Vocabulary Instruction

In high school, my teachers used a few different methods for vocabulary instruction.  For this blog discussion I will be focusing on how teachers in my discipline, which is science, would go about vocabulary instruction.  In high school, most of my teachers utilized lab books for class instruction.  These lab books consisted of all of our lecture notes, activities, and homework for a particular unit.  At the beginning of each of these lab books my teachers would provide us with the objectives of the unit, as they align with the Utah Core Standards, as well as what specific concepts we should take from each lesson.  Part of this introduction to the unit was also the vocabulary we would be required to understand.  I really liked that my teachers provided this to us because it gave me something to look for when my teacher was lecturing, or when we were participating in a class activity.

In a lecture, my teacher would typically provide the word and definition for us.  We would then talk about different examples or describe the process in which this word is part of.  Discussion of vocabulary would usually occur towards the beginning of the lecture in order for us to be able to more effectively dive in to the material.  Being introduced to the vocabulary beforehand allowed us to make more sense of what our teacher was instructing us on.  I feel like my teachers mostly used the approach of teaching individual words, as discussed in the Harmon, Wood, and Hedrick reading.

One method my teachers used that mirrored an example given in the book was instructing us on Greek and Latin roots.  Many words in science contain these roots and having a knowledge of their meanings can help you figure out what other words mean.  In my Human Biology class, we had a whole section dedicated to learning these roots.  I remember my teacher telling us that knowing these roots wouldn't only help us in the class, but would also help us in our future. Being a biology major, learning those roots has helped my immensely in my major, but my teacher also gave the example of this vocabulary helping us when we go to the doctor, or trying to read labels.  This showed me that having a knowledge of different disciplinary vocabularies is very beneficial when encountering daily aspects of society. 

In my classroom, I would really like to utilize some of the ideas provided from studies on page 7 of the reading.  In the study by Lloyd and Contreras (1985), it was found that students learn vocabulary better when they are provided with a hands on activity relating to the vocabulary.  After reading about this, I reflected back to our last broadcast class when we participated in the soil activity.  I think allowing students to get their hands a little dirty helps them to understand what we are really talking about in class. For example, some students when asked to prevent erosion may mirror terracing before learning about it.  Then when they learn about it in the lecture portion of class, they can make that connection of the word to what they did in the activity.  I think the key to teaching vocabulary effectively will be by providing students with a variety of opportunities.  By providing students the access to related reading and other forms of media students will be better able to understand the vocabulary of the discipline.

Comprehension Instruction

In my discipline of Biology, there are many forms of text that are used such as text books, websites, manuals (such as Bergey's manual used for bacterial identification), and journals.  In my middle school and high school education, we never were able to use text books because of lack of resources.  Teachers provided us with lab books and worksheets that consisted of notes and homework problems.  These lab books were our major resource, with websites being used only a couple times through out the year.  Unfortunately, I don't believe these forms of text led to higher engagement or deep understanding.  These materials were in place to mostly just provide us with the information needed to pass the tests, nothing beyond that.  Although I felt like they were a very useful resource for the course, I do not feel like they provided us with opportunities to expand and practice our knowledge.  With science, I believe that it is so important for students to have these opportunities to discover and obtain knowledge.  For this to happen, it is necessary for students to be able to utilize these texts and acquire the skills necessary to apply these to their future experiences.

I really like the quote on page 19 of Buehl that says, "Textbooks tend to be written to expose students to information rather than help them truly understand it.  I feel like education all too often falls under this phrase.  Teachers just teach students the necessary information without giving them the opportunity to understand it.  Without this understanding, students are not able to build a strong knowledge base.

I would like to provide students with an educational experience that utilizes Buehl's idea of essential questions.  I think that essential questions can help students take the step from knowing what Buehl describes as the "text-based evidence" or what is on the test, and diving deeper into the information and thinking critically about it.  I felt like my middle and high school education did not expose me to such learning opportunities, which did not prepare me for the expectations of college.

One challenge of my undergraduate education in biology was reading and comprehending journal articles.  I had never been expected to read such scientifically heavy text and analyze and think about what the point was.  Some professors would provide us with a worksheet with questions guiding us through the journal, helping us to identify was the author was trying to tell us.  When I am a teacher, I would love to provide assignments that allow students to analyze journals in such a way.  By providing them with essential questions, it is my hope to prepare them for higher education as well as, as Buehl says on page 25, "encourage student inquiry, discussion, and research."

Introduction

Hello!  My name is Kelli Farr.  I am a student at Utah State University in Logan and in my last semester of school before I student teach.  My content area is science, specifically Biology and Chemistry.  I am also taking courses that will meet the requirements for a Physical Science Endorsement, allowing me to teach Physics.

I grew up in Brigham City, so I am pretty familiar with the valley.  I enjoy the outdoors, sports, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends.  One of my favorite sports is Pickle ball.  Most people have never heard of it, and if they have they usually laugh when they hear I play.  Why do they laugh? Well it's very popular among retired folks and in senior communities.  And yes, I have been beaten by 74 year old ladies.  They had game.
As I said earlier, I have been studying science and hope to teach in a high school after I graduate and receive my teaching license. I believe that understanding science is the gateway to making sense of the world around us. What I have found to be the greatest excitement in science is the fact that it is always changing!  Science always triggered a sense of discovery and desire to learn, and through my educational experiences it has grown to become something I am very passionate about.  It is my hope that I am able to provide future students with opportunities to experience science as a means of discovery and understanding the world around them.  Ultimately, it is my hope that students leave my classroom with the understanding that science is a way of knowing.
When looking up "literacy" in the dictionary, a common definition is the ability to read and write.  While I do agree with this dictionary definition, I do not think it is a complete definition.  In addition to reading and writing, I also believe that literacy encompasses the ability of an individual to apply this knowledge and set of skills in various contexts of life.  I believe that literacy allows for students to succeed not only in the classroom, but in situations they will face in the real world.
Literacy is crucial in my content area of science.  In order for students to interpret the world around them, they must have the skills required to build a base of knowledge.  As students acquire literacy skills in the classroom and build knowledge, I believe they are able to face society with more competence, gaining meaning from situations they encounter resulting in learning and growth.
In looking over and trying to write down my definition and thoughts on literacy, I find myself running in circles with my thoughts.  I hope that this class will help me to establish a more concrete, straightforward definition of literacy.