Mini DAR Link

Mini DAR

Girl Rising

On October 8th, I attended the showing of the movie, "Girl Rising", followed by a Q&A with the author of the book, Tanya Lee Stone. This was a powerful experience for me, because seeing the movie brought the stories to life. I could put names to faces, and see the strength these girls had gained from their past experiences with gender inequality. What struck me most was just how powerful these girls are, and how brave they continue to be, despite all the obstacles they have faced.

The story that stood out to me most was Suma's. She experienced extremely traumatic events working as a kamlari, however, she found her courage through taking night courses. Education made Suma come forth as her own self, and take control of her life. Now, instead of running from her past, she uses her knowledge to affect the future. Every day, she and a group of former kamlaris go to a house where they know a master is engaging in this form of slavery, and demand that he set the young girl working for him, free. It is not an easy battle, and they have yet to win, but they still persist. Without education, Suma would not have recognized the power she has to do this.

I believe Suma should be a role model for all educators; we, as educators, should want our students to be the change they wish to see, and to stand up to injustice. Suma's story has made me realize that I need to empower my future students, be supportive of them and their decisions, but most importantly,  foster a learning environment that promotes conversations about those "difficult" topics. Therefore, my future classroom will be based around the portion of the Saint Michael's College Mission Statement that states: "Our graduates are change agents committed to social justice and sustainability." My classroom will be one dedicated to equity and open discussion that will raise awareness for global and community issues.

In order to implement discussions about "difficult" topics like gender inequality in my curriculum, I will need to plan lessons that include texts such as Girl Rising. My future Spanish classroom will do a lot around the standard of Cultural Comparisons , so a topic like this would fit perfectly into my learning plan. I could even do something interdisciplinary with history, since not all the cultures we would be studying speak Spanish.

One idea I had in planning a lesson around Girl Rising was having my students make a character map and a cutout person after reading the book. The character map would follow one of the girls and their story, and the students would add notes about what parts of her experiences stood out to them. Afterwards, using this map as a resource, the students would create a cutout person with paper, drawing a line down the middle to divide the person in two. On one side, the students would list the educational experiences of the girl from the character map, and on the other side, they would describe their own educational experiences.

Both of these activities would help prepare students for a discussion, possibly in Spanish, about the issues Girl Rising addresses. If I want my learning environment to be supportive of these discussions, I need to make the material relevant to my students. These activities do so because they help the students make personal connections to the learning, and it provides them with a hands on task. If I continue to find engaging ways to introduce this kind of material, as well as making it relevant in my students' lives, they will be on the edge of their seats waiting for discussion to start. At that point, I will no longer have to teach social justice; my students will have become activists.

Spanish Vocabulary Lesson

In our literacy class this week, each student prepared a 15 minute vocabulary lesson related to their content area. My vocabulary lesson was based around Spanish sports vocabulary, and I tried to incorporate as many engaging activities as I could into my allotted time. To begin, I had my group do a quick write on the following question(s): How has being part of a team or club changed you?

(To those not participating in sports/clubs) What does teamwork mean to you? They had roughly 2 minutes to jot down some ideas, then I had them share their ideas amongst themselves. This step was supposed to happen in pairs, however, I had to adjust on the go due to the small group size. After discussing their main points/ideas together, I had everyone tell me a couple things that came up in conversation. There seemed to be a lot of similarities among their answers. Talking about teamwork was a good transition into the next portion of my lesson plan, which was the review of our new sports vocabulary. My vocabulary list included Spanish to English definitions, as well as a picture of the given word, to help visual learners.

Spanish Sports Vocab List

While we reviewed these terms as a class, I had everyone stand up to act out whichever word we were going over. I came up with actions before class so that I would be prepared and save time. I said the Spanish word first, then translated it to English, having the group repeat back to me. After they had said the verbal definition, I showed them the action, and they would act it out as well. After this full class review, everyone worked in a group of 3 acting out vocabulary words and guessing the Spanish translation for them. 

This got the terms really engrained in everyone's heads, and prepared them for the assessment of the lesson: an engaging game of Alrededor del Mundo (Around the World). Looking back on this, I should have provided more time for an explanation on how to play, because I assumed that everyone knew how. Everyone in the group had mentioned that they were a little confused on this part and could've used more instruction. No matter the age group, I should never assume that students know everything. Once the game was underway and everyone got the hang of it, however, it ended up being something the group enjoyed. Not only was it both fun and engaging, but it was also a good formative assessment; I was able to see how well the class understood the material.

From this process, I learned how important it is to be able to adapt on the go. Teaching a lesson to a group of 3 instead of a larger group of students challenged, because a lot of activities were supposed to be in pairs, but I found a way to make it work. Having feedback on our lesson plans before putting them into action was really helpful, too. I didn't realize before Professor Wigglesworth's edits that my lesson was geared specifically towards students who had participated on a sports team. I had to change my quick write to be more inclusive, and that is now something I will always look out for. The classroom should be engaging and relevant for all, not only a few. 

