How do we start a new year like this?

As I sit an think about heading back to work tomorrow and students on Tuesday I wonder how to start this new semester. How do I help heal the hearts of so many students, parents, teachers and friends? How do I help to make sense out of something that makes none? How can I lend support to those hurting the most? And my answer... I can't.
When I was 16 and a junior in high school I lost one of my best friends. It was October 14th, 1991. It was Monday, the Monday after homecoming. I found out at 6:05 pm. And not a day has gone by that I don't think about Nikki. It seems so ironic that those brightest stars seems to burn out far too soon. I remember the hole I felt in my heart, the hole that is still there. The hole that still brings me to tears when I hear certain songs, see certain movies, and experience big mile stones in my life.
We still celebrate her birthday, every year! August 14th (1975) we come together and share stories, memories, dreams, tears, everything. I still email her family and share in their lives as they share in all of ours. And when we say goodbye to her family we give each other that look. You know that look. The one that says I am still hurting and thinking about her, I still talk to her when I am driving in the car alone, I still miss her all the time.

So, as I wish I had the words to help my students, the families, fellow teachers, the truth is all I have is my support, listening and sympathy to give. I wish I had more that I could do.

In 2011 it will be the 20th year of my friends passing and I cry as I write this as I miss her still. May all of you warriors find strength, love and support from one another.

I may be stuck in the 20th century!

Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary

A big part of learning a new language is simply expanding your vocabulary in the language. To successfully learn Spanish I think there are 2 huge components. Learning grammar (how to use verbs, adjectives, etc to put the language together) and learning vocabulary.

To teach vocabulary I go over word meaning, try to make word connections (like comparing the word to an English word, or Spanish word they already know, or making a fun rhyme or joke with the word: my favorite being cebolla = onion in Spanish so we say, "-say boy a- breath smells" to remember it :) Anyway, we also use pictures and do as many in class activities as possible to also practice the vocabulary.

However when it comes down to it, learning Spanish vocabulary is nothing more than memorizing new words to add to your working vocabulary. And this goes back to basic rote memorization! Although I feel like I have come a long way in 21st century: I use conjuguemos to practice vocabulary, wiki with recordings to do speaking assessments and listening activities, I use voicethread, blogging and live blogging :) But if students don't know the vocabulary they are unable to do well on any activity! And I feel like it all goes back to whether the students study the words to memorize them and make them part of their working Spanish knowledge. Am I still stuck in the 20th century or are they some things that must be learned the old way?

By the way, do they still make floppy disks? :)

What is riding on the CSAP scores?

The stakes for CSAP seem to be increasing. As we, here at AHS, are in the middle of our CSAP testing I did a little reading to catch myself up to date with the CSAP stakes today. I was surprised at some of what I found!

1. School Report Cards (this one has been around)

- In August, all of the compalation of scores from each school are published and each Colorado school is given a report card. These report cards usually get posted in local papers and magazines. The report cards are used to communicate to the community (parents) about how each school ranks.

The scores include all students tested (non English speakers, special educaiton students and any student that transfered into the school after Oct. 1st)

- 2% of the 16,000 Colorado schools will fail and be given 3 years to better their performance or be taken over by the state.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20010726/ai_n9991242

2. Now, some legislation is built in with the promise of progress (to be measured by CSAP)

Jefferson County passed a mill levy with a “performance promise” based on the original state law requiring schools to improve CSAP scores “by 25% over three years”. Jeffco's first CSAP scores were so high that a 25% improvement would be beyond the maximum score. Later the law was rewritten to require “reasonable growth” of one year’s growth each year. Jeffco has met the rewritten expectation, but the original “performance promise” limits the amount of district mill levy funds received.

http://www.lwvjeffco.org/csap.html

3. Schools adding CSAP to the students' report cards:

Greely-Evan's School District 6 (in Colorado) recently made the decision to post CSAP scores on each students individual report card. The District hopes this will help stop parents from excusing their children from taking CSAP and motivate students to do well on the test.
http://www.substancenews.com/content/view/377/81/

4. Texas and Florida imposing penalties (non graduation) for failure

Schools in Texas are now imposing penalties for failure for their standardized tests. A good idea? What these schools are doing is starting to require certain test scores for graduation. (Motivating?) In 2004 when Texas implemented the test score counting toward graduation, the scores jumped 20 points! In addition, many schools have started to post individual scores and include the scores on the student's transcript.

I wonder what will change in how we use CSAP scores in the next 5 years.

Completing My Technology Puzzle

I have been part of 21 Century for 3 years now and I love learning all of the new technologies; however, I feel like each new piece of technology has been somewhat of a puzzle piece needing another piece to use the technology how I really wanted to use it. Now I am finally starting to feel that I have all of the technology pieces to complete the puzzle, and I can really start using technology to enhance the listening and speaking activities within my Spanish classroom.

