Review of Color Coded Graphic Organizers

Ewoldt, K. B., & Morgan, J. J. (2017). Color-Coded Graphic Organizers for Teaching       Writing to Students With Learning Disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional      Children, 49(3), 175-184. doi:10.1177/0040059916681769

Main Point Addressed:

Writing a well-structured paragraph is just as important for neuro-typical learners as it is for students with learning disabilities. Because of this, it is almost essential for these learners to use tools such as graphic organizers to assure themselves they are following the task thoroughly and efficiently.

Salient Ideas Gleaned from Article:

• The new Common Core standards present new challenges for students with learning disabilities.
• Strong writers are able to understand the process, while writers who struggle cannot.
• Color-coded graphic organizers can easily be adapted for other types of writing.
• By using different graphic organizers, it makes the paragraph process much simpler because the students are basically just connecting their evidence into a well thought out paragraph.
• It is important for the student to have a systematic instruction approach to their writing. Providing a prompt helps the student generate ideas.

Reflection:  Describe the benefit(s) of the information provided in this article. Who can benefit from this information?

The benefits of this article are that it included different types of graphic organizers, different ways to use them, and how to apply them to a students every day writing. This is great information for soon to be teachers and teachers to reflect back on and to incorporate new information into the classroom.

How can the information be utilized?  Provide specific suggestions for applying the information. 

The information can be utilized in several ways. A great way would be when starting to write more in depth paragraphs with a student who struggles with ideas or putting their information together. Color coded graphic organizers can be essential to learners who just need that added push or for any learner to become more organized in their writing skills.

Review of Phonological Awareness Is Child's Play

Yopp, H. K., & Yopp, R. H. (2009). Phonological Awareness Is Child's Play. Retrieved   March 10, 2018.

Main Point Addressed:

Phonological awareness is everywhere, and can be recognized in children who are as young as age 4. It is defined as a broad skill that includes identifying and manipulating units of oral language. It specifically means to focus on phonemes, or individual sounds. Without the base for understanding of what phonological awareness is, every part of the child’s language, speech and reading will slow the developmental process. Phonological awareness is needed in the reading process.

Salient Ideas Gleaned from Article:

·      Phonological awareness is sensitivity to the sound structure of language.

·      It is focusing more on the sound of a word, not the meaning.

·      Children who can detect and manipulate sounds in speech are phonologically aware.

·      There is said to be “two dimensions” of phonological awareness.

·      One being the type of manipulation

·      Two being the size of the sound being manipulated.

·      Syllable awareness is the ability to discern syllables

·      Onset and rimes is smaller units within syllables

·      Phonemes are the individual sounds of spoken language

·      We must be able to notice and have a firm grasp of the sounds of our speech if we are to understand how to use a written system that records sounds.

·      Noticing and being able to manipulate the sounds of spoken language, phonological awareness, is highly related to later success in reading and spelling.

Reflection:  Describe the benefit(s) of the information provided in this article. Who can benefit from this information?

The benefits of this article is that it prepares teachers for what phonological awareness is, how to achieve it, and why it is so important for teachers to utilize it in order to richen the students reading process. Teachers can most definitely benefit from this article because it is a reminder of what phonological awareness is, and all the steps it takes to get there. It also includes ideas of how to use these things in the classroom. I also think it would be great for parents to read because it talks about the games in the car and involving families at home. Specifically families who speak a language other than English, this would be great for them because they can engage in language activities that manipulate the sounds of their home language.

How can the information be utilized?  Provide specific suggestions for applying the information. 

The information can be utilized in several ways. This article clearly explains why phonological awareness is important, how to use it, and then how to apply it to the classroom. Some ideas are to read aloud books that play with sound. Playing around with books that enhance sounds and use rhythm help the students get a better understanding of the sounds of language. When choosing a book, chose one that makes obvious use of sound play. You should also comment on the books language play, and read the book several times in the course of the week. Place the book where a child can easily access it for reference, build something like a model to demonstrate it, and continue to reread the book. Some other ideas to incorporate phonological awareness and reading is to share poetry that plays with sounds, share songs that play with sounds, play games that draw attention to sounds and to always try to involve the families. Home time is a great opportunity for parents to help instill the ideas and sounds while doing daily tasks.

If I Could Design My Own Classroom

(1)  What classroom management principle(s) guided your design?

a.     I placed plenty of windows in the classroom to provide outdoor light, but not too many to become a distraction. I knew I didn’t want to be a central focus, but I also did not want to be in the back of the room. So I placed my desk in the center in the front. Far away enough from the students to have privacy, but yet close enough so I am within reach for help. Being a teacher is not about dictatorship, so I did not want to have a typical classroom. I want to be just as much part of the student’s activities as they are.

(2)  How did you design with students with challenging behaviors in mind?

a.     I incorporated all different desks, and in different places because sometimes it’s simply the surrounding area students have difficulty with. But to have a more appealing class for the students, there may be less need for distraction.

(3)  What effective classroom arrangement strategies did you employ for your room arrangement?

a.     I put my bookshelves near the windows so the students could read in a peaceful place. I placed the lockers on the wall closest to the door so they are out of the way, but right there for the students to put their stuff away. I then included several different shaped desks in different areas to make sure I’m keeping the room interesting and appealing to all. I put my bulletin in the back of the room so the students could check any important things on their way to their bags. I put 2 blackboards in the front of the class so they are in plane view. I then placed my desk in the center so I can be hand on and in reach.

(4)  Provide a research-based rationale for your room arrangement.

a.     My classroom arrangement maximizes access. “Teacher interaction with students is correlated to student seating location (Good & Brophy, 2008; Evertson & Emmer, 2017; Rogers, 2011; Weinstein, Romano, & Mignano, 2011). Students who are seated in closer proximity to the teacher experience increased engagement (Cooper, 2011, in Wubbels et al., 2015).”

My Teaching and Learning Philosophy

My Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

My philosophy of teaching is to create an environment that allows for supervised exploration. I believe, given the right resources, tools and technology, every student has the potential to be the best student they can be intellectually, personally and physically. It is my duty as a future teacher to assist in these areas and reinforce the children’s protocol for being a student. It is important to give a balanced option of structure and fun. I believe a child learns best when they are given real life scenarios incorporated with their daily schoolwork. I firmly believe that I am as much a teacher to my students as my students are teachers to me. We must learn from each other to build a foundation of respect, knowledge and a growing community.

            There are four major classroom management theories proposed by four different views of philosophers. I would consider myself to have been influenced by all, and will keep the fundamentals of each throughout my classroom and teaching as a whole. To go back to my statement about every child being the best version of themselves possible, Adam Simpson (2015) quoted Glasser when he says, “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, if it’s your responsibility to fix it” (pg.15). The only behavior we can control is our own; so way waste it on anything but the best? Incorporating Glasser into my teaching style, I must build positive relationships amongst my students, so they feel they can trust not only myself, but also each other, to aspire to be everything and anything they want to be.

            I also find myself to incorporate values from the Jones model of positive discipline. Adam Simpson (2015) says, “The main tenet of the Jones positive discipline system is that the teacher models the kind of behavior that is expected” (pg. 12). If I am not applying all classroom rules, and my capabilities, how could I expect my students to do the same? Jones helps to build student and teacher responsibilities and I want to stop bad behaviors before they even happen.

            I feel as if it is my responsibility to create a reciprocal relationship between my students and myself. My students have just as much duty to me, and I do to them. Amongst those duties of my students, is their duty to the school, their classmates, themselves, and most importantly, me.