I feel like I was successful in teaching my students this set of vocabulary. The words they learned were relevant to their learning both inside and outside the classroom, and it was easier for them to learn so many so fast because they were all cognates. I made the lesson personal by having the quick write be about their life experiences, and letting them share their ideas with each other. When reviewing the vocabulary list, I expanded the definition given with images, so that visual learners could feel successful as well, and had students act out the definitions for kinesthetic learners. The students interacted with the words by quizzing each other with the acting it out activity, and the assessment provided the students with an opportunity to show they understood the material. The assessment was different because it was a game, and did not appear overwhelming. I liked using Alrededor del Mundo as an assessment method, because it allowed me to see the progress of each individual student. Some of them were able to define every term with ease, whether it be from Spanish to English or English to Spanish, while some were still working on remembering the definitions for every term. Towards the end of the assessment, I was even able to throw them a couple curve balls and conjugate a verb, and they were still able to translate it! All in all, I felt really good about my instruction and the student's learning at the end of the lesson.

Literacy in Humanism & Reconstructionism

For my two education classes this week I created two presentations: For Curriculum, I created a presentation about my two educational philosophies, and for Literacy, I created a presentation about my expanding definition of literacy and how I will incorporate its many forms into my future Spanish classroom. See the Curriculum Nearpod presentation here on Humanism and Reconstructionism. Click here to view my Keynote presentation on Literacy in Spanish.

In my Curriculum Nearpod, I discussed the educational philosophies of Humanism and Reconstructionism, which are the two philosophies most closely aligned with my personal beliefs when it comes to teaching and learning. Both are very student-centered philosophies. Humanism focuses on individual potential and believes the student is in charge of their own learning. It also focuses on the growth and development of students in and outside the classroom, as one of its key contributors was Abraham Maslow, who created the Hierarchy of Needs. In order for a student to be successful in the classroom, they must have their basic needs met before they begin to move up the pyramid. As a humanist, I will have to be aware of where my students lie developmentally so I can fit the needs of everyone in my classroom. Additionally, Reconstructionism is a philosophy that encourages students to make changes within their communities, through looking at current events and discussing them in the school environment. It is completely centered around social change and the potential students have to make a difference in our world today. After doing research on these two philosophies, I have decided to incorporate project based learning and proficiency based grading into my future curriculum. My Spanish teacher, Profesora Ochoa (shown in the 6th slide of my Nearpod), inspired me to use proficiency based grading in my curriculum because she grades based on individual progress. All she cared about was that by the end of the semester, you were able to tackle something you hadn't been able to before, not that you could spit out memorized definitions. She looked for growth and understanding, which I think are two key parts of learning. I have also decided to use project based learning because it provides the opportunity to students to seize their own learning (a humanist principle), as well as allowing students a way to get involved in their community, whether it be through helping a local farm or tutoring younger kids. The opportunities are endless in project based learning, and can ignite social change. Because of this aspect of social change in my curriculum, I would say this assignment led me to focus most on pillar 4 of the Saint Michael's College Mission Statement.

In my Literacy Keynote, I spoke about how my traditional view of literacy as reading and writing expanded to include all forms of nonverbal and verbal communication. One part of my presentation that I chose to put a lot of emphasis on was that in a Spanish class a lot of traditional literacy is needed, as you are learning a new language. However, I realize that to prepare students for their futures, I will need to implement other kinds of literacies into my curriculum. One form I will focus on in my classroom is digital literacy, so I will be incorporating technology into my lesson plans. I can use online news articles to better students' reading skills as well as enhance their ability to spot fake news. We can also explore new apps for presenting projects and information to the class or watch Spanish news/telenovelas to read body language while also understanding culture and speaking. This assignment made me focus on pillar 2 of the Saint Michael's College Mission Statement, because I will be integrating technology and interaction into my Spanish classroom.

Throughout this research, I noticed some connections between my Literacy and Curriculum courses. Something that stood out to me was how important teaching literacy in all forms in a project based learning classroom is. I am really passionate about project based learning, but if I give students this much freedom, I need to prepare them to succeed first. Therefore, if a student wants to present their work through iMovie, I need to be teaching digital literacy so they feel confident in their abilities. Additionally, if another student wants to work with a local business, they will need to be prepared to read social cues and body language to succeed in that environment. Learning about my educational philosophy in Curriculum and the types of literacy in my other class have really helped me create and develop my ideas.

For these projects I used Nearpod and Keynote, which are both online presentation tools. They look a little more professional and streamlined than other presentation apps I have used in the past and were pretty easy to figure out, so I liked them a lot. One feature of Nearpod I really enjoyed was the interactive slide option, so learners could be engaged during the lesson and the teacher has a chance to check for understanding. Additionally, Nearpod is awesome for a classroom with lots of technology because you can stream it on your students devices so everyone has a clear image. I am excited to use these tools more in depth in the future, and see what other features I have available to me. Using an iPad to work on the actual app itself rather than a computer will be an adventure, but I am looking forward to becoming more proficient in technology myself.

Turtles All The Way Down

Turtles All The Way Down is a novel by John Green that follows the adventures of three sixteen-year-old characters: Aza Holmes (Holmesy), Daisy, and Davis Pickett. Holmesy is a young girl who suffers from an exhausting mental health disorder, that she relates to an inescapable tightening spiral in her thoughts. Daisy, her best friend, is outgoing and energetic. Davis, Holmesy's love interest, is a young boy with who she went to "sad camp"(for children who lost a parent) with when she was younger. Davis' father, a billionaire, has disappeared and is expected to be involved in a crime, and the police are offering a $100,000 reward for anyone who can supply them with a lead. Thus, Daisy and Holmesy befriend Davis with the initial motive to find out more about his father's whereabouts. However, this strategy dies quickly, as Holmesy and Davis develop feelings for each other.

