Task 2: What are the language demands of your content area? (Essential Question B)
Academic language, broadly defined, includes the language students need to meaningfully engage with academic content within the academic context. This should not be interpreted to suggest that separate word lists and/or definitions of content-related language should be developed for each academic subject. Rather, academic language includes the words, grammatical structures, and discourse markers needed in, for example, describing, sequencing, summarizing, and evaluating — these are language demands (skills, knowledge) that facilitate student access to and engagement with grade-level academic content. These academic language demands are different from cognitive demands (e.g., per Bloom’s taxonomy). Although there may not be just one accepted definition of academic language, there are a good number of resources available that address the issue of academic language and may be considered in the development of state ELP standards and assessments. For example: Aguirre-Munoz, Parks, Benner, Amabisca, & Boscardin, 2006; Bailey, 2007; Bailey, Butler, & Sato, 2007; Butler, Bailey, Stevens, Huang, & Lord, 2004; Chamot & O’Malley, 1994; Cummins, 1980; Cummins, 2005; Halliday, 1994; Sato, 2007; Scarcella & Zimmerman, 1998; Schleppegrell, 2001.
Pre-Posting –
Part A - Watch the video/PPT on Content Objectives and Language Objectives (See below). Think about the work we have completed already (What does it mean to read? Who are we as readers? Who are adolescent readers? What does research tell us about learning from texts) how does this build the foundation of rethinking how we plan for instruction in our content areas.
Now. . . Think about what it means to be literate in your specific discipline (e.g., what does it mean to read, write, speak and listen within your discipline).
Pre-Posting-
Part B - Conduct an internet search and see if you can find any sites/information on what it means to be literate in your specific discipline.
Initial Posting – After viewing the ppt. on content objectives versus language objectives I invite each member within your small discussion group to share their specific discipline and what it means to be literate within that discipline (e.g., What does it mean to be mathematically literate?). Think about the types of texts (oral and written) you need to read and comprehend. Think about the tasks that you are asked to do within your discipline and how is language used to support and complete these tasks. Post your interpretation of what it means to be literate within your discipline include any information you located in your web search (don’t forget to cite your sources or provide links for others to view).
Fri. November 15, Initial posting
Response Postings – Everyone should respond at least once to each group member with a question, clarification, or addition to the thoughts on their specific information. You might consider other information, questions you still have as a future teacher, etc.
Response Postings:
By Sunday, November 17: 11:59 PM. Response postings
Searching literacy and language arts returned a lot of results just relating to teaching English and Language Arts, in general - since literacy is already one of the main objectives of my content area. That being said, I did find the following site very useful because it has lesson plans and modules for a bunch of interesting books, as well as a section for research and news:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.literacydesigncollaborative.org/resources/sample-modules/english-language-arts/
Being literate in Language Arts in English requires students to be able to read and write in a variety of forms - largely related to classic literature, contemporary novels, persuasion, personal essays, etc. I had difficulty narrowing down what it meant to be literate in my content area - because the demands are so broad! And, depending on the student's level, I feel like the supports necessary will vary largely. I did find a little bulleted list of 6 requirements for literacy in English-Language Arts, that I think did a decent job of summarizing what literacy in my discipline entails:
1.) Listening: understanding spoken language
2.) Speaking: communicating ideas through oral language
3.) Reading: understanding written language
4.) Writing: communicating through written language
5.) Viewing: understanding visual images and connecting them to accompanying spoken or written words
6.) Visually Representing: presenting information through images, either alone or along with spoken or written words
(from: http://www.education.com/reference/article/language-arts/)
>>Specific examples could include figurative language terms, vocabulary from new texts, literary analysis forms, etc.
Sara,
DeleteThanks for you post! I enjoyed the 6 bullet points that summarized literacy for Language Arts. I actually think that you and I have a very similar definition for literacy because both of our content areas deal with the English language. While your content focuses more on the development of language in regards to interpreting literature, mine allows students to gain and understand that necessary language. We will both be teaching a lot of the same concepts in our classes, which is pretty neat!
Thanks Sarah,
DeleteAs I have mentioned before a lot of this language shift is new to me. It has me thinking a whole new way of what I need to introduce and teach to students.
