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legend of the bluebonnet

Software Evaluation

READ 180

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Scholastic READ 180 is designed to help students in grades 3 to 12, make gains in reading achievement. This program includes high interest paperback books, audio books, student workbooks, videos, and computer assisted language learning activities. READ 180 targets delayed and failing readers, students with learning disabilities, special education students, and English language learners. READ 180 is based on a student’s independent reading level. There are three stages of instruction and support: Elementary transitional grades 3-6, Middle School grades 6-8, and High School grades 9-12. Additionally, there are four reading levels, 1.5 to 2.5, 2.5 to 4.0, 4.0 to 6.9, and 6.0 to 12.0. The computer assisted language learning activities include listening comprehension, cloze exercises, recording pronunciation and reading, vocabulary learning, and database building.

2. EVALUATION

The speed of program operation is good. I did not experience any delays at startup or loading videos. However, I was viewing a demo CD as opposed to the actual CDs. During the demonstration, I did not experience any crashes or stalls. The graphics for the instructional screens and videos are bright and bold. Instructions are written as well as spoken. Moreover, the instructions to the interactive portions of the software are clear, which improves user interface. The software incorporates speech recognition for recording vocabulary pronunciation and reading of passsages. Additionally, intelligent response handling monitors and adjusts instruction while the student is interacting with the software. Another feature is the report generated for each activity. Students receive customized study lists according to their responses for each module. This is a good way for teacher and students to monitor individual progress.

Activities

READ 180 incorporates whole group direct instruction provided by the classroom teacher, small group, and independent student work. During direct instruction, students view short videos to introduce each reading selection. The videos are designed to motivate students and to scaffold their instruction. Next, students read a leveled passage in a small group, with teacher assistance. The independent portion includes interaction with the CALL software for differentiated skills practice. The lesson plans, passages, and graphic organizers provide targeted skills instruction in reading strategies, writing, and grammar. Students interact with four different zones; Reading Zone, Word Zone, Spelling Zone, and Success Zone.

In the Reading Zone, students read a leveled passage with word support. They can click on targeted words for decoding help, definition, pronunciation, and translation. Translation is provided in Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Creole Haitian, and Hmong. Students answer multiple choice comprehension questions on main idea, sequence of events and inferencing. Each student receives a reading report to monitor progress.

The Word Zone assesses students for automaticity. A word is displayed and spoken aloud and the student must click on the correct work. Students work with every target word in the passage before moving to the next segment. In this module, students compare their pronunciation by recording a target word. Students receive a customized study list at the end of this module.

The Spelling Zone individualizes instruction for each student. Students spell words aloud using the recording device as well as using the click and drag method. They receive spelling tips on chunking, blends, irregular words, and word families. The proofreading activity incorporates words that have been misspelled by the student, into short sentences. A self-check report is generated at the end of this module.

The Success Zone includes reading passages for comprehension. Students build context using a modified cloze procedure by filling in the blanks with key words. In this module, students must also read paired passages and answer compare and contrast questions. At the end of this module, students record a reading of a passage for fluency practice.

Teacher Fit (Approach)

READ 180 is a program that would not be difficult for a teacher to implement in an English Language Arts Reading (ELAR) classroom, provided there are sufficient computers. Implementation instructions are clear and includes whole group, small group, independent work, and learner centered. This program integrates instruction with the use of videos, CALL activities, audio and paperback books, and student workbooks. All the materials are tailored to each lesson, leaving little preparation time or guesswork for the teacher. Moreover, each learning module generates a report for student and teacher. Additionally, the teacher does not have to modify or differentiate instruction for the students because that is done by the software program. Teacher fit, in my opinion, depends on the teacher and the goal of instruction. If the goal of instruction is TAKS remediation, or TAKS focus, then this program would meet the expectations of the teacher. However, if the goal of instruction is second language acquisition, the program might not meet teacher expectations.