What I think is important to focus on, though, is the novel's attention to the struggles each child endures. Holmesy, in addition to her mental health disorder, lost her father at a young age to a heart attack. Daisy, behind the scenes, struggles with her family duet to their low socioeconomic status. Davis, although rich and seems as though he can have whatever he wants, does not have either parent. From just looking at one another's lives, these children are unable to know these secret struggles about one another. But as they develop friendships, they learn more about each other and see past their initial judgements and outwards appearances.

It is interesting to see the contrast between Davis and Holmesy's relationship, and the beginning of Ms. Holmes and Davis' relationship. At one point, Ms. Holmes sits down with Davis, and gives him a lecture, saying: "I know you can have anything the moment you want it, and that can make a person think the world belongs to them, that people belong to them." (Green 143). She is cut off by Holmesy as they see Davis start to cry because of this statement. Later, Davis reveals to Holmesy that he cried because he can't have everything he wants, because if he did, he would still have his mother. This part is so interesting to me because we are often told by adults to not judge a book by its cover, yet in this scenario, an adult is the one judging right off the bat.

This book made me think a lot about the presentation from the NFI Family Center regarding trauma. It's clear that Davis and Holmesy experienced both trauma as well as developmental trauma. They lost one of their parents in their early lives, back when their brains were developing at a higher speed. Holmesy suffered specifically in the development of her cortex when her father passed, according to the NFI Family Center's presentation. Additionally, Holmesy suffers from her mental health disorder and its repercussions, as Davis deals with an absent father and the responsibility of taking care of his younger brother. In Davis' situation, he never had a parent to love and nurture him, so it is likely that he feels at points helpless, because that is the norm he grew up with. When he asks himself the questions, "who helped me get through something" and "can my parents take care of me", he probably doesn't have the same answers as children with supportive and caring parents. This leaves Davis with an unhealthy coping pattern, as he doesn't have people to help him through things. As NFI would say, it's as though the trunk of his tree is growing around a rock.

For more on NFI:
http://www.nfivt-familycenter.org/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hXcS_xl07PyHEuu2ezTIsu84_3GqvSnpv7drQy1ua_0/edit
(my notes from the guest speaker)

Thinking about these characters and their lives with trauma and/or inequity makes me realize how crucial having programs like No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in schools is. Ensuring that each individual receives an equitable education is extremely important if they are all on different playing fields coming in. It helps reduce the achievement gap, and provides kids with the support they need to succeed. For kids living in poverty, it is possible that the school could qualify for having free and reduced lunches, which would provide food to children who may not be getting it at home.

More on NCLB: https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition-summary.html

Teachers play a huge part in the lives of these struggling students as well. They can be supporters and help them through their rough patches. Having a team of teachers that you can trust at school and that will advocate for your wellbeing can change a lot in your life. They can get you in touch with a guidance counselor, and this person can help the things teachers are not certified in.

To ensure these children are getting the best education possible, I will make sure I accommodate all learning styles, as well as make myself available outside of class for either help with work or help in students' personal lives. Although, if the situation seems extreme, I will report my findings to a superior in order to get the child the help they need. Additionally, I will keep healthy snacks in my classroom for students who may not be getting enough nutrients at home, as well as fidget toys and stress balls for those struggling with any disorders. I want my classroom to be as inclusive and as equitable as possible. Reading this novel helped me realize the extent to which you cannot know someone's past, and as a teacher, I need to prepare for any student that comes my way.

My question is, how can we incorporate more student led organizations around mental health and trauma in high school?

LGBTQ+ Adolescents in School

Before reading my following post, please take a look at the following statistics, provided by: https://nobullying.com/lgbt-bullying-statistics/



Adolescents who identify as LGBTQ+ are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. That means that one-third of suicides are caused by negative feelings surrounding one's sexual identity. This is horrifying, especially to future educators who take on the task of shaping their students lives. How do we help this group of students who are suffering?












Take a moment to reflect on Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. To be successful and function, Maslow argued that an individual must have each level on his pyramid fulfilled. It is preferable that all levels on this pyramid are fulfilled, but each level must be fulfilled prior to moving up. Therefore, the physiological needs of a person must be met before satisfying their safety needs. According the graph used above, 64% of LGBTQ+ youth have felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation, while another 44% has felt unsafe due to their gender identity. The percentages of students who have skipped school because of these feelings and those who have experienced physical harassment are alarming as well. These kids aren't having their safety needs satisfied. If they don't feel safe at school, how will they learn? How will they make friends? How will they grow? And we don't know anything about their home life, either. Some families are not accepting of the LGBTQ+ lifestyle, to the extent at which they may kick their kid out of the house due to their identity. This leaves the child with the most fundamental needs, like shelter, unsatisfied.

Interesting video on which of Maslow's needs kept a man in the closet, and which helped push him out (starts at 3:40): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XJPFSFJ580

stopbullying.gov offers a list of ways we, as teachers, can help create a safe environment for LGBTQ+ students:

• "Build strong connections and keep the lines of communication open. Some LGBT youth often feel rejected. It is important for them to know that their families, friends, schools, and communities support them.
• Establish a safe environment at school. Schools can send a message that no one should be treated differently because they are, or are perceived to be, LGBT. Sexual orientation and gender identity protection can be added to school policies. 
• Create gay-straight alliances (GSAs). GSAs help create safer schools. Schools must allow these groups if they have other “non-curricular” clubs or groups. Learn more about the right to form a GSA under the Equal Access Act. 
• Protect privacy. Be careful not to disclose or discuss issues around being LGBT with parents or anyone else. "

Through using these tools, we can help LGBTQ+ students to pass both the Safety Needs and Love and Belonging levels in Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Having school clubs/groups will help provide possible connections and friendships, encouraging the feeling of belonging. From there, students will be able to work up to Esteem and Self-actualization.

