create their own mask and feeling capable of producing their own piece of art. Materials: • Computers, projector, card board , cutting tools , cloth, paints , paint brushes, markers, color pencils, and scissors Activities: Initial: Greetings (The teacher will ask) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
What are masks? What is the purpose of a mask? What are masks used for? What are the major characteristics of masks? Why were masks used for funerary purposes? How are masks used in our Puerto Rican society?
Developmental Activities After asking these questions, the teacher will present a PowerPoint presentation that answers the questions. The student will use skimming and scanning techniques to answer the questions as the PowerPoint presentation is being presented. These techniques will help the students gather sufficient information so they can answer the questions in their journals, and have this information for future reference. The teacher will clarify any doubts as far as the PowerPoint presentation is concerned. The
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students will learn that all kinds of materials are used to create a mask. The teacher will provide sufficient materials for the students, such as card board mask models, paints, paint brushes, cutting tools, and cloth so they can modify their masks. The students will modify, cut, paint, decorate, and exhibit their masks after they are completed. Closing: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
The students will explain in a short oral report their source of inspiration towards their mask. This includes why they chose the colors and what their inspiration means. After all work is completed, masks will be exhibited on the classroom wall for Puerto Rican Heritage week celebrated during the month of December. The masks will be evaluated by their peers. A small festivity will be planned for the best masks and winners.
Assessment: Oral presentation rubric Reflection: Even though these types of activities are fun, they help develop many language skills. This kind of experience is also what students need and want to do. I believe that you learn by doing and this is exactly what occurred during the mask making project.
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LESSON
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4
Lesson 4
Preparing Photo Story Books Zoila Latoni González - Colegio La Piedad
Grade: 9th Theme: Preparing Photo Story Books Duration: 1 week (for presentation of project) 2 weeks (for students’ preparation of their story books.) Standards: Oral Communication, Written Communication, and Literary Appreciation Objectives: • Students will examine different children’s story books and the way they are presented. • Students will describe similarities and differences found in the story books, including content. • After a workshop on how to prepare story books, the students will be divided into groups and will begin writing a draft of a story they would like to tell through digitalized photos. • Students will present their storyboards to the class in a short oral presentation. • Students will present their photo story books in a formal oral presentation. Materials: • Children story books, photo story book presentation, digital camera, computer, digital projector, screen, cellular phones, Power Point presentation, paper, and notebooks Procedure Initial Activities
• • •
Examine children’s story books and describe the elements found in them. Present an example of a photo story book. Have an open discussion on the presentation.
Developmental Activities
• • • • • • • • • •
Watch a presentation on how to prepare Photo Story Books. Brainstorm on themes to prepare the story book. Selection of groups. Visit the school grounds and taking photos with the digital camera and cell phones. Prepare a short presentation with the photos taken. (6-9 slides) Watch practice presentations and correct errors; offer suggestions on how to enhance them, etc. Group meetings. Preparation of storyboards. Presentation of storyboards to the class. Discussion on storyboard presentations. Diverse Learners - Page 65
Closing Activities
• • •
Students will prepare an oral presentation of their projects to the rest of the groups. The group will complete an evaluation form of each one of the presentations. The evaluations will be discussed in class.
Assessment
• • • •
Rubrics ( for Story Board and Story Book) Oral Presentations Peer Assessment Students’ work will be exhibited in the high school library during Book Fair Week.
Homework
•
Students will write a short paragraph explaining positive and negative experiences while working in the project and suggestions on how to improve this activity.
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LESSON
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5
Lesson 5 Lesson Plan for a Reading Activity Carmen Ayala Figueroa – Escuela Intermedia Santa Clara
Grade: 7th Time Frame: 1 week Unit: Going Home Selection: Luck Standards: Oral Communication, Written Communication, and Literary Appreciation Listening/Speaking The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and express ideas effectively in a variety of personal, social, and academic contexts. Reading The student uses reading strategies, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills to construct meaning and develop an understanding as well as an appreciation of a variety of genres of both fiction and nonfiction. Writing The student effectively communicates with a variety of audiences in all forms of writing through the use of the writing process, proper grammar, and age-appropriate expressive vocabulary. Grade Level Expectations: • L/S 7.1 – Listens and responds during a read aloud from a variety of fiction and nonfiction to comprehend, generalize, relate to character and setting, and make connections to text. • R 7.3 – Distinguishes main character from supporting characters, compares and contrast character traits, describes and explains setting in fiction. • R 7.4 – Sorts and organizes relevant events, states cause and effect, makes connections, predictions and inferences; draw conclusions; states the problem and solution in fiction and nonfiction. • W 7.1 – Combines sentences and ideas by using simple transitional phrases; applies commas to correctly punctuate and construct sentences; distinguishes complete sentences from fragments and run-on sentences. Objectives: The students will: • Distinguish text features to enhance comprehension. • Compare and contrast character traits. • Design his/her personal view of the character. • Analyze the process of rehearsal and performing.
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• • • •
Understand how fiction can be connected to a nonfiction situation. Comprehend the author’s purpose. Illustrate character traits through masks and performance. Show the correct order of events through performance.