I appreciate the six areas you summarized. These are helpful to know what is expected from your content and help embed them into Health Education.
Literacy for English Language Learners is such a huge topic. Not only are we asking students to learn how to read, speak, write, and listen in English, but we are asking them to learn academic English, social English, and situational English. This can be done through understanding of pragmatics and discourse, as well as the additional understanding of English grammar components.
ReplyDeleteI found an article that advocated strongly for the advancement of phonological awareness of ELL students. Phonological awareness is when you listen to the sounds the words make, instead of the meaning. If we are talking about literacy, I would agree with the article. Reading words out loud require the correct phonological sounds to be made. In addition, phonological awareness while listening to someone else speak can help the ELL student understand the speech at a higher level.
This is just a building block, as our class witnesses that there is more to reading and literacy than just reading and pronouncing words correctly. I encourage you to read this quick article, as it provides some interesting data and is not too boring! :-)
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/12924/
Erik,
DeleteThank you for the link! Literacy is so important for your content area, since, as you mentioned, ELL students have to learn situational and social English as well as academic English. What an immense task for a young person! I've heard various research on whether or not phonological learning works - and it's interesting to hear all the viewpoints that are out there on it...I think it would be beneficial for ELL students, especially, since they are probably working on their speaking as well as their writing - more so than standard students.
Eric,
DeleteThank your for your insight. I really enjoy hearing strategies for working with ELL students. As I expect to work with them in both Health and Phy Ed. I give so much credit to ELL teachers because they become such a vital resource for the student to bridge not only learning the language but also help navigate the social aspects of English/american culture.
I think you had mentioned before that if you frame what you are teaching around something the student can identify with socially it helps with interest and comprehension.
Thank you for your article. I think as many I take the being a native English speaker for granted. My son's teacher just mentioned to me that he is still "fronting" his speech. I listen to him and think he sounds just fine but have started the process to work with him on making these changes, hopefully to correct it before he gets much older. I can imagine that these will be the small yet, extremely important tasks that you will be faced with daily. Working with phonics.
In health education we focus on building skills for students to apply in the real world. We ask our students to comprehend, analyze, demonstrate, make decisions, and advocate for each health topic we cover: AOD, Communicable diseases, Personal health, nutrition, physical activity, mental health, safety, sexual risk behaviors, and tobacco.
ReplyDeleteAs in many content areas we have to define and explain the content specific words, for example, tobacco, but also define what skill we are asking them to demonstrate. We would need to define analyze if the task was to analyze the impacts of smoking on the body, socially, and to the community.
Health is a very social subject and there are many external resources people turn to access health information. Within the standards and content we focus on student’s ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance their health. This work is to prepare school aged people to be prepared for the health care industry as they become older and have to navigate it.
I have listed two resources below. The CDC’s website offers a great definition of what it means to be health literate. According to the CDC “Health Literacy: the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.”
Although both of these sites focus on what is health literacy their intended audience is for adult populations, not for health education in school. The reason I listed them both is because it shows the great need for health education in school to be a prepared adult, capable of navigating the health care industry. According to the Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership low health literacy costs $106 billion to $238 billion annually (2012).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) http://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/
Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership. (2012) http://healthliteracymn.org/
Michelle,
DeleteYour post was an awesome, comprehensive look at what literacy would mean to a Health educator. Health isn't a content area I know much about and it was interesting to think about the sorts of things your students will be doing - analyzing, comprehending, demonstrating, making decisions - and how well all of that lines up with my content area.
Even though figuring out all the nuances of academic language and language literacy objectives can be a bit irritating, I think it will be useful for us going into teaching full time because we'll be prepared to work with our colleagues over all the content area and have common goals and language to discuss student objectives with.
Thank you for the links!
Michelle,
DeleteI really like that you mentioned that your content area is a very social subject. While dealing with many content specific words, you have an advantage because students will most likely have heard these terms in some social context. Your content area gets students talking about school outside of the classroom, which is something that other teachers would give anything for!
I think having pictures and visuals will really help the literacy development in your content area, because most of the material deals with real-world issues that students may already be aware of.