August 31, 2022
The discussion about code-switching is one that I have engaged in in several of my courses so far, and one that I'm looking forward to continuing in TCH 306. I like the T-chart as a method of explaining formal vs. informal situations to students, as it doesn't paint one as being better than the other. They're equally worthy options, some are just more appropriate at certain times than others are.
Code-switching and how it impacts the way students perceive themselves and others is especially vital to me right now in my ELA class. Many of my students struggle with the fundamentals of grammar like capitalization and you're vs. your, and they don't want to learn it because autocorrect does it for them. I would never change the way that students speak to each other, or challenge their verbal grammar, but many don't even attempt to write their school assignments using formal grammar.
September 14, 2022
This worksheet gave me much to consider when thinking about tenacity and perseverance. It can be encouraging to be reminded that you’re just as capable of being successful as anyone else, that natural talent can only carry you so far. An individual can rise beyond their circumstances and be successful if they put in the work.
However, I also think that the worksheet fails to remember all of the other factors that go into success that aren’t just how much time you’ve spent practicing. For example, the worksheet talks about individuals practicing violin and mentions their practice times. Being able to spend 16+ hours a week practicing, most likely with a professional instructor, costs a lot of time and money. It’s a privilege to be able to spend a lot of time practicing, especially as individuals get older. While middle schoolers may not have a job, they could be expected to take care of siblings or have other responsibilities that we must respect. Additionally, practicing with a professional (like going to a professional tutor) is going to be much more helpful for growth than just practicing by yourself.
October 12, 2022
I personally do not like this lesson, especially with it being designed for ELL students. We do not know exactly what situation our students came to us from and using these photos to evoke empathy, when our own students may have experienced this, is in poor taste at best. Empathy is a hard concept to teach to middle schoolers and showing them this series of photos is not going to make their brains develop faster. If my goal is to teach students empathy, I would prefer to start at a smaller scale and make them reflect on how the way they treat others impacts the way those students feel.
October 26, 2022
I don’t mind activities like this when they are used in conjunction with other, more developmentally responsive activities. This would be a fun review activity to include on a choice board but I wouldn’t rely on it to teach my students the concept. I do like Quizizz as a platform more than Kahoot because you can set it to not be a timed activity, making it more equitable for students. Additionally, the competitive element can be really fun for students who enjoy that in the classroom. As a part of a choice board, I believe this would be a good activity to include.
November 9, 2022
I’m not sure how I feel about the actual storyboard elements. I like it for the plot and theme, but it feels trivializing to use it to discuss slavery and its implications. For the most part, the guiding questions are ones I could see myself using. I like using questions that have no clear answer and make students question their own morals, so questions like “Is it every okay to lie or break the law? Why or why not?” are questions I could certainly see myself using in my classroom. In an ideal world, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would be taught in a multidisciplinary unit where students are also learning about slavery and the horrific things that happened to people who were enslaved. I think students often fail to recognize how awful slavery was just through reading a text, so it is critical to contextualize it with actual facts to fill in the gaps in their knowledge.