Week 2 Assignments

Assignment # 2

The purpose of the Common core standards is to create standards around the country that are consistent and clear. The intention is to create a number of solid steps that clearly label where students should be at specific points. The common core standards for education are a way to finally get everyone in the country on board to an education that is properly aiming for college readiness.

While it is true that many educators were already doing “common core” work in their teaching, the common core finally puts all the appropriate steps in a clearly labeled manner and in way that addresses all the various skills in an organized way.

Assignment #3 

 

5 Key Components of the standards

Teachers of every subject are expected to incorporate subject and teach the skills that are found in the standards. While ELA teachers have a greater focus for using all the standards in a number of ways, the responsibility pretty much splits into two components: ELA teachers, and the other subjects combined.

The five key components of the standards are created to strengthen performance and skills in all the different ways possible. They all correlate with each other to make a solid guideline that is able to guide students and educators. Each component addresses the student’s needs to become college ready by the time they graduate from High school.

Reading: Growing the ability to discern more from and make fuller use of text.

Writing: learn writing skills such as plan, edit, revise and publish. Then, use various writing types to implement such skills.

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Speaking and listening: the development of communication and interpersonal skills

Language: Know and use the rules of standard written language.

Assignment #4
 

Interview with an ELA teacher: Mr. R., teacher at Eastview Middle School in White Plains, New York.

Interview an ELA teacher to learn his/her challenge(s) in integrating technology in the teaching of ELA/Literacy and share your interview transcript with us.

Me: Do you find using technology in the ELA classroom as an effective tool? How?

ELA teacher: Using technology in the classroom allows students to be engaged with something that they are familiar with, since they are growing up in a society where technology is all around them. So, using it in the classroom is working with what they are used to, and what they enjoy.

Me: How do you use technology in the ELA classroom?

ELA teacher: I use technology to enhance lessons and to present information to the students through the use of PowerPoint presentations, Prezi, videos, and even images.

Me: Can you tell me how your students use technology?

ELA teacher: My students use technology in various ways. We use a program called achieve 3000 once a week, which helps them improve their reading and writing skills using non fiction articles. What is great about this tool is that is differentiates by lexile level, and provides age appropriate material. What is really helpful for me is that it creates spreadsheets with data that gives me a very clear vision of my students’ progress on a continuous basis.

Me: What challenges do you have with the use of technology?

ELA teacher: The only challenges that I can come with are two. The fist, is obtaining enough computers that are working well to have available for our students on a constant basis. The second challenge is to get enough professional development to keep up with the constant changes in software and programs that we are asked to use for our students. Aside from that, using technology has definitely made our job more effective at addressing student’s individual needs.