Today my Spanish 2 students were able to do a listening activity on our Wiki page about my childhood (we are leaning childhood vocabulary and learning how to express what we "used to do") which was amazing because they could listen at their own pace: One time through, pausing when needed, two times through, 100 times through (great differenciation). Then the students had the headsets and recorded a speaking assessment about their own childhood :) Please feel free to check them out http://kitchespanol2.wikispaces.com/

I am so excited to be able to really use all of the technology that I am learning to increase communication of Spanish in the classroom, because ultimately, we learn language to communicate right?!!!!

Just thinking about teaching as the semester comes to an end...

"Teachers are trained to deliver information to students who will sit still and listen --- and then they’re put in front of classrooms with students who won't sit still and listen!"

http://www.adhdsolution.com/teacherhelp/?gclid=CO_Nquvwx5cCFQolgwodzw-USg

This quote struck me with laughter as I was reading up on motivating students and getting them to "buy into" their own learning. I think this quote summarizes why many teachers feel drained, frustrated and like they are beating their head against a wall when it comes to students listening, taking notes, and studying the content in a course. I think it can all be summed up to student motivation. We can work our tails off every day creating integrated and hands on lessons, providing blogs, podcasts, online notes/lectures, and creating connections with the real world; however, let's face it, if a student doesn't want to learn, we can't MAKE him/her. And as a teacher who has been teaching for 10 years that is my biggest frustration. So my goal is to keep researching and try to figure out new ways to use positive reinforcement and continue to increase the engagement of my students in the classroom to increase student motivation to learn and succeed.

Most of the research that I have been reading are things that I have read/heard/seen before; however, there are some things that are little "ah-ha"s and helping me to remember life as a student (not a teacher) Two things I read that struck me were...

"How prevalent is the attitude, "I let 'em alone as long as they are doing O.K., but when they goof off, I bring 'em up short. They won't do that again." (http://bbll.com/ch15.html)

"I recall observing a recruit in the Army trying to disassemble and reassemble his M-1 Garand rifle. The Sergeant watching him got exasperated at how slowly the process was going, called the man a dummy, and grabbed the rifle from him.
"Let me show you", he said.
Having done it many times before, the Sergeant took it apart and put it back together with great speed and then said, "See, that's how you do it."
You can imagine how the recruit felt. (http://bbll.com/ch15.html)

When thinking about the first quote I thought about all of those B and C students doing the work and trying to understand and apply the knowledge and just needing a bit of extra guideness, reinforcement, help, pat on the back, and motivation. I think we tend to just let these students move along until or if they fall into that D/F range, then we try to give some motivation, but by then it is too little, too late!

The second quote reminded me of many of my own teachers that I remember (and could name, but won't). Of course I know how to conjugate a verb. I teach the concept all day every day. (I would be worried if I didn't know it back and front!) However to my first year students, this is their first time with the concept. Am I really taking the time every year to remember that all of this material is new to my students? It sounds ridiculously logical, "of course this is the material is new (or fairly new) to the students," but I think teachers often don't think about this.

As we look at constructivism in the classroom and new methodologies to engage students and put them in the center of their learning, I just hope to keep remembering simple human nature and things that work for me as a learner: Experience, hands on activities, having a voice, receiving respect and flexiblity when needed and deserved, and simple practice with feedback :)

Live Blogging in Spanish

Thank you again to 21C for continuing to help me integrate new methodologies into the classroom. I tried live blogging in my Spanish classes last Monday (week of Thanksgiving) and it (for the most part) was fantastic. It was obviously a bit of a learning experience for me to figure out all of the features and stay on top of all of the comments (the participation was truly amazing). But what a great tool for language learning. The students were reading in Spanish, writing back in Spanish, taking polls in Spanish, COMMUNICATING. It was very fun and I think the students really enjoyed it. I am excited to try it again now that I am not such a rookie :)

What is the Difference Between Giving Feedback and Evaluating Students?

I have been interested in this topic for some time, but I am just now getting into researching the difference between "evaluating" students and giving students "feedback". Understanging that "evaluating" refers more to judging and assigning a grade and "feedback" is assessing the progress of student learning. Reading various articles helped me realize that it is quality and prompt feedback that will help my students reach higher levels of learning and independent thinking. The articles discussed how feedback is something given daily and should be communicated between the teacher and the student and evaluation is done at the end of learning. (I guess you could compare it to formative "feedback" and summative "evaluation", as Natalie so nicely said, the check up vs the autopsy :) Feedback is (and should always be) CONSTRUCTIVE and intended to improve student performance. According to my research, feedback should not criticize; but rather give specific comments on skills dones well and skills needing further work, "Feedback should be presented as a method of improvement rather than as a punitive step and used as a method of building up the learner and strengthening the professional relationship between learner and mentor."

http://www.uab.edu/uasomume/cdm/feedback.htm

My question to myself now is am I continually giving my students the prompt, specific and constructive feedback they need on a daily basis to improve their ability to apply Spanish? My hope is that I am.
I would love to hear some students' thoughts about what they feel helps them improve their skills/performance in various subject areas. Does a unit test do this?

Almost all of the research that I read agreed upon one thing, "If faculty and students are less focused on evaluation, they can be more focused on learning."

http://www2.umassd.edu/CISW3/people/faculty/rupchurch/papers/feedback.pdf