Materials • Poster boards, recyclable materials, paint, brushes, ribbons, paper, books, graduation gowns, crayons, chalks and paste Procedure Warm-up Activities: • The teacher will discuss with students the elements of the play to enhance reading comprehension. • The teacher will read aloud the selection with students in the classroom to model the dialogues. • A brief discussion of the theme will be developed with the students. • The rubric will be discussed with students so they know the criteria of evaluation before the activity. Developmental Activities • A first rehearsal (it could be more than one) will take place before mask-making with students. • Parents will be invited to read the selection with the teacher to give them the idea of the story. (This should be the day before the masks activity so they have time to be creative). Parents will be facilitators of the process and student helpers. • A day will be assigned to prepare the masks and the scenery with the parents in the classroom. A special schedule will be prepared to give each group two class periods to work. • A last rehearsal will take place when the masks and scenery are completed. Application/Evaluation • Students will perform the play as rehearsed. Parents will have time to give them advice in terms of improving their performance. • Students will finally perform to be evaluated. • Parents will write about their personal experience. • Students will answer questions about the activity, the process, their participation, and parent’s participation.
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Assessment • Rubric for oral presentation, and mask making
Special Education Arrangement • Additional time • Parents help to individualize Curriculum Integration • Math • Art – Special collaboration with the librarian, Mrs. Marielys Santos, with the performance. Appendix: 1. Mask Rubric 2. Oral Presentation Rubric
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LESSON
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6
Lesson 6 I Went Walking Jaime Díaz Cruz- Escuela Especializada en Idiomas Manuel Cruz Maceira
Grade: First Time Frame: 1 to 2 weeks Reading Selection: I Went Walking by Sue Williams Reading Strategy: Trilogy (before, during, after) Skill: Sequence of Events & Phonics Teaching Strategies: Read aloud, guided reading, and reciprocal teaching. DOK: Level II – Skills and Concepts (the student will organize) Standards and Grade Level Expectations: This theme will cover the three content standards – listening/speaking, reading, and writing – during the duration of this lesson. Listening/Speaking
• •
L/S.1.1: Listens and responds to basic commands, instructions, and routine questions during story time using expressions to demonstrate engagement. L/S.1.3: Uses basic vocabulary and language patterns to identify and describe familiar concepts related to self, to family, and to interact with peers.
Reading
• •
R.1.3: Uses context clues and illustrations to identify details and to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words; demonstrates an acquisition of grade- level vocabulary. R.1.5: Identifies story organization of beginning, middle, and end within narrative text.
Writing
• •
W.1.1: Writes initial and final consonants in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern words. W.1.2: Writes name correctly; copies words and simple three word sentences using left to right, top to bottom progression; uses phonemic awareness and phonics strategies to spell words.
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Educational Objectives: Conceptual • •
The student will be able to organize the characters of a story in order of appearance. Assessment Technique – group discussion
Procedural
• • •
In a booklet, the student will be able to write the names and descriptions of the characters in the story I Went Walking in the order they appeared. The student will be able to spell and write CVC words found in the story, such as: cat, dog, duck, and pig. Assessment Technique – illustrations and group discussion
Attitudinal
• •
The student will be able to make reasonable and justifiable decisions on which character appeared first, second, third, etc. Assessment Technique – summary
Daily Activities Initial
• •
The teacher activates prior knowledge discussing the cover page and title of the story, I Went Walking. The students take a walk around the school and discuss with the teacher what they observed when they went walking.
Developmental Activities
• • • •
The teacher reads the story aloud, making special emphasis on CVC words, inviting students to join reading aloud the repeated rhyming patterns. The students re-read the story in groups, guided by the teacher. The students discuss the characters, their descriptions, and the order they appear in the story. The students create a booklet where they draw the characters in the order they appear, as well as write the characters’ names and descriptions correctly.
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Closing
• • •
The teacher discusses the booklets with the students, making sure the characters are in the correct order as they appear in the story. Some students present their booklets. The teacher emphasizes that the order in which the characters appear in a story is known as sequence, leading the students to conclude that anything that happens in an order is called sequence.
Curricular Integration: Art and Drama
• •
Students create a booklet of the characters in the story. The students, using their booklets and the repeated rhyming patterns found in the story, dramatize the events as they occur.
Evaluation • Quiz on sequence of events. • Reading CVC words. • Rubric for booklet. • Rubric for dramatization of story. Suggested Further Reading: My Friends by Taro Gomi
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LESSON
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7
Lesson 7 Lesson Plan for a “Storyboard” Lilawaty Lozano Rosario - Escuela Superior Vocacional Benjamin Harrison
Grade: 12th Time Frame: 2 weeks Theme/ UNIT: Writing Storyboards Standard 1. LISTENING/SPEAKING: The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and express ideas effectively in a variety of personal, social, and academic contexts. Standard 2. WRITING The student effectively communicates to a variety of audiences in all forms of writing through the use of the writing process, proper grammar, and age appropriate expressive vocabulary. Grade Level expectations: • L/S.12.2 Listens and responds to synthesize, explain, describe, support, and discuss information; answers and formulates closed and open-ended questions.
