Description:

The artifact is the cognate for academic vocabulary words for a unit.  The demographic for my school is changing.  Within the last 5 years, Spanish speakers account for 30% of students in the class.  Therefore, to ensure comprehension and written and oral communication skills, Spanish speaking students may need to know the cognate to fully understand the English counterpart.

Connection:

Knowledge indicator 6C states, “The competent teacher understands communication theory, language development, and the role of language in learning.”  Translating the vocabulary words for the native language the student speaks will make definitions clearer.  Students can make connections to use when reading, writing, and communicating orally in English.

Learned:

When teaching students, I always observe their body language and facial expressions to know if they get it or may have questions.  Then, I’ll adjust my instruction base on what I’ve observed.  Most times, especially with vocabulary words, either academic, concept, or domain specific, when we discuss the Spanish counterpart, my student’s eyes light up.  That lets me know they understand a little bit more or made a connection.  Therefore, I discuss cognates often as part instruction.  Also, the students help.  It is a great way to engage everyone because Spanish speaking students will volunteer to help.

Description:

For student teaching, I am in an 8th grade English language arts classroom.  At the beginning of the year, I review text structures with students.  This artifact is an example of the information reviewed.  Then, for every text, as part of their analysis, we identify the type of text.  Also, when writing, students use graphic organizers to decide which text structure best fits their topic and goal. 

Connection:

Performance indicator 6P states, “The competent teacher teaches students to develop written text appropriate to the content areas that utilizes organization (e.g., compare/contrast, problem/solution), focus, elaboration, word choice, and standard conventions (e.g., punctuation, grammar). Constantly reviewing text structures when reading can provide the foundation when transferring the skill to writing.  The repetition along with other supports will assist with organizing written essays.

Learned:

In 8th grade, writing is a primary focus.  Using description charts, graphic organizers, and peer review helps students improve their writing skills.  Students can identify errors and make suggestions for improvement.  Therefore, I find it helpful to review all text structures at the beginning of the year and include text structure analysis as part of every text read. To me, it’s best to constantly repeat the process until mastery.  Also, it assists with reading comprehension.