After doing this research, I realized how important it is for a school to have multiple resources for LGBTQ+ students. I commit to being one of these resources; a teacher that maintains an inclusive classroom. I will always be a shoulder for my students to lean on, and someone they can talk to if things are not going well. I will be an advocate for LGBTQ+ students, learning any vocabulary I should know in order to not offend anyone, and will be sure to start a GSA or other LGBTQ+ organization within a school if it is lacking one. I want all of my students to feel safe at school, so they can grow as people and learners.

My question is, how exactly as teachers do we help students who haven't met their physiological needs?

Sources (see for additional info):

https://nobullying.com/lgbt-bullying-statistics/

https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/groups/lgbt/index.html

Dual Immersion Research Blog

Two-Way Dual Immersion - What is it?
Two-way immersion programs take place in schools where half the population is fluent in English, and learning the new target language, while the other half are native speakers of the target language, learning English. These programs take place in all subjects, not just English and foreign language. This means that students will be learning subjects like science in two languages, helping them learn in a more realistic setting. Meshing two groups of students who speak different languages together in a classroom helps because the students can work together to support one another's learning. They are able to offer their advice in situations that might not normally occur.

A video on Two-Way Dual Immersion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-TMa8ZObl4

Why?
There are two kinds of dual immersion, the other form being one-way immersion. In one-way immersion programs, none of the students have prior experience with the target language. I chose two-way immersion, because I feel as though the students will benefit more from working together, rather than depending on the teacher for all of the new information. In addition to student help, there will be two teachers in the classroom as well. One will be certified to teach in English, and the other, in my scenario, will be licensed in Spanish. All of this available help fosters a healthy and collaborative learning environment. However, you cannot lose with dual immersion. Whichever form you choose, there will be numerous benefits.


The Windom Dual Immersion School has shown that this program allows students to think differently, recognize patterns, and raises their ability to problem solve. Studies have also shown that bilingual speakers have enhanced metalinguistic awareness levels, making them very skilled in manipulating language. This ability is extremely useful.
Additionally, the following are benefits of dual immersion at the middle level (from North Clackamas Schools:

1. Development of the second language at a higher level
2. Growth in academic achievement 
3. Being part of a learning environment that is inclusive through its celebration of diversity and cultural awareness

Dual immersion can also serve as a solution for minimizing the achievement gap. It has been proven that students who speak a native language different than English at home will not succeed in subjects like reading and writing, while native English speakers do. Furthermore, they will be more likely to not graduate from high school and will be more likely to not attend college. However, if they participate in a dual immersion program, their academic success can be altered significantly. In one study, dual immersion students were shown to be seven months ahead in their fifth grade reading skills, and ahead by nine months in eighth grade. Additionally, the English language learners will "Acquire strong literacy skills in Spanish which can then be applied to the acquisition of English literacy"       (Windom Dual Immersion School “Benefits of Dual Immersion.” ) This sets them far ahead and makes them more likely to succeed.

Quotes from a study done on eighth grade immersion students:

"Aside from several spelling errors that were fairly common among her classmates... and a lack of diacritic marks, her writing was perfectly comprehensible and able to convey humor" (Potowski, Kim. Language and Identity in a Dual Immersion School, Multilingual Matters, 2007. Pg 180)

"Carolina's grammatical accuracy was the highest of all four focal students, scoring above the 1.1 mean on four of the five elicited forms" (Potowski, Kim. Language and Identity in a Dual Immersion School, Multilingual Matters, 2007. Pg 180)

Link to Spanish Immersion in a Middle School: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-1uaUDMTZI

***These 6th grade students are using the imperfect and preterite tenses - tenses most students don't learn until high school!

Note however, that dual immersion students succeed in more areas than academics, too. One mother spoke about her son's experience at a dual immersion school, and how he was influenced. Being in a dual immersion school allowed him to see the big picture, and he was able to understand diversity in all ways; among socioeconomic status, race, and culture. In his school, which was split between native English and native Spanish speakers, this individual recognized the school's effort to make kids comfortable with their cultural identities.

Lastly, dual immersion backs you up in the worst case scenarios. A bilingual person has a very strong brain from knowing 2 languages. Due to this strength in certain sections of the brain, it is easier for bilinguals to recover from brain injuries. In addition, it can delay the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia. While this may not be the happiest topic to discuss, it is extremely impressive.

When should we start?
As soon as possible! It's true what they say about kids brains being sponges - they learn so fast! Sure, my program would be implemented into a middle school, where it would succeed, but why not start earlier? Not only will it be easier for a child to learn a language at a younger age, but it will prove to have even more benefits later on. If your child is enrolled in a dual immersion elementary school, it is crucial to continue that form of teaching to retain knowledge. For example, for students leaving Mistral Elementary, a dual immersion school in California, parents fear their children's success in middle level education. The students enroll in Crittenden and Graham middle schools after Mistral, neither of which incorporate dual immersion programs. Parents are taking a stand to try and convince administration to add it into the curriculum. One parent, Trish Gilbert, who took measures as far as teaching immersion classes to students within her home, stated: "'It's a disservice to all the kids (who) could benefit from continuing their bilingual education'" (Forestieri, K, 2017). If formerly dual immersion students are not supplied with these courses at the middle level, their skills will diminish. However, if more courses are offered, they will flourish due to the abundant amount of new material covered in middle school. This information serves to prepare students for high school, so it is more advanced than the introductory information relayed in elementary environments. 