•
L/S.12.3 Uses appropriate language structure to analyze and state opinions in discussions and presentations, to problem solve, and to explain a process integrating comparison and contrast statements.
•
L/S.12.5 Analyzes the main idea or topic and important details from learned concepts or readings from a variety of persuasive texts; summarizes, explains, clarifies, and discusses effectiveness of text, performance, speech, or literature.
•
W.12.1 Analyzes and selects appropriate words to convey meaning; incorporates transitions, correct grammar, syntax, and style.
•
W.12.2 Determines the purpose of writing; analyzes and constructs organizational patterns to connect ideas; writes narrative, or expository essays.
•
W.12.5 Applies self-correcting methods, and reference sources to revise and edit; analyzes, organizes, and verifies information to write and revise; completes a final draft using the writing process.
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Objectives:
• • • •
A group of students will create their own storyboard presenting actual teenage situations dealt with on a daily basis. Students will combine knowledge of the elements that make up a storyboard (title, setting, conflict, sequence of events, exciting point or climax, problem solving, and resolution) with creativity, imagination, and writing. Students will create character masks according to the particular characteristics of the characters presented in the storyboard. At the end of the activity, students will present their storyboard and experiences of working with this particular type of project.
Materials:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Storyboard handout. Several sheets of recycled cardboard Twelve inch elastic bands Different colors of paints Scissors Pencils Different sizes of paint brushes Glue Writing paper Yarn Glitter Storyboard rubric Digital camera Printer Black and color ink for the printer White printing paper
Students may determine other items needed as they work on the various tasks. They may bring the items needed themselves or consult with the teacher on how to obtain them.
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Procedure Initial Activity:
• • • •
The class will be divided into groups. The groups will be presented with the “Storyboard” handout at the beginning of the class period. The teacher will read the instructions and clear any doubts that students may have before continuing to the next step of the project. The Storyboard rubric will be handed out and discussed after the project has been presented. Students will be given a copy of the rubric.
Developmental Activity:
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Each group will provide the theme for the teacher’s approval of their storyboard. The theme must be age and interest appropriate. The group will provide a title and a free writing script of their story. The teacher will do the first evaluation of the storyboard in progress. Students will take the teacher’s suggestions and begin working on their first draft of the script of the storyboard. The teacher will do a second evaluation using editing marks. The students will divide the script in fifteen shots. Each shot must be identified as long shot, medium shot and close-up shot. A short description of each shot must be presented at this time. After each scene has been placed in the proper sequence, the groups will begin with the construction of the masks. After they finish constructing their masks, they will begin the process of taking pictures that will be appropriate for the scene and the shot. After all the pictures of the storyboard have been taken, the process of editing the photos will begin. After the editing of the photos has been done, they will be placed in the storyboard. Each group will print their storyboard.
Closing Activity:
•
The student will go to the front of the class and speak to their classmates about present their experiences during the process of constructing a storyboard.
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Thinking Skills:
•
Order, classify, analyze, logic reasoning, decision-making
VALUES Courtesy, self-esteem, tolerance, discipline, responsibility, sharing, and respect SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS OFFERED FOR SES: • Individual help, additional time, sat close to teacher, sat close to board, copied materials, enlarged print, and positive reinforcement Appendix: 1. Student handout 2. Oral presentation rubric 3. Storyboard Rubric
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Appendix 1 Workshop: Making a Storyboard One of the most important steps in conceptualizing a story is called storyboarding. Storyboarding is a sequence of illustrations that help you pre-visualize how a story will be filmed. Your pictures do not have to be perfect – it is merely a way to think about the different elements of making a story. These elements include cinematography (how the camera is placed, zoom, close up, etc.), editing (when a scene begins or ends, timing), lighting (how much or how little light/colors, etc.), mise-en-scène (what is in the frame – people, costumes, props, set). 1. Read the following excerpt of a true story about the American legend of Bigfoot Some language teachers are hiking in the woods on a cool and misty afternoon enjoying the beauty and serenity of nature. All of a sudden, they hear the sounds of branches breaking. They get goose bumps and are overwhelmed by an odor so terrible that they are temporarily blinded. When they can see again, they see huge footprints on the trail ahead of them leading off into the woods and they realize with horror and fascination that … 2. Now consider the following sentence: All of a sudden, they hear the sounds of branches breaking. As you can imagine, there are very many ways that you could film this sentence depending on whether you want the scene to be dramatic, suspenseful, mysterious, comedic, referential, or poetic. You could take pictures of branches breaking, people looking at each other, a close-up of someone’s face, calm leaves, or a wild animal bolting away. You could reference other stories, like The Blair Witch Project (1999), or have the point of view (pov) be from Bigfoot him/herself looking down on the people. 3. Storyboard how you would film this sentence in the following squares. The lines underneath the squares can be used for specific directions or dialog. 4. Now brainstorm how you think the story will end. Be imaginative! 5. With your groups, combine your ideas and write a new ending of the Bigfoot story. Keep your stories simple and short! Quickly storyboard your ending here:
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6. Fieldwork: Each group will receive a digital camera and be given 15 minutes to film the ending of the film. You should film no longer than three minutes of footage! You may film outside, but be back in 15 minutes. When you return, we will upload your videos to the computers, convert them, finish them in Microsoft words, and print them. You will have time to explain what you did with your classmates. Have fun!!!
