Reading Diagnosis

The SEA results are out and it was noted that 2000 students performed below the expected level. These students,except for the few who have to resit the exam,will be entering the secondary school system and teachers will be faced with the challenge of helping these students reach an acceptable level of literacy.

The first step necessary to helping these students is that of diagnosis. As classroom teachers the purpose of this exercise would be ascertain the independent,instructional and frustration level of students so that proper instruction can be devised. The main goal of reading instruction is to help all students develop effective strategies for comprehension. (Barr et. al.2007)

Three main areas teachers can use to diagnose are print skills,vocabulary knowledge and comprehension strategies employed by the student. Print skills refer to the ability to translate printed symbols into spoken language or meaning. Vocabulary knowledge refers to knowledge of the key words contained in a reading selection. Finally, comprehension strategies refer to what students do to gain understanding understanding from what was read.

As challenging as this reality is to any teacher the good news is that teachers can now utilize technology in this diagnostic process. For instance, use of e books and pod-casts can help determine the level of print literacy the student has. Another use of technology can be that of computer based concept maps which can allow students to present graphically their understanding of a specific comprehension passage.

So while the challenge surely exists it is good to know that their are tools which may make the process,for both student and teacher,a bit easier. Of course the blog and wiki can allow for collaboration of teachers in developing strategies to assist the student. An adventure is ahead of us colleagues !

Reference
Barr,Rebecca (et.al.) Reading Diagnosis for Teachers: An instructional approach (2007)

Benefits of Blogging

There are so many tools that technology offers to education.This course has opened the eyes of most of us, who would normally not utilize computer type technology in the classroom, to the possibilities and benefits of ICT incorporation in teaching and learning.

The Blog is one such tool that seems to hold great potential in accomplishing teaching and learning outcomes.My first interaction with a blog was during my DipEd course. I saw it more as a task to post something with the hope of receiving a comment from another colleague than a legitimate learning tool. More interaction with this tool has revealed its usefulness in the classroom. The article, 'Adventures in the Blogosphere' has certainly revealed its benefits.

The list of benefits ranges from fostering (in the students)a sense of ownership and creativity in their writing/reading to creating an environment which is conducive for social constructivism. I can now see myself setting up blogs for interaction with students. One potential I will look into is the ability to share more extensive comments and suggestions with students re their written assignments. I have found that there are times that my comments on the students' papers have to be curtailed due to limited space. However with a blog setting comments can be detailed and it is more possible to work along with the students through the various stages of writing.This can lead to them improving their writing at every stage.

There are many other possible uses of blogs in teaching all aspects of Reading these will be utilized throughout this course.

Why I became a Reading Specialist

Reading has always been a hobby of mine. I fondly remember the joy of getting new books and staying up at night trying to finish the story. When I became a teacher I assumed that students would have that same passion for reading that I had. This was usually not the case. At first I thought that maybe there were too many other alternatives to reading which resulted in the disinterest. While this was true for some students it was not the reality for all. Closer investigation revealed that there was a much deeper problem, that of literacy problems.

With no training in the area of literacy assessment and instruction I generally felt helpless when teaching these students. Added to my frustration was the concern I felt for these students as literacy , in my view, is essential to everyday life. The worst case, which brought the reality of the reading problems faced by our students,was a 16 year old student who had difficulty writing the alphabet! Therefore, when I heard about this programme, I jumped at the opportunity to learn how to help students like the 16 year old, to bring the joy of reading to those who have lost it or have never experienced it and to work with other teachers who I know experience great frustraton and helplessness when working with such students.

TPACK

The article on TPACK has been quite insightful. It has allowed me to understand that there is more to integrating technology in the classroom than a simple use of the overhead projector. