EDU 690 Master’s Curriculum Projects Spring 2015
Sarah Banas
Title: Communicative Teaching in the Foreign Language Classroom
Link: https://sarahbanas.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
The primary function of language is communication. Without language, people are very limited in a variety of situations and purposes. Communication is so vital that the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) includes communication as its first standard. ACTFL breaks communication down into three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. In order to attain oral proficiency, learners should be engaging in meaningful communication (ACTFL, n.d.).
According to Islam (2012), Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is aimed at doing just that. In order for learners to gain communicative fluency, students must attain the knowledge of these communicative functions as well as the linguistic means to perform these functions (Islam, 2012). To transition educators to this means of teaching, the CLT Framework was developed: presentation, practice, production (Klapper, 2003).
This Master’s Curriculum Research Project explores the ideas of CLT and communicative competency, as well as how educators align their instruction to these standards and frameworks through meaningful situations. The use of input, practice, and purpose along with learner-centered activities is explored along with the facilitation of CLT and communicative oral proficiency (Klapper, 2003; Pan, 2013). This Master’s Curriculum Research Project explores these ideas surrounding Checkpoint A standards set forth by the the New York State Education Department. Students at Checkpoint A show basic proficiency in speaking, writing, listening, and reading in the target language (OBE-WL, n.d.).
The lessons throughout the Master’s Curriculum Research Project will surround the topics of food and meal-taking as this directly aligns with the other standards set forth by ACTFL, which are cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. (ACTFL, n.d.). This topic is also very purposeful and meaningful to students, as they may order food in a Spanish speaking restaurant some day and they can draw on prior-knowledge of Spanish dishes they have seen or heard of before. Additionally, the use of CLT will facilitate oral proficiency through interactive tasks and authentic communication.
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Sara Garfinkle
Title: Countries Around the World: Using Children's Books to Teach About Other Countries
Link: https://saragarfinkle.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
Come with me as I travel to China, Kenya, England, Germany, Mexico, Japan and the United States. While completing my graduate studies in Curriculum and Instruction at Buffalo State I decided to develop a Master’s Curriculum Research Project about using children’s books to learn about countries around the world.
Waters (1999) stated:
First, literature makes social studies content more relevant to the lives and needs of students. Second, books bring to life historical events, geographical locations and people from various times, places and cultures. Third, Literature is an excellent resource for developing thinking skills essential to Social Studies. Fourth, literature helps to facilitate the understanding of abstract concepts and fifth, literature presents role models from various times, locales and cultures (pg. 81).
This Master’s Curriculum Research Project will meet the Common Core Standards and the New York State Social Studies Standards. This Master’s Curriculum Research Project will be geared to third grade students in order to gain an understanding of communities and cultures around the world.
I am a graduate student at SUNY Buffalo State where I will be completing a Master’s in Education in May 2015. While attending graduate school I have been working as a substitute teacher in which I have taught students from many different countries and backgrounds. Teaching students from different backgrounds is a challenge but one that I welcome. I choose to design this research project because we want our students to be accepting of all students’ backgrounds.
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AnnMarie Henesey
Project Title: Non-Fiction Cross-Curricular Integration
Link: https://annmariehenesey.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
As Common Core Learning Standards continue to be implemented in schools so does the need for non-fiction literature. For quite some time many educators have decided to not use non-fiction literature in their instruction and curriculum. In fact, Vent and Ray (2007) found that teachers believe that their students’ are not interested in non-fiction and would loose interest quickly. Enriquez and Shulman-Kumin (2014) found that teachers should be exposed to non-fiction literature for children and become comfortable with implementing non-fiction in their instruction. This will allow teachers to become more confident and effective in teaching non-fiction literature. Zapata and Maloch (2014) were able to identify that explicit instruction of non-fiction text not only engages the students’ and catches their interest but also allows for students’ to take part in authentic learning opportunities that allowed them to connect their learning to the outside world. Students that have non-fiction text not only available but accessible to them, allows them to further their learning and thinking in ways many have been unable to do thus far in their education. This in turn provides students’ with effective opportunities to write and read non-fiction text that they connect to their own lives and interests.