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Appendix 2 Oral Presentation Rubric Topic:
Student's Name
Teacher's Name: Prof. L. Lozano
Excellent (4)
Very Good (3)
Average (2)
Speaks Clearly
Speaks clearly and distinctly all (10095%) the time, and mispronounces no words.
Speaks clearly and distinctly all (10095%) the time, but mispronounces one word.
Posture and Eye Contact
Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation. Stays on topic all (100%) of the time
Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.
Speaks clearly and distinctly most (94-85%) of the time. mispronounces no more than one word. Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact.
CATEGORY
Stays on Topic
Often mumbles or cannot be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.
Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation.
Stays on topic Stays on topic It was hard to tell what most (99-90%) of some (89%-75%) the topic was. the time. of the time.
Time-Limit
Presentation is Presentation is Presentation 10:00-9:45minutes 9:44– 7:30 minutes is 7:29 – 6:30 long. long. minutes long
Vocabulary
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Extends audience vocabulary by defining words that might be new to most of the audience. Shows a full understanding of the topic.
Content
Needs Improvement (1)
Presentation is less than 6:29 minutes.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Includes 1-2 words that might be new to most of the audience, but does not define them.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Does not include any vocabulary that might be new to the audience.
Uses several (5 or more) words or phrases that are not understood by the audience.
Shows a good understanding of the topic.
Shows a good understanding of parts of the topic.
Does not seem to understand the topic very well.
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Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members.
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation. Wears complete uniform and very clean personal appearance.
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time. Wears complete uniform but one or two personal appearance not taken care of.
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time. Wears sneakers or seemed somewhat wrinkled.
Enthusiasm
Facial expressions and body language generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.
Facial expressions and body language are used to try to generate enthusiasm, but seem somewhat faked.
Very little use of facial expressions or body language. Did not generate much interest in topic being presented.
Introduction
The topic was well presented.
Facial expressions and body language sometimes generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others. The topic was presented.
The topic was not clearly stated in the introduction.
The topic was not presented in the introduction.
Conclusion
The conclusion stated an excellent final thought or an idea related to the topic.
The conclusion The conclusion stated a very good was weak. final statement related to the topic.
The presentation did not have a conclusion.
The student was able to cover more than half of the topics subdivisions of the presentation. The student was missing one visual aid required for the presentation.
The student was not able to provide strong supporting details.
The student was not able to provide any supporting details.
The student was missing two or more visual aids required for the presentation.
The student did not bring any visual aids required for the presentation.
Volume
Attire
Dominion of the The student was able to work with topics all the topics and subtopics of the presentation. A u d i o v i s u a l The student resources
TOTAL: _____/52
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brought all the visual aids required for the presentation.
General attire and personal appearance not appropriate for audience.
Appendix 3 STORYBOARD RUBRIC EXPECTATIONS
LEVEL FOUR
LEVEL THREE
LEVEL TWO
The visuals presented clearly summarize the most important pieces of information from the source being studied (knowledge and understanding)
More than three visuals are presented that clearly and concisely capture the essence and purpose of the events in question. It is clear that you have summarized very well!
At least three visuals are presented in a manner that captures the purpose of the events in question. Good summarizing strategies are evident!
Three visuals are presented in a manner that shows some understanding of the events in question. Continue to ask thoughtful questions and seek detailed answers!
Mark:
Explanation as to the significance of the visuals shows thought and insight (T/I)
Mark:
Communication of the ideas are clear and precise and shows that editing has taken place (Communicatio n) Mark:
The overall presentation looks professional and well planned (application)
Mark:
LEVEL ONE While visuals are presented some may not capture the significance of the events in question. Be sure to be able to answer all prompting questions before moving on.
BELOW EXPECTATIONS Either visuals are not attempted or the visuals that are given show very little understanding of the purpose and significance of the events in question. See the teacher to work on summary strategies!
25--------------------------20-------------------------17.5------------------------15------------------------12.5-------------------------0
The written summary of the importance of each caption is thoughtful and shows very strong understanding of the key points of the events being studied.
The written summary of the importance of each caption is, for the most part, valid and well explained.
The written summary is somewhat effective in explaining the importance of each event in question. More detail and analysis may be needed.
The written explanation is limited due to the majority of viewpoints not justifying why each caption is important.
While there are a few errors in style and grammar present, they do not hamper the reader’s understanding of the presentation.
Some serious errors are present that may hamper the reader’s understanding of the presentation. Edit carefully!
Many errors in style and grammar hamper the expression of the ideas. Edit!!
/25
Either the written explanation is not presented or is very limited in its ability to explain the significance of the captions presented.
25--------------------------20-------------------------17.5------------------------15-----------------------12.5---------------------------0
Very little errors in style and grammar hamper the reader’s understanding of the presentation.