Sources:American Councils for International Education “WHY THE DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION APPROACH WILL CHANGE ACHIEVEMENT IN AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.” American Councils for International Education, www.americancouncils.org/news/why-dual-language-immersion-approach-will-change-achievement-american-public-schools.

Language and Identity in a Dual Immersion School

Potowski, Kim. Language and Identity in a Dual Immersion School, Multilingual Matters, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/smcvt/detail.action?docID=282690.

Mountain View Voice
Forestieri, Kevin. Bilingual Students Miss Out in Middle School, Mountain View Voice, 2017. https://www.mv-voice.com/news/2017/11/28/bilingual-students-miss-out-in-middle-school

North Clackamas Schools
Middle and High School Dual Language Immersion Information, North Clackamas Schools. http://www.nclack.k12.or.us/instructional/page/middle-and-high-school-dual-language-immersion-information

School District of Beloit

“Dual Language Immersion Programs.” School District of Beloit News, 19 Aug. 2013, beloitschools.org/dual-language-immersion-programs/.

The Unique Skills and Traits of Principals in One-Way and Two-Way Dual Immersion Schools

Rocque, Ryan, et al. “The Unique Skills and Traits of Principals in One-Way and Two-Way Dual Immersion Schools.” EBSCO Discovery Service, 1 Dec. 2016

Windom Dual Immersion School “Benefits of Dual Immersion.” Windom Dual Immersion School, windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion.

A Social Worker Visiting Alcatraz

5. Social worker’s report. If the events in the novel merit it, write up a report as a social worker would on the conditions in the home and whether or not it’s a good environment for a child. For example, if a social worker went to the McNabs’ house in Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (1990, Little, Brown) how would she describe the home and parenting style of Mr. McNab? What would her recommendations be?

The Flanagan's situation is an interesting one, and it leaves me in a difficult situation. The boy, Moose, is 13 years old, going through a lot of changes in his life as an adolescent. He has reached the age of puberty, he has just moved to an island with convicts, and has a sister with a disability. He seems to be handling the change well enough, but he is not who I am really worried about. While living in such close proximity to convicts is not safe for anyone, it is especially not safe for a child with a disability. Natalie is 16 years old, but is severely disabled and unpredictable. She requires constant attention that her parents are unable to give her. Mrs. Flanagan and Moose attempt to split the babysitting role everyday, but I don't think it's appropriate to leave a 13 year old in charge of her. Moose is very talented and patient with her, but it's a lot of responsibility and there's a lot that could go wrong. For example, one night, Moose fell asleep while watching Natalie, and woke up to the house on fire. She has tantrums that get violent, including physical abuse and throwing objects. She has also snuck off to visit convicts. How is Moose supposed to control that kind of behavior? Even her parents struggle with it, and although her mother has hired a tutor for her, it seems as though she is in denial most of the time. She even tried to convince me her daughter was 10 when I came for the visit. I understand this is hard, but handling the problem in the way she does only creates more tension.

There are a couple positives, however. Natalie has improved since working with her tutor. She can now use pronouns, and her fits have come few and far between. In addition, although her mother may be harsh at times, it is not necessarily poor parenting. Mrs. Flanagan is working on her acceptance of things and does most of what she does out of love. It is because of this that I am not taking the children from this home as of now. I have left the Flanagan's with one month to fulfill my requirements. Moose will need to see a therapist once a week and someone must be hired full time to work with Natalie and watch her. I am not requiring them to relocate, as I know the job is important to Mr. Flanagan, however, if Natalie is in contact with another convict one more time I will make sure the children have a new home. I am hesitant with making this decision, but I feel as though this family has been through a lot together and deserves one last chance.

Exploratory Project (Rough Draft)

Two-Way Dual Immersion - What is it?
Two-way immersion programs take place in schools where half the population is fluent in English, and learning the new target language, while the other half are native speakers of the target language, learning English. These programs take place in all subjects, not just English and foreign language. This means that students will be learning science in two languages, helping them learn a language in a more realistic setting. Meshing two groups of students who speak different languages together in a classroom helps because the students can work together to support one another's learning. They are able to offer their advice in situations that might not normally occur.

