Lesson+8+Post


 * Lesson 8 (8/8/2011)**


 * Updating the model student inventory in the Professional Teachers Handbook (Pages 11 – 13), or any other interest inventory, consider data about the interests and strengths of your students. You may include information gathered from parental interviews as well**.

** All about Me – Todo lo mío ** ** --- **
 * Activity:** You are going to make a book of 6 pages plus a cover and a title page that answers questions about you.


 * Due date: Friday, August 26th Vale 48 puntos**


 * Requirements**

Cover – Choose a piece of 8 ½ by 11 colored paper for the cover. Fold in half. Then decorate the cover to reflect your personality or what you like to do. Be sure to fasten your book together with brads, curling ribbon, yarn or anything else that will hold it together.

First page – The name of your book: Todo lo mío and your name. You can also illustrate or decorate this page.

On pages 2 through 6 to write out and answer the following questions. Be sure to answer in complete sentences.

1. Where were you born?

2. How many brothers and sisters do you have (names and ages)?

3. Do you have any pets (types and names)?

4. Do you speak another language besides English? If so, which one or ones?

5. What is your favorite school subject?

6. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

7. Why are you taking Spanish?

8. What do you think will be the most difficult part of learning another language?

9. What are you most interested in learning in Spanish?

10. Have you ever visited another country? If so, which ones?

11. If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

12. What Spanish words do you already know?

13. Any other information you would like to share with your teacher?


 * Using informal assessments and data gathered from accountability tools, observe your students carefully for one week. Describe the individual differences of students in their:**
 * **Modalities for learning (visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic)**
 * **Pacing**
 * **Tolerance for frustration**
 * Discuss what you have learned.**

Most students are visual learners and appreciate the use of visuals and picture flashcards in the classroom. Lower achieving students benefit from the tactile and kinesthetic activities that we do. Also, the musical/rhythmic students appreciate the songs that we learn in the classroom to teach Spanish. Pacing is seems to be an issue for high achievers. They are ready to move on sooner than the rest of the students. Pacing is something I hear students complain about from other Spanish teachers that they go too fast. Many teachers forget that the students are acquiring a language and that is different than teaching about the language. I have had students tell me I’m going too fast especially at the end of the semester when I’m trying to finish everything that I need to finish. In the immersion classroom, the students that find it hard to accept ambiguity will get frustrated in the class and will be the students who ask me to speak English.


 * Why is it essential to understand the individual differences of your students? Why is it essential for your students to understand their best learning modalities?**

It is important so that you are creating lessons that meet the needs of your students. For example, if you have a classroom full of visual learners, but stand and lecture the entire time or introduce text without pictures, the students will struggle to learn. So that the students understand in what way they can be successful.


 * In what ways can you modify your classroom management and instruction to accommodate these differences? Adapt any of the ideas from Pages 90 – 93 in the Professional Teachers Handbook.**

I think that I can continue to incorporate different learning modalities in my teaching, especially the learning modalities that are not my strengths, such as visual/spatial and logical/mathematical.


 * Review data (anecdotal, tests, projects) on three special needs students. Is there a difference in performance with certain types of activities (for example, a student can demonstrate learning artistically but doesn’t do well on tests)?**

Ryan: Could answer questions orally, but had a hard time answering questions in writing.

Hayden: He would do great on the comprehension checks, but couldn’t recall this same information on the chapter test so the information never moved into long term memory.

Julie: Performed great on test and quizzes, but didn’t do well on the performance assessments where she actually had to use the language that she acquired.


 * Review Melissa Pongrey’s article on Pages 94-96 of the Professional Teachers Handbook. Keeping her lessons in mind, create an instructional plan that will promote achievement for three students who may have difficulty in traditional classrooms. Post your plans.**

If a student is having a hard time learning vocabulary and that student is picture smart, I will show the student how to study using the pictures flashcards in groups of four. I also remind the student that he/she has to study every night, not just the night before the test. If the student is word smart, I show the student how to study using the vocabulary list. Additionally, we talk about connecting the word to something they already know to help them remember it. I can’t think of a good example right now, but over the years my students have come up with interesting ways to help remember words.