COMMENTS
/25
Serious errors in style and grammar result in the reader not being able to understand the purpose of the presentation.
25--------------------------20------------------------17.5-------------------------15------------------------12.5--------------------------0 Outstanding Good Some thought Little thought into Very little thought visuals are very presentation and into visuals and visuals and has gone into the detailed and show strong visuals presentation is presentation, visuals and that the show the present, but more resulting in the presentation significance significance and is needed in order overall project resulting in a beyond a shadow helps to convince for the viewer to not convincing presentation that of a doubt. Way the viewer to buy fully buy into the the viewer of the shows little or no to go! into the ad. ad. true significance understanding of the purpose of summarizing. 25--------------------------20-------------------------17.5------------------------15------------------------12.5--------------------------0
/25
/25
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Sample of a Story Board Students form Culinary Arts Escuela Superior Vocacional Benjamin Harrison
Peer Pressure Benjamín Harrison Vocational High school April 23, 2012
Shot: Close up Text- Mike thought about what Alex said.
Shot: Long Shot Text: Alex and Mike talk with two girls, Samantha and Kelly.
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Shot: medium shot Text: Mike was a very studious young man and he didn’t have bad habits. He was a very popular boy.
Shot: Long shot Text: Mike goes to Alex and says, “Yes, I accept the challenge.” Alex says, “Let’s go to the night club at 11:00 p.m.”
Shot: Medium Shot Text: Mike says to Alex, “I have to go. I have class tomorrow.” Samantha says,” Don’t go now. The party just started.”
Shot: long shot Text: Alex goes to Mike and says, “I know how you can become popular.” Mike said, “How?” Alex: “Go to parties and drink.”
Shot: Medium Shot Text: Alex says to Mike, “Let’s go; I will present you to some friends.”
Shot: Close up Text: Mike gets an F on the test, since he didn’t study because he was partying.
Shot: Medium Shot Text: Kelly invites Mike to a party.
Shot: Long Shot Text: The decision was to find help to combat alcoholism.
Shot: Long Shot Text: Alex and Samantha had a car accident and both died.
Shot: Long shot Text: Kelly, Samantha, Alex, and Mike are very drunk.
Shot: Long Shot Text: Kelly and Mike found Alex and Samantha. Kelly said to Samantha “that both were not drinking anymore.” Alex said, “Let’s go party.” Mike said, “No.”
Shot: Long Shot Text: Kelly and Mike give conferences to students about alcoholism and how this affects their lives negatively.
Shot: Medium Shot Text: Mike and Kelly get their report cards and see that they have F in every class. Both had to make a decision.
Shot: Medium Shot Text: Alex said to Samantha, “It’s time to go because the bar is closing.”
Credits Deyanira Otero Kelly Angel Beltrán Mike Ashley Poventud Samantha Luis Rivera - Alex
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LESSON
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8
Lesson 8 Daily Lesson Plan Carmen M. Figueroa Burgos – Escuela José N. Colón González
Grade: 6th Estimated time: 5 days Theme: American Stories Selection: A Very Important Day! Phase: Application Depth of Knowledge (DOK):
• •
Level 1 Recall: Define - Level 2 Skill/Concept: Interpret Level 3 Strategic Thinking: Explain Level 4 Extended Thinking: Create and design
Assessment Techniques:
• •
Sculptures Rubric
Values: Love and Respect for Art Teaching strategy: • Reading Comprehension: Festival in Valencia Objective(s):
• •
Read the story “A Very Important Day!” Talk about the Statue of Liberty
Conceptual
•
Students discuss the characteristics that make a good statue a good example of public sculpture.
Procedural
• •
Students locate and view images of the Statue of Liberty. Then, they create their own. Students write a simple descriptive paragraph about their sculpture.
Attitudinal
•
Students develop appreciation for some art elements through the English language.
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Standard(s): LISTENING/SPEAKING
•
The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and express ideas effectively in a variety of personal, social, and academic contexts.
READING:
•
The student uses reading strategies, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills to construct meaning and develop an understanding as well as an appreciation of a variety of genres of both fiction and nonfiction.
WRITING:
•
The student effectively communicates to a variety of audiences in all forms of writing through the use of the writing process, proper grammar, and age appropriate expressive vocabulary.
Expectation(s):
• • • • •
L/S.5.1. Listens and responds during a read aloud from a variety of fiction and text styles to comprehend, identify, and relate to character and setting. R.5.2. Applies context clues, reference sources, and other vocabulary expansion strategies to assess word meaning; uses prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of words. W.5.1. Applies common spelling patterns and structural analysis to correctly spell words. W.5.2. Recognizes a complete sentence and a fragment. W5.4. Uses sentences types to construct paragraph
Materials:
• • • • •
Anthology: Houghton Mifflin, Reading Tradition Modeling Clay Small piece of wood (4”x4”) Paint Brushes
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Procedure Initial Activities
• • • •
Daily Routine Ask students what they know about art and sculpture.(Free talk and discussion) Show images of the Statue of Liberty and other sculptures. Discuss with students the characteristics that make a statue a good example of sculpture. Material sculpture was made of Size of the sculpture Inscription to determine if it celebrates a famous person, event, or idea.
• •
Show students the “Vitruvian Man Sculpture” Explain that this sculpture was popularized during the 1960’s and 1970’s as a hand gesture that means: “Hope of Peace, Truth, and Victory”.
Developmental Activities
• • • • • •
Read the story “Festivals in Valencia.” Discuss the story. Ask questions: What was the story about? Did you see the statues? What are “Fellas”? What are the “Fellas” made of? Ask students to bring the materials. Show them more examples of sculptures. Hands on activity! Let the students work freely while they create their sculptures.
Closing Activities
• • •
Students write inscriptions to label their sculptures. Students write a descriptive paragraph about their sculptures. Students exhibit their work.
Homework:
•
Bring materials: Modeling Clay Plastic knife Small piece of wood (4”x4”) Paint Brushes
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Teacher’s Reflection: Have the students gotten the concept? Do they need more time to create their sculptures? Students need scaffolding with the inscriptions.
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LESSON
9
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Lesson 9 Figurative Language and Imagery through Music Liz Badillo Rivera - Benjamin Harrison Voc. School
Grade: 11th Theme: Music and Elements of Poetry Standard: Listening/Speaking Grade Level Expectation:
•
L/S.11.5 Analyzes the main idea or topic and important details from learned concepts or readings from a variety of persuasive texts; summarizes, explains, clarifies, and discusses effectiveness of text, performance, speech, or literature.
Standard: Reading Grade Level Expectation:
•
R.11.5 Uses elements of poetry and drama to analyze, interpret, and compare and contrast genre, imagery, figurative language, and symbolism.
Standard: Writing Grade Level Expectation:
•
W.11.1 Analyzes and selects appropriate words to convey meaning; incorporates transitions, correct grammar, syntax, and style.
General Objectives: Students will:
• • •
Listen, read, and understand the meaning of song lyrics. Identify and analyze figurative language and sensory images in the song and interpret the meaning through words and images. Prepare an oral presentation for classmates.
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Procedure Initial Activity
• •
The students will listen to a song and read the lyrics. The students will underline the figurative language and sensory images found in the song.
Developmental Activity: The students will be divided into groups. They will choose a song of any genre in English with appropriate vocabulary and a message. They will prepare a PowerPoint or MovieMaker Presentation. The presentation will include vocabulary words, figurative language, sensory images, and the message or theme of the song. They will choose images that represent their vision of the song. Closing Activity: The students will present their work to the class. Materials: • Students’ notebooks • Computer • PowerPoint instructions • MovieMaker instructions • Internet • Students’ mp3s • Possible sites: -
azlyrics.com lyrics.com metrolyrics.com
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LESSON
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Lesson 10 Domestic and Farm Animals Yolanda Figueroa – Escuela Alfonso López O’Neill
Grade: Kindergarten Lesson Time Frame: 2 weeks Theme: Domestic Animals Standard: Listening/Speaking The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and express ideas effectively in a variety of personal, social, and academic contexts. Grade Level Expectations:
• • •
L/S.K.1 Listens and responds to basic commands, instructions, and routine questions during story time using expressions to demonstrate engagement. L/S.K.2 Demonstrates the development of early phonemic awareness and the alphabetic principle when participating in listening and speaking activities. L/S.K.3 Uses basic vocabulary to identify familiar concepts related to self, family, and to interact with peers.
Objectives: The students will: • Identify a domestic or farm animal for their mask. • Create their mask. • Answer questions using basic vocabulary to describe their animal. Materials: • Computer with internet access • Projector • CD Player and CD’s • Cardboard • Art Materials • Animal Stories
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Procedure Initial Activities:
• • • •
Daily Routine Present from YouTube the following songs, “Animal Sounds Song”, “Old McDonald Had a Farm”, “Baa Baa Black Sheep”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, and “Six Little Ducks.” Read the story “But Not the Hippopotamus” by Sandra Boynton, “Big Red Barn” by Margaret Wise Brown, or “Are You a Cow?” By Sandra Boynton. Present a digital poster or a slide show of a farm where students see different domestic and farm animals to introduce the vocabulary.
Developmental Activities:
• • • • • •
Teacher will introduce the different domestic and farm animals. Students work on animal worksheets. Students identify animals from pictures and toys. Students identify the beginning sound of the animals. Teacher asks questions about the animals: What sound does it make? What color is the animal? Is that animal big or small? Students work on preparing their animal masks.
Closing Activities:
• • •
Teacher prepares scenery of a farm using props and dresses up like a farmer. Individual student oral presentations wearing their masks following guided questions. While singing the “Old McDonald Had a Farm” song, each student enters the farm as their animal is mentioned.
Assessment
•
Rubric to evaluate oral presentation.
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LESSON
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Lesson 11 The Writing Process Dr. Alex Xavier Caride González Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Elementary School, San Germán, Puerto Rico
Grade: Sixth Lesson Time Frame: Two days Skill: The Writing Process Standard: Writing The student effectively communicates to a variety of audiences in all forms of writing through the use of the writing process, proper grammar, and age appropriate expressive vocabulary. Grade Level Expectation: W.6.5 Uses the writing process; applies prewriting strategies to generate ideas; uses the dictionary as an aid in the writing process, identifies spelling, capitalization, and ending punctuation errors.
Objectives: The students will: • Follow the writing process to express their ideas about a topic of their choice. (Conceptual) • Write a paragraph of no less than 10 sentences about the topic of their choice. (Procedural) • Demonstrate willingness to share their work with the class. (Attitudinal)
Materials: • Computers • In Focus Projector • Screen • Dictionary
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Procedure Initial Activities:
•
Daily Routine: Greetings, attendance, reflection (Tolerance), review of the previous class, topic of the day Developmental Activities The students will: 1. briefly review the steps of the writing process. 2. read the list of possible topics for them to choose from. 3. determine which topic they would like to write about. 4. follow the steps of the writing process to develop their paragraphs. 5. use their dictionaries for help. Closing Activities The students will: 1. re-write their paragraphs using their computers. 2. save their work in their pen drives. 3. make a print out of their work. 4. volunteer to read their writings to the class. 5. comment on the activity.
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LESSON
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Lesson 12 Teaching Nouns and Pronouns through music Sandy A. González Figueroa- Benjamin Harrison Vocational High School
Grade: 11th grade Theme: Using music to teach grammar Standard: Writing
•
The student effectively communicates to a variety of audiences in all forms of writing through the writing process, proper grammar, and age appropriate expressive vocabulary.
Grade Level Expectations:
•
W. 10.2 Applies appropriate grammar, structure, and syntax; analyzes word choice to convey intended meaning.
Objectives:
• • • •
Conceptual: The student will identify different nouns and pronouns inside the lyrics to the song by Journey, “Don't Stop Believin'”. Procedural: The student will be able to change the word in bold into a personal pronoun, proper noun, common noun, concrete noun, or into an abstract noun. Attitudinal: The student will participate actively in the lesson by trying a new way to apply grammar skills. Thinking Skills: - Classify - Infer - Analyze - Decision-making
Materials • Lyrics to the song, “Don't Stop Believin' “ • Worksheet • Technology • Projector • Computer • CD Player
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Procedure Initial Activities • Routine Activities • Review previous lesson about nouns and pronouns with a variety of examples • Present students with the lyrics to the song, “Don't Stop Believin'” (Rock, jazz fusion, progressive rock, hard rock, soft rock) Developmental Activities • Oral discussion about nouns and pronouns • Systematic practice • Discussion about the band Journey and their path throughout the years in music Closing Assessment • Change the word in bold inside the lyrics to the song into a personal pronoun, proper noun, common noun, concrete noun, or into an abstract noun . • Students will share what they wrote on their new lyric transcription. Special Education Arrangements • Extra Time • Upload lyrics to the song and music through the projector. • Individual attention
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Name:
Date:
Mrs. González
English 11th grade
PRACTICE Instructions: There are bold letters inside the lyrics to this song. Change the word in bold into a personal pronoun, proper noun, common noun, concrete noun, or abstract noun . After you finish, we will share what everybody wrote on their new lyric transcription. Remember the following:
•
A noun is a word used to name a person, animal, place, thing, or abstract idea
•
Proper noun is written with a capital letter, since the noun represents the name of a specific person, place, or thing.
•
A common noun is a noun referring to a person, place, or thing in a general sense.
•
A concrete noun is a noun which names anything (or anyone) that you can perceive through your physical senses: touch, sight, taste, hearing, or smell.
•
An abstract noun is a noun which names anything which you cannot perceive through your five physical senses.
Lyrics: Don’t Stop Believin’ Performed by: Journey Just a small town girl ( common noun) Living' in a lonely world (proper noun) She took the midnight train going' anywhere Just a city boy (common pronoun) Born and raised in south Detroit (proper noun) He (proper noun) took the midnight train (common noun) going' anywhere A singer (common noun) in a smoky room A smell of wine and cheap perfume (common noun) For a smile they can share the night (concrete noun) It (common noun) goes on and on and on and on Strangers waiting Diverse Learners - Page 105
Up and down the boulevard Their (personal nouns) shadows searching in the night Streetlight people Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night (abstract noun) Working hard to get my fill Everybody wants a thrill Paying' anything to roll the dice just one more time Some will win, some will lose Some were born to sing the blues Oh, the movie (common noun) never ends It goes on and on and on and on Strangers waiting Up and down the boulevard Their (personal nouns) shadows searching in the night Streetlight people Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night Don't stop believing' Hold on to that feeling'(concrete noun) Streetlight people Don't stop believing' Hold on Streetlight people Don't stop believing' Hold on to that feeling' Streetlight people
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Resources Dr. Annette López de Méndez Dr. López de Méndez holds a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Educational Research from Harvard University. She is the director of the Center for Educational Research of the College of Education of the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras. She has delivered courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels of UPR-Río Piedras in areas, such as investigation, curriculum and preschool education, among others. She has also taught at the preschool and elementary levels and is a Consultant for the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in different projects such as the design of activARTE (2000), an interactive gallery for children and families. She also has collaborated with the Museo de Arte de Ponce in the programming of the Museum Education Symposium, and the Contribution of Museums to Society and Education (2008-09). She has been a consultant for Caguas’ Municipality Criollo Learning of the Arts for Children (2007-09). She has been a Member of the Advisory Board for Preschool of Fundación Angel Ramos and is President of Asociación Puertorriqueña para la Educación de la Niñez en Edad Temprana (APENET) an affiliate chapter of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Dr. María Antonia Irizarry Dr. Irizarry holds a BA degree in the Teaching of English as a Second Language from the University of Puerto Rico, an MA degree in Arts in English Teaching, an MA in the Teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language, and an EdD in Languages and Literature from Columbia University in New York. Her professional career includes teaching in the public systems of Puerto Rico and the United States. She was a professor at the Essex County College of the New Jersey State University, Associate Superintendent of Schools of the Newark Board of Education in New Jersey, professor and director of the Education Department at Sagrado Corazón University in Puerto Rico, and the Dean of the College of Education of UPR- Río Piedras. She has represented the University of Puerto Rico internationally in different organizations and ministries of education of countries, such as Chile, República Dominicana, Panamá, and the United States. She is a professor and the Coordinator of the Graduate TESL Program at UPR-Río Piedras.