Why?
There are two kinds of dual immersion, the other form being one-way immersion. In one-way immersion programs, none of the students have prior experience with the target language. I chose two-way immersion, because I feel as though the students will benefit more from working together, rather than depending on the teacher for all of the new information. In addition to student help, there will be two teachers in the classroom as well. One will be certified to teach in English, and the other, in my scenario, will be licensed in Spanish. All of this available help fosters a healthy and collaborative learning environment. However, you cannot lose with dual immersion. Whichever form you choose, there will be numerous benefits.
Dual immersion allows students to think differently, recognize patterns, and raises their ability to problem solve. Studies have also shown that bilingual speakers have enhanced metalinguistic awareness levels, making them very skilled in manipulating language. This ability is extremely useful.
Dual immersion can also serve as a solution for minimizing the achievement gap. It has been proven that students who speak a native language different than English at home will not succeed in subjects like reading and writing, while native English speakers do. Furthermore, they will be more likely to not graduate from high school and will more likely to not attend college. However, if they participate in a dual immersion program, their academic success can be altered significantly. In one study, dual immersion students were shown to be seven months ahead in their fifth grade reading skills, and ahead by nine months in eighth grade. This sets them far ahead and makes them more likely to succeed.
Dual immersion students succeed in more areas than solely academics as well. One mother spoke about her son's experience at a dual immersion school, and how he was influenced. Being in a dual immersion school allowed him to see the big picture, and he was able to understand diversity in socioeconomic status, race, and culture. In his school, which was split between native English and native Spanish speaker, this individual recognized the school's effort to make kids comfortable with their cultural identities.
Lastly, dual immersion backs you up in the worst case scenarios. A bilingual person has a very strong brain from knowing 2 languages. Due to this strength in certain sections of the brain, it is easier for bilinguals to recover from brain injuries. In addition, it can delay the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia. While this may not be the happiest topic to discuss, it is extremely impressive.

When should we start?
As soon as possible! It's true what they say about kids brains being sponges - they learn super fast! Sure, my program would be implemented into a middle school, where it would succeed, but why not start earlier? Not only will it be easier for a child to learn a language at a younger age, but it will prove to have even more benefits later on!

Sources:
American Councils for International Education “WHY THE DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION APPROACH WILL CHANGE ACHIEVEMENT IN AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.” American Councils for International Education, www.americancouncils.org/news/why-dual-language-immersion-approach-will-change-achievement-american-public-schools.

Language and Identity in a Dual Immersion School

Potowski, Kim. Language and Identity in a Dual Immersion School, Multilingual Matters, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/smcvt/detail.action?docID=282690.

School District of Beloit

“Dual Language Immersion Programs.” School District of Beloit News, 19 Aug. 2013, beloitschools.org/dual-language-immersion-programs/.

The Unique Skills and Traits of Principals in One-Way and Two-Way Dual Immersion Schools

Rocque, Ryan, et al. “The Unique Skills and Traits of Principals in One-Way and Two-Way Dual Immersion Schools.” EBSCO Discovery Service, 1 Dec. 2016,

Windom Dual Immersion School “Benefits of Dual Immersion.” Windom Dual Immersion School, windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion.

Epsteins Framework of Involvement

Epsteins Framework of Involvement includes six ways that the educational environment can be more involved with their outside community. Of the six, there are two that really grab my attention. I think learning at home and collaborating with the community could serve as two phenomenal involvement techniques.

In my team, we discussed giving parents packets at the beginning of each unit with information on what would be covered in the classroom. In addition, a schedule would be attached with the outline of the curriculum and its assignments. The packet would include information that would help educate parents on the subject matter, hopefully in a way that allows the parent to be a resource for their children. Having an "expert" in their house would make learning a lot more individualized and accessible. It could also result in more class time for learning new material, as some questions and concerns that would come up in class could be answered at home.

However, I do think that problems can arise when bringing school to the home. We as teachers cannot always be sure of what students go home to every day. It might be a single parent household, with that parent working multiple jobs to make ends meet. It may be to parents who do not really care too much about their children's achievement, and decide to brush the added responsibility off. Or, it may be a parent who is too enthusiastic about having a teaching role in their child's life to the point that they may become overbearing and have a negative impact on their child's view of education. In any case, we cannot predict what awaits them. Therefore, some may ask is it really a good idea to put this responsibility on the parent? I think that if teachers introduce this role to parents explaining that they are acting more as a resource rather than a teacher, this would help clear confusion. In addition, I think that it would be a good idea to outline what is expected of the parent, so there are no issues with lines being crossed.

As for collaborating with the community, I would really like to offer an after school program with senior citizens someday. When I was in fifth grade, I took a knitting course with a senior citizen living in my town. The school partnered with the council on aging to organize programs like this. Even after finishing the knitting course, I kept in contact with the woman. We wrote letters for awhile, and sometimes I visited her house to have a snack and check in. It was an unexpected friendship, and I was very sad when she passed away. I think we grew so close because of that shared experience in knitting class. It was nice to have someone so skilled to teach me something, and to have someone who wanted to connect. Senior citizens can be so lonely, as they don't have a lot of friends around anymore, so I think giving them a platform to communicate with others is really great. It is also good for the children. They also have something to look forward to, a new skill to learn, and a new friend.

Connecting with senior citizens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1RoUUMkCkk

An issue that I could see arising would be the possibility that there wouldn't be too many activities that senior citizens could engage in. It could be possible that something they used to be very good at is no longer in their capabilities, whether it be from their change in athleticism, or arthritis causing them to be a little more shaky. As a solution, I would offer this interaction with senior citizens to be a two way street. If the senior is no longer able to teach a kid how to play catch, maybe the student could teach them how to play their favorite board game. This would put the student in the leadership position, and they might really enjoy teaching someone about something they like.

As a future teacher, I commit to being openminded in my classroom. I want to hear what students think will be best for their learning, and what programs/activities interest them. I can implement these into the classroom in order to spark engagement and curiosity. I want my students to get the best education possible, and in order to do that, learning needs to be fun.