Learner Fit (Design)

In my opinion, READ 180 is designed for use with students who require TAKS remediation strategies. This program is similar to other programs in use with students who require TAKS remediation. The focus appears to be mastery of standardized testing or TAKS. Consequently, I do not believe this program alone is a good fit for ELLs either. There is little opportunity for students to collaborate and participate in peer discussions. Collaboration and discussion with peers is an important component of good instruction. READ 180 lacks a component for face to face conversation among students. ELLs benefit from face to face conversation with native speakers. ELLs learn about pragmatics, register, proximity, prosody, pitch, idioms, and rate of speech through face to face conversation. Writing is another missing component. The learning modules do not contain activities for incorporating themes into writing short sentences or paragraphs. A good reading program allows students opportunities to write about what they are learning and incorporate new words into their writing.

3. SUMMARY

I would implement READ 180 in conjunction with other components for good ELAR instruction. The CALL software includes several excellent features. I like the differentiated skills practice produced through adjustments made by the software. The Word Zone and Spelling Zone provide good explicit instruction in definitions, pronunciation, and word support strategies. I think students will enjoy using both the listening and recording options for various activities. The companion videos for background knowledge and audio books are a positive component as well. Students and teacher can monitor progress through the reports generated by each learning zone.

4. PRODUCER DETAILS

For more information, visit http://www.scholastic.com/read180

Post 5

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/graduation-rates/

This post is in response to the article, Learning the Language: What’s a Remarkable Grad Rate? for Latinos? For ELLs?, in Education Week August 6, 2009. The author warns that we shouldn’t be excited about the 17 percent decrease in the dropout rate in Los Angeles in one year because the dropout rate for Los Angeles schools is 26.4 percent. Which means, there is a 5.3 percent reduction in the number of drop outs. Moreover, Valley High School in las Vegas was named “high-achieving” for its graduation rate of 55 percent. And, in Brownsville, Texas, the graduation rate is 53 percent for Latinos, and 27 percent for ELLs. Therefore, the following question was raised: What would be considered a commendable graduation rate for a school with a high number of Latinos and ELLs? I recently spoke with a high school teacher in the Edgewood District. When I visited there were only five students in the class. She informed me that 100 of the seniors had dropped out during the 2009-2010 academic year to date. My jaw dropped to the floor in shock. This is troubling information. We as a society need to do provide better educational opportunities for our minority population.

Post 4

New Language Course App for the iPad Will Open the Next Frontier for Language Learning

This post is in response an April 2, 2010 press release on the ESL 5073 class blog maintained by Dr. Wright. The Hello-Hello Spanish app for the iPad was developed by a language-learning company. The app is available at the iTunes Store at a cost of $4.99. The language learning app includes flash cards, conversational lessons, sentences to practice vocabulary and is based on authentic situations. One advantage is that the app does not require Wi-Fi or 3G networks to operate. The creator claims the iPad will revolutionize language learning because it offers interactivity, connectivity, and portability. Users will be able to work on lessons while sitting on a train or taxi, waiting in line, or on the beach. However, is learning a language on-the-go, anywhere, anytime a good thing? Why is it important to multi-task while learning a language? Shouldn’t we be concerned with mental focus instead?

see http://www.1888pressrelease.com/new-language-course-app-for-the-ipad-will-open-the-next-fron-pr-198033.html for full article

Reading Prompt 12

Ockey provides several arguments why CBT has failed to realize its anticipated potential. Ockey discusses Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) system which is designed to deliver questions that are optimally efficient for assessing the ability of each individual test taker. CAT is programmed to deliver questions based on a test taker’s previous response. However, Ockey argues the controversy over an appropriate scoring algorithm has limited the use of CAT. Additionally, there is still no agreement on CAT algorithm. Ockey also raises the issue of item banking to maintain test security. It is esential to bank a sufficient number of test questions to maintain test security because test stakes are high. This is necessary to avoid individuals memorizing test questions and sharing the information with future test takers. Those test takers have an unfair advantage because they will likely encounter the same questions due to the finite number of questions. I agree this situation invalidates the meaning of the test scores. According to Ockey, the cost and effort of developing large enough item banks to avoid breaches of test security is a major challenge. However, this challenge should be met because CBT is the norm for high stakes testing. Another issue is test taker identity. I agree that high stakes tests should only be taken at a testing center where test taker identity can be scrutinized. Otherwise, individuals could possibly earn a living as a professional test taker.