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Prof. Aníbal Muñoz Claudio Prof. Muñoz Claudio holds a BA and an MA in English Teaching and Curriculum (TESS, TESL) from the University of Puerto Rico. He also possesses a second MA in Translation, also from UPRRP. He is currently finishing his Ed. D. in Curriculum and Instruction in English (TESL) at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, PR. As a writer, he has published three novels (two in English/ one in Spanish) and an Anthology titled: Boricuan Times which includes 25 short stories and a play. His literary works mainly focus on adolescents’ lives and conflicts at school and in society. Prof. Muñoz has participated as a key note speaker in several PR TESOL conferences and other forums through his 19 years of experience as an ESL professor in Puerto Rico. He currently works as an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao. Dr. Elsie Candelaria–Sosa Dr. Candelaria-Sosa holds a doctoral degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras. She has 25 years of teaching experience and holds the rank of Associate Professor at Colegio Universitario Tecnológico of San Juan. Dr. Candelaria is familiar with current trends in education and has effectively integrated technology into the teaching of English as a Second Language. Her research interests include technology, the impact of the World Wide Web on language teaching and learning, and other areas of linguistics such as language change and gender-based differences in language use. Dr. Lowell Fiet Dr. Fiet holds MA and PhD degrees and has over thirty years of experience as a professor of theater history and performance in the United States and especially in Puerto Rico. His numerous articles and books focus on Caribbean and Puerto Rican dramatic expression. He directed the Taller de Imágenes theater collective (1988-1995). His work frequently focuses on masked rituals, celebrations, and cultural performances. He is also active as a critic; he has written theater reviews for the weekly Puerto Rican newspaper Claridad since 1992. He teaches at the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras and currently directs the Interdisciplinary Studies Program of the College of Humanities.
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Dr. Rosemary Morales Urbina Dr. Rosemary Morales Urbina is professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico, College of Education, Rio Piedras Campus. She possesses a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Teaching in TESL from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master’s degree in Bilingual Education from the City University of New York. She has been a curriculum consultant in various institutions in Puerto Rico and abroad. At the moment, she is interested in educational technology and teaching public speaking. She has published articles on digital narratives and visual storytelling, and the museum visit as a strategy in teaching language skills. Dr. Morales is an avid reader and indulges in community service. She also enjoys traveling to different countries and learning about their cultures. Dr. Juan C. Vadi-Fantauzzi Dr. Vadi-Fantauzzi holds a BA and an MA in Arts with a concentration in Social Communication and a doctoral degree in Education with a concentration in Spanish. He is a professor in the School of Communication of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. He also works in the Graphics Arts Unit at the School of Education at UPR-Río Piedras. He has been Acting Associate Director of the Department of Curriculum and Teaching of the School of Education at UPR-Río Piedras. He has worked in different teacher training projects demonstrating how to integrate technology, specially the digital storytelling technique, to the school curriculum.
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Project Professional Development for Fourth to Sixth Grade Teachers of English to Diverse Learners: Strategies for Effective Language Production, was sponsored by Center for Educational Research of the College of Education of the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras and Council of Higher Education of Puerto Rico with funds of No Child Left Behind Law (NCLB08-13). The purpose of this project was to achieve a high degree competent educator who can implement teaching strategies pertinent to the educational growth of diverse learners. To reach this goal, the project facilitated the professional development of approximately 40 teachers from public and privates’ school in areas such as visual and performing arts, music, curriculum alignment, state of the art technology, and assessment strategies, as integrated to the teaching of English to diverse learners for a better academic achievement. It also promote and disseminate participants’ strategic planning through the design of curricular matrix(es) based on standards of excellence. This manual include the lessons designed by project participants which illustrate how to integrate the visual arts, music and technology to the teaching of English so that students may have the opportunity to learn from those strategies and have practical experience with them.
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