Visit Update 1

In just the first 2 sessions of my ELL placement, I have realized how much I really enjoy programs like this. The young girl I have been working with is very bright, but does not have the methods to express her intelligence just yet. I love helping her harness that ability.

There have been a few challenges in working with her. Although she is bright, she has trouble digging deep to answer more analytical questions. She tends to not pick up on context clues in her readings. Most times, for her to truly understand the significance of an event in her text, I will either have to act it out or give her a more relatable example that is comparable to the one given in her book. From there, I have to ask her multiple questions that lead her to the answer of the prompt given on her worksheet. Although it can be exhausting, I find it really rewarding when she is able to think about something on a deeper level.

My favorite memory thus far has been teaching her how to use a dictionary. At first I did the searching for her, and she watched how I found the words. When I handed the book over to her, it was very interesting to watch. She didn't know the order of the alphabet too well and struggled with knowing which way she should look in the book to find her word. This made me start to wonder if teachers nowadays are giving their students enough resources. These students do have computers, but there is a big difference between an online dictionary and a hard copy. You really need to be able to use both. Especially with this child as an English language learner, I was shocked that no one had taught her how to use one before.

Dual Immersion Proposal

As a prospective middle school educator, I am interested in giving my students opportunities to squeeze every little bit they can out of their learning. My specific subject area is Spanish, so I am really interested in getting my students involved in other languages and cultures. That being said, I believe that the integration of a dual immersion program could be really beneficial to their learning.

Dual immersion programs focus on learning in both English and another language. Preferably, it is with native English speakers and native speakers of another language (for my example, Spanish). With Spanish as my content area, I can see students learning much more about language, culture, and social skills with this method of learning. Yes, being in a classroom that speaks only Spanish forces the kids to learn the language and the culture that surrounds it, but it also allows them to connect with the other students, especially those who speak Spanish natively. These connections are so important in middle school, because most kids are struggling to find meaningful relationships. The native Spanish speakers are bound to help those learning, and the same goes for when they are in the English classroom. Hopefully, these positive interactions in class will set a precedent for meaningful relationships outside of the classroom.

However, much more is possible through dual immersion other than building relationships. Research has shown that dual immersion programs increase the understanding of not only the new language being learned, but also one’s native language. This understanding comes with toleration and appreciation for other cultures, which is something we really need to work on in today’s society. It would help build a future of well rounded, young adults. Research shows that dual immersion programs have also improved performance on tasks requiring “divergent thinking, pattern recognition and problem solving.” (http://windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion) Lastly, it shows “enhanced levels of meta-linguistic awareness… which has proven to be imporant to reading acquisition” (http://windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion).

Therefore, integrating a dual immersion program into a middle school would not only help with relationships among students, but would positively affect their academic success. I really think this would be an amazing tool to use in schools to push students in the right direction of caring about each other and their academics.

Source: http://windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion

Theories of Development

As I have mentioned before, adolescence is a tricky stage in life. The brain is developing, and so is the individual. These kids are constantly swarmed with new stresses and responsibilities and are just trying to hold on. It is essential for them to have understanding and helpful teachers especially during this period of their lives. Through last week's instruction about theories of development, I learned a little more about how I would like to be as a future educator.

First and foremost, I would want my classroom to follow the educational theory of progressivism. John Dewey created this theory of teaching, believing that students needed to learn more through experimentation. Dewey encouraged having a student-centered classroom and promoting active engagement. Active engagement allows students to be more in charge of their learning. They get to choose topics that they are more interested in and passionate about. This makes them more likely to try in class, and really take interest in what they're learning about. Thus, they are more engaged. This makes the learning environment more student-centered, because it's the learner's needs coming before the instructor's.

I want to incorporate this theory of teaching into my classroom in the future because I want my classroom to be one where kids are excited to learn. I am becoming a teacher not because I want to lecture, but because I want to help kids grow and realize what their real passions are. For example, in a Spanish classroom, I can have kids participate in active engagement through project-based learning. They could make skits, presentations, or songs about something they are interested in in Spanish. I'm sure that some kids would rather present about the importance of soccer in Brazil than ancient history once in awhile. Activities like this would also get the kids using Spanish in a more real context.

For more on Progressivism: https://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html

The other theory I really connected with was Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The diagram below shows 5 stages of need that every human being needs met.

In education, this chart is important to keep in mind, because as a teacher, you need to accommodate students at whatever level they are at. While some kids may have reached the top of this pyramid, others may not even have the basics down at the bottom. For example, if you're working in a poverty stricken area, a lot of your kids may not be eating breakfast before school. If they are coming in without something in their stomachs, they will not be able to concentrate during class. Therefore, if you're in an area like this, it may be a good idea to bring snacks for your kids. It's all about meeting them where they're at so they can have the best education possible.

A video on Maslow's Hierarchy in the classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7wZGyaGuHg

Power of the Adolescent Brain

The brain is such a complicated, confusing, yet crucial organ in the body. We all need one to survive and grow, but what we don't always realize is that our brain is growing with us. Chapters 1 and 2 from the Power of the Adolescent Brain shed light on this growth.