Cummins & Davesne offer electronic portfolios (EP) as an alternative to CBT. I agree with the premise that portfolios reflect a student’s progress over time. I have used student portfolios in addition to other standard tests in an effort to triangulate assessment. I have experience with EPs as a graduate student, but not as a teacher. I am interested in the language dossier which allows learners to provide samples of L2 written and oral work using some of the tools we have used in our CALL class such as audio and video files. The language dossier is an alternative assessment to formal testing without the pressure of the testing situation. Students can work on group projects which require integration of listening and speaking skills. I believe this is a creative and authentic method of assessment and I look forward to the opportunity to implement EPs in the classroom.

House in spring, Tyler, Texas

House in spring, Tyler, Texas
Originally uploaded by StevenM_61

I found this picture on flickr.com. This house has beautiful spring flowers and shrubs. It was taken during the city of Tyler's annual azalea trails fest. I love flowers and I could not resist posting this beautiful picture.

Reading Prompt 11

The digital divide is unequal access to computers and internet, by race, income and education. It is inequality with regard to quantity and quality of computer equipment in schools as well as ways computers are used to educate children. Warschauer et al argue that this term may no longer be applicable because gaps are gradually decreasing as a higher percentage of people in the US purchase home computers or obtain access elsewhere. Warschauer et al found that low SES students use computers more than high SES students in math and english where computer based drills are common. The emphasis was on remedial or vocational uses for Black and Hispanic students. High SES students are main users of technology in science coursess where computers are often used for simulations and research. The emphasis was more academic for White and Asian students.

In chapter 6, Richardson describes Diigo, the social bookmarking service. I would use Diigo to teach ELL students how to research by bookmarking sites relevant to the subject. An ELL student might be overwhelmed by the amount of information on the web. Diigo is a way of organizing the information on the web to make it less intimidating. The Diigo features I find beneficial are: saves the page, add tags to the page, web based, and can make access private.

Teaching Teens English as a Second Language

Post 3

http://esllanguageschools.suite101.com/article.cfm/teaching-teens-english-as-a-second-language

Tried and True Tips for Getting the Most Out of an ESL Classroom
This was another super article from my RSS feed. I like these articles because they are relevant to my position as a Student Teacher Supervisor. Another positive is that they are short and contain valuable information for busy student teachers. There were several suggestions for enhancing the curriculum. The most important suggestion was to use relevant topics that students would find interesting and would be willing to talk about. Getting teen students to share can be a challenge. Another suggestion was to use popular movies and books to reinforce global acquisition of the language.

Critical Thinking Activities for the Classroom

Post 2

http://esllanguageschools.suite101.com/article.cfm/critical-thinking-activities-for-the-classroom

This article was from my RSS feed. I observe my group of student teachers instructing students several times during the semester. Their lesson plans must contain evidence of higher order questioning or critical thinking activities. This article provided some good examples of critical thinking activities for ESL students. I think we erroneously believe that critical thinking activities should not be incorporated into an ESL classroom because of the students’ limited English proficiency. I liked this article because it contained a variety of methods to teach vocabulary as opposed to simply providing the definition.

Differentiation in the ESL classroom

Post 1
http://esllanguageschools.suite101.com/article.cfm/differentiation-in-the-esl-classroom

This article was one of my RSS feeds. Differentiating instruction in the classroom is a difficult task for the novice teacher. A teacher’s first year in a public school can be overwhelming because there is so much to do and so much to learn. This article provides useful information for differentiating instruction for reading groups. Explicit instructions are provided for the following: placing students into reading groups, goals of reading groups, and how to manage reading groups. I recommended this article to my group of student teachers and they found it useful.

Prompt 10

Richardson discussed the annotation feature in Flickr which allows the user to add notes to parts of an image by dragging a box across an area and typing text into a form. This Flickr tool appealed the most to me for use in a language learning classroom. This feature could be used for vocabulary instruction. Students would view a virtual zoo field trip and identify the various animals by adding notes to the images. Illustration of poetry with Flickr images is another excellent idea. Students would select images to represent different parts of speech, or to represent an interpretive view of the poem. I think there is great potential for teacher and student use of Flickr.