In this Master’s Curriculum Research Project, non-fiction literature will be the foundation for teaching students’ about animal diversity and habitats. I am going to integrate non-fiction literature with not only science but also with writing making an integrated curriculum about the use of non-fiction literature in teaching students writing and animal diversity and their habitat‘s. This Master’s Curriculum Research Project will not only be aligned with Common Core Learning Standards but will prepare students to be skillful writers and also have students become non-fiction readers.
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Jessica Hills
Title: Teaching Spanish Using a Project Methodology Approach
Link: https://jhills2410.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
Do the words Cinco de Mayo, sombreros, sugar skulls, tacos, tamales, and enchiladas sound interesting to you? Don’t you just love the Spanish culture? Well, actually those words describe the Mexican culture. In this Master’s Curriculum Research Project you will dive deeper into learning about the culture of Spain while learning a second language. We will be taking a look at numerous festivals and traditions that happen around Spain while incorporating the language, music, dance and foods that are native to the these traditions as well.
Being a second year Spanish teacher in a Charter School in Buffalo, I have found that the middle school students are more interested in learning about the similarities and differences of other countries compared to the United States. The students are more engaged and willing to offer connections as well as speak with confidence once the language is related to the actual culture of the lesson. The elementary students are always mesmerized by the reasons behind certain traditions and holidays and how they can compare them to their own. On the flip side, students are able to broaden their horizons by learning about cultures that are different than their own and become less judgmental towards concepts that may differ from their own.
The American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) lists the Five Cs as their standards for teaching a foreign language in order to become proficient. They are as follows; Communication, where learners interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, signed, or written conversations to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions. Cultures allows learners to use the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures studied. Connections, has learners build, reinforce, and explain their knowledge of other disciplines while using the language to develop critical thinking and to solve problems creatively. Comparisons, learners use the language to investigate, explain, and reflect on the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own, and finally communities. School and global communities allows learners to use the language both within and beyond the classroom to interact and collaborate in their community and the globalized world (ACTFL World Readiness Standards). These standards are aligned and supported by the New York State LOTE (Languages Other Than English) standards and create a framework for building a curriculum and lessons for Spanish instruction. The New York State (NYS) LOTE Standards include different proficiency checkpoints. Checkpoint A is where a speaker who is a beginner would rate for assessment, Checkpoint B is describes a novice speaker and Checkpoint C is more for a proficient or native speaker (NYS LOTE Standards). The cultural understanding component explains that students will develop cross-cultural skills and understandings. Checkpoint A says the effective communication involves meanings that go beyond words and require an understanding of perceptions, gestures, folklore, family, and community dynamics. All of these elements can affect whether and how well a message is received.
These standards support the learning of a second language while encompassing culture and taking into account the sensitivity of traditions and concepts that could differ from one’s own. They also help to lay a solid foundation in order to build more complex ideas around cultural components as well as the language itself.
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Michael Masich
Title: Flipping an English Second Language Classroom with Tablets
Link: https://masimp71.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
“Educators have found that the in-class lecture continues to prevail as the predominant instructional strategy in most classrooms across the country” (Gilboy, Heinerichs, & Pazzaglia, 2015, p.109). Within these lecture classes, students only retain about twenty percent of the materials taught in class. Although at most times direct instruction is ineffective, “directed instruction is necessary to teach students in situations when they hold little to no prior knowledge” (Gilboy, Heinerichs, & Pazzaglia, 2015, p.109). According to Bull, Ferster and Kjellstrom (2012) flipped learning is a strategy that allows teacher to create an interactive classroom environment which is built upon collaboration, problem solving, and hands-on learning while delivering innovative instructional videos prior to class as homework. This concept moves the teacher from being the tool for instruction to a position of guiding student’s learning. Flipped learning creates a student centered environment using technology. When students are in the classroom, students apply their knowledge from the instructional videos and collaborate with their peers (Westermann, 2014). When one uses a flipped classroom pedagogical approach, one can balance the classroom time with online learning for English-Second-Language students.
Many English-Second-Language learners (ESL) are able to grasp basic interpersonal communication skills but, in order to achieve higher cognitive academic language proficiency and pass state exams, ESL students need language support (Curtin, 2005). ESL educators must conform to change and move away from ineffective mainstream teaching practices to successfully educate their students. From ESL student’s perspectives, highlighting answers, calling out answers with no explanation, and not giving examples is an ineffective approach when instructing ESL students (Curtin, 2005). Creating a flipped learning environment for ESL students will move direct instruction from a group environment to an individual learning environment. Instruction pace or curriculum pace guide is changing to the pace of the student’s individual needs (Westermann, 2014).
Personal response systems (tablets, handheld devices, and personal computers) have had positive effects on student learning by increasing simulated classroom experience and enhancing collaborative learning in an interactive environment (Enriquez, 2010; Hedge, 2013). Along with implementing a flipped learning pedagogical approach with ESL students, the use of tablet computers “show a statistically significant positive impact on student performance” (Enriquez, 2010, p.77). When using tablets one can create discussion boards to increase collaboration between peers and instructors before, during, and after instructional videos (Hedge, 2013). Other advantages including increased attendance and participation in all students, enhancing learning and engagement, technology integrated assessment, access to teacher presentations and instructional videos, and electronic documents can be created, edited, and shared (Enriquez, 2010; Hedge, 2013). Using tablets to implement a flipped learning pedagogical approach with English-Second-Language learners will provide a positive impact on their learning experience.
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Devon Printup
Title: Kindergarten Writers Learning in a Writing Workshop Approach
Link: https://devonprintup.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
This Masters Curriculum Project examines how the Writing Workshop can enhance young student’s emergent writing skills. The focus student for this project was given a benchmark assessment for writing comprehension at the Kindergarten level. Using this benchmark assessment and following specific components of the Writing Workshop identified in previous research, such as mini-lessons, independent writing, conferring and sharing, the belief is that the participant will improve in writing ability. From using the benchmark assessment, preliminary findings indicate that the student does have a significant understanding of writing at the Kindergarten level. Observations of student writing will be made as well as summative assessments to document any growth in their writing. The contributions of the mini-lessons and the adult modeling will continue to play a significant role in the student utilizing the learned skills in their independent writing time. Conferring with the participant about their writing will also aid in the student’s ability to enhance their writing. Through the use of the Writing Workshop, the participants writing will be documented from start to finish, so that any improvements in their writing will be evident in the curriculum project. My presentation will include a poster, showing how the Writing Workshop impacted my participants writing achievement.
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Jocelyn Stein
Title: Teaching Growth, Development and Reproduction Through English Language Arts and Science
Link: https://steinja01.wordpress.com
Project Introduction
Traditionally, science instruction has been presented objectively. According to Barbosa, Fonseca, Dal-Farra and Lopes (2014), there is a profound relationship between science and the arts, yet that relationship is not typically seen in today’s classrooms. Rather than connecting science to other subject areas, teachers generally place an emphasis on memorizing facts. This, however, has made it difficult for students to think about their science content in a deep, meaningful way (Horton, 2013). When teachers use stories and writing activities to teach science, students develop more complex understandings of the material (Horton, 2013). Such instruction provides students with opportunities to connect new information to their prior knowledge (Harris & Dorsey, 2008; Horton, 2013). Using both literature and writing assignments allows teachers to go in-depth with science content (Horton, 2013).
The purpose of this Master’s Project is to create educational practices that integrate the content area of science with English Language Arts. Both the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Learning Standards will be used to develop instruction for eighth grade students on the growth, development and reproduction of living things. Students will engage in higher-order thinking skills in the discipline of science through both literature and writing prompts (Harris & Dorsey, 2008; Horton, 2013). Specifically, they will apply their newly acquired knowledge of genes and inheritance to language arts activities.