Between 5 and 6 years old, 95% of brain volume is complete. By age 10, the volume is fully complete, having reached its adult size. In the past, this was regarded as the point in which the brain had reached maturation, however, in recent years, science has come to show us that is not the case. While the brain may have grown physically to its adult potential, it has not grown to its "mental" capacity. In other words, adolescence is the prime time for brain maturation. In adolescence, two brain systems that are improved are the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system is developed mostly in early adolescent years, while the prefrontal cortex is targeted in the later years. The limbic system is responsible for many functions, some of which include: risk taking, motivation, long-term memory, and impulsivity. The prefrontal cortex, which doesn't fully develop until your mid twenties, is responsible for: decision making, planning, inhibiting impulses, organizing, and self control. 

Image from (http://neurosciencenews.com/prefrontal-cortex-cocaine-addiction-brain-research/prefrontal-cortex-addiction-public/)

After reading this first chapter, I realized how crucial education is for students in this age range, especially middle schoolers. Adolescents have so many needs to be met when it comes to their lives, and the fact that their brains haven't fully developed puts them at a disadvantage. Educators need to adjust their teaching to accommodate the needs their children have at that stage in their development. Chapter 2 discussed neuroplasticity, which is the idea that children's experiences during adolescence shape how they make decisions and how they think for the rest of their lives.

Because these parts of their brains have yet to fully develop and all their experiences are super important, adolescents need extra attention when it comes to their education. The second chapter lists 8 "Brain Friendly" practices for this age group. All of them focus on brain functions that need to be improved. For example, the "opportunities to choose" practice emphasizes the adolescent's ability to make more or less risky decisions in a situation. They are more likely to pick the riskier decision, so this practice encourages them to choose the less risky route. Through making smarter decisions, these kids won't have traumatic or damaging experiences that will influence them for the rest of their lives.

First Blog Post "Everyday" by David Levithan

Currently, my PLC is reading Everyday by David Levithan. The plot of this book is a little confusing, as it follows the story of a 16-year-old named "A" who wakes up in the bodies of other 16-year-olds in Maryland everyday. At first, I found it really hard to connect this to adolescent lives and the classroom. However, I realized after meeting with my PLC that this book is a blessing, as it shows us a multitude of adolescent perspectives. Although the plot itself is highly unlikely, we realize from seeing through another's eyes how little we know about other people's lives. For example, we, as educators, cannot always know how healthy a child's relationship with their parent(s) is. It could be extremely positive, or it could be having a severely negative impact on the child's life. Another thing we do not think about is how the student feels in their school environment. Through the eyes of one particularly overweight individual, A learns how important other kid's views of you are. Walking down the street, A feels watched and judged. He suddenly becomes painfully aware of how much he sticks out. Reading this made me think about kids who look/feel different from the rest of the population. These two points specifically really make me want to ensure that I build relationships with my students. This will make them feel like they have someone to guide them or talk to. This relationship could be formed using advisories. I think this would target the area of judgement from others also, because relationships could form between students as they begin to know each other beneath the surface.

Teaming & Advisories

“The quality of the relationship between teachers and students is the single most important aspect of middle level education.” - Van Hoose (1991, 7)

Middle school appears to be a struggle for all kids experiencing it. There are so many changes happening both inside and outside the body. These kids have no idea how to deal with their emotions, and really need an adult figure to look up to and guide them. These feelings and changes alone are overwhelming, but combined with the stress and pressure of school make it so much worse, seemingly unbearable, at times. This is where having an advisory can come into play.

Paraphrasing Burkhardt and Kane's work, an advisory is a small group of students that meets regularly with an assigned faculty member. This faculty member provides insight and support, and is also connected with the student's parents through the school. As the article by Burkhardt and Kane states, having advisories helps create more caring schools. Middle school teachers, being trained in this specific age group, are able to be advocates for their students and are able to appropriately support them. Thus, advisors and their students really build a relationship.

In my experience, I could've used that relationship with my teachers in middle school. I remember struggling with balancing my emotions, and figuring out how to be more independent in school. It was a step up from elementary, but not quite high school. It was all very confusing. In my high school, however, advisory programs were implemented my freshman year. There were about 8-10 kids per teacher. I do not feel as though the teacher I had was well enough prepared for his position, but I think he did a really good job at building relationships with each one of us in the group. The part he seemed to struggle with was offering us academic advice, but he tried really hard. Although I originally did not see the point of this advisory, I think it was a really eye-opening experience. I talked more with kids I had never really associated myself with before, and I saw them in a whole new light. I think that this experience, with the right educator, could be extremely beneficial in a middle school environment.

Advisories, however, are just a branch of a much larger educational topic called teaming. Teams are made up of teachers whose goals are to better their school community. According to the article, “Organizational Structures that Support Meaningful Relationships and Learning”, the “Five characteristics of a successful team are (a) having a culture of discourse at their center, (b) having a clearly defined purpose that guides their work and measurable goals that they can achieve (c) being able to define and commit to norms that guide how the team operates, (d) being disciplined in maintaining their focus, (e) communicating effectively within the team and with those outside the team”. Teaming allows for more personalized learning and student contact. The best example of this is advisories, as discussed above. Teaming also helps create a platform for collaboration among teachers. The teachers in a team are welcome to share what has and hasn't worked in their classrooms, leaving a possibility for growth. Discussion like this promotes new ways of teaching and new opportunities in every classroom, which can help learning be more individualized. This is crucial for middle school, as a teacher is trying to juggle so many learning styles, and could use a helping hand when they run out of ideas.

Articles Referenced:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4-yDe2y5kw3eG1rUlVSVHA5T2M/edit

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6XDMDNKCm2FdkhmY2hCVm1aZXc/view