I agree with Kern that it is the particular use of technology that affects the learning of language and the efforts of the teacher in coordinating the use of technology. One problem Kern points out is the dynamics of online environment versus face to face interaction. In a K-12 classroom the teacher would have to monitor interaction closely during a Skype session. However, I think telecollaboration is a unique and excellent language learning activity for students. Another consideration is evaluating performance of the students during the online sessions. Expectations and guidelines should be established and made clear to participants before beginning a project. CALL offers students a variety of language learning experiences that educators should incorporate into the curriculum.

Prompt 9

Corpus linguistics is the study of language through the use of computer assisted techniques to analyze large databases of naturally occurring language. Some language teachers are excited about corpus linguistics because it has been applied to the development of instructional materials, classroom instruction, and language teacher training. Corpus linguistics also affects grammar pedagogy. Corpus linguistics makes it possible for a teacher to describe the factors associated with the appropriate use of alternative structures when more than one structure is grammatically acceptable. Therefore, grammar teaching will become more focused on conditions of grammar use.

I have used the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) to analyze a student’s language sample for Specific Language Impairment (SLI). The student provided a retell of a story or a conversation sample which was recorded and transcribed. The language sample was entered into the SALT Program and compared to age-matched peers. The production summary report provided information on mean length of utterance in words or morphemes, number of word roots, mazing, and other characteristics of the student’s language sample. All the information was reviewed by two clinicians and a determination was made regarding the need for intervention. I can envision using other computer assisted techniques to analyze language samples for SLI or other communication disorders.

Prompt 8

Levy describes the following CMC technologies: chat, MOOs, email/SMS, bulletin board systems (BBS), mailing lists and audio/video conferencing software. These CMC technologies allow for synchronous and asynchronous communication. Asynchronous communication such as e-mail, allows the learner time to process input. Synchronous communication, such as text chat, does not allow the learner as much time to process input. Levy states that this technology is free and readily available to the public. CMC technologies have a wide variety of options for a wide variety of users. The programs are versatile can be tailored to the needs of the student. I have little experience with CMC technologies. However, I use e-mail daily, but not as a tool to learn a language.

Dr. Sauro’s research posed two questions. Question 1 asked which type of CMC feedback would be significantly more effective for immediate gains in L2 target form knowledge. The results showed that metalinguistic feedback resulted in greater gains from pre to immediate posttest for familiar items than did recasts. However, the differences were not significant. Question 2 asked which type of CMC feedback would be significantly more effective for sustained gains in L2 target form knowledge. Results showed that over time, the recast and metalinguistic group demonstrated similar levels of target form knowledge when applied to familiar items. Both types of corrective feedback resulted in gains in immediate knowledge. Most importantly, the more information the learner is confronted with, the more difficult it may be for the learner to locate and identify the portion that is reformulated. Thus, a teacher should consider the type of corrective feedback given to students.

PROMPT 7

The results of the Grgurovic and Hegelheimer study in cases of listening comprehension breakdowns revealed that participants used subtitles more frequently and for longer periods of time than a transcript. The four patterns of participant interaction with help options were; subtitles, transcript, non-interaction, and mixed interaction. Subtitles were the preferred help option before and after the activity. The higher proficiency group used subtitles more frequently and for longer periods of time than the lower proficiency group. Additionally, participants spent less time interacting with help options than was anticipated. The subtitles and transcript groups performed similarly on comprehension during and after the activity, while the non-interaction group varied the most in behavior and performance from all other groups. Implications for instruction are: making subtitles the help option in multimedia listening materials, offering a choice, and giving users more control over the choice of help. Grgurovic and Hegelheimer also suggested ways of encouraging the use of help with CALL materials such as: implementing software demos and tutorials to promote use of help, create CALL tasks that would require the use of help. Additionally, the teacher could train the students to use help options to the students’ advantage.

The most important factor for implementing CALL practice in my classroom would be to identify the language learning objectives. Levy states that successful use of CALL depends on teachers having a clear idea of what they want to achieve in the classroom. Therefore, the most important factor would be to identify the language learning objectives. Next, I would consider the choice of technology appropriate for achieving the language learning objective as well as the way in which it would be utilized.

Prompt 5

No, I do not own an iPod or a mp3 player. Therefore, I do not have any experience with either one of those two contraptions. However, I did read some interesting facts regarding several features of the iPod. The time stamp counter feature allows the user to go back in the audio file and listen again to a segment. This is probably much quicker than rewinding the cassette or backing up the CD when listening to an audio book. The other feature of interest is the rate of speech input. This feature allows the user to increase or slow down the rate of speech of the input. That feature allows the user to slow down the speech during a language lesson. Another interesting feature is the audio recording capacity with an add-on microphone. The Stansbury article gave the example of students recording answers to questions on their iPods as they viewed exhibits in the museum during a field trip, thus, eliminating the need for paper and pencil. I had no idea!

At some point in the future, I would be willing to try the audio books or audio recording feature with students. I am less interested in the video and Podcast features.

Example of students acting out the meaning of English idioms.

Reading Prompt 4

Levy - Ch.2. Design
Richardson Ch.5. RSS
Comment on one or two issues raised by Levy and Stockwell Call educators must think about when it comes to the design of CALL products. Then, comment on what types of RSS feeds you might be interested in using with students or following yourself.

The issue that stood out to me is the availability of technology in the school. During my teaching experience, state of the art technology was not available to the students on my campus. Therefore, this would be a huge consideration for implementation of CALL on a public school campus with limited technology. Even though I don’t classify myself as computer savvy, I have always found a way to fulfill the technology TEKS for public school. I usually enlisted the help of the district technology guru to assist with creating lessons and tutorials for my students. We learned together.

Another important issue is having clear goals and objectives. I agree that using technology for the sake of technology is not a clear goal. I did refer to the technology TEKS for goals and objectives for lessons; however, I did implement “Discovery Friday” once a month. One Friday of the month, students were allowed to explore one of the software programs on the computer. During the last ten minutes of computer time, the students used a word processing program to write a short reflection.

I have always wondered about the RSS symbol and now I know! Yes, I agree it is a useful tool and I plan on utilizing it as well. I have been tinkering with the RSS and made quite a mess, but my son bailed me out and cleaned up the mess. I will start over and plan on finding information regarding communication disorders in the bilingual population, RTI issues in the public schools, and ESL current research.

Reading Prompt 3

Soares describes implementing a blog with her intermediate language class in Brazil. The students appeared to enjoy the blog during the class period. However, the students were not posting to the blog outside of class. Several students reported facing technical difficulties logging in, technical difficulties posting, or not having enough time at home to blog. After investigating, Soares found that students would post blogs outside of class if it were a class requirement.

Levy describes several types of CALL technology and the applications. LMS we use such as WebCT and Blackboard offer online access to class information. Mobile Technology is my favorite and I use it often. I removed my land line two years ago. The Speech Pronunciation technology I have witnessed in use with Alternative Augmentive Communication Devices for people who are nonverbal. The Audiovideo conferencing technology such as SKYPE is used by my son.

Skyping has caught my attention. My son Skypes with friends in Spain and speaks Spanish during their session. He enjoys speaking Spanish with his friends, so much, that he looks forward to their daily sessions. I find this bit of technology useful in a classroom for students to reach out to other students in another country. Of course, the arrangements would have to made well in advance and the school would have to be equipped with the equipment.

Reading Prompt 2

Prompt 2
Egbert discusses conditions that support optimal language learning, such as, learners having opportunities to interact socially and negotiate meaning, and interact in the target language with an authentic audience. These two conditions, in my opinion, are important. I believe the class blog could address the above two optimal conditions for language learning. The class blog would encourage discussion among peers regarding any subject. The students learn from each other by sharing opinions, ideas, and experiences. They can discuss concepts amongst peers or seek help and advice. Blogging is a novel way of collaboration and interaction among students. Sometimes, students need a different method of instruction to motivate and support their learning.

Setting up the blog has been stressful for me because I am Limited Technology Proficient. As an LTP, I struggle with the various steps involved in posting an otherwise simple response to a question. I attempted to post my response, several times, before finally succeeding. Moreover, I can’t remember the steps because I tried so many different ways that by the time I succeeded, I was mentally exhausted. Additionally, I have not successfully completed the independent exercises. I am confused, stressed, and I don’t like this at all! This could potentially be a negative experience for an ELL who is LTP as well. Before implementing a class blog, I would have to become proficient in this particular area of technology.

kwikshare

Activity 1.1 Biographical Information

Reading Presentation

Levy Chapter 3, Richardson Chapters 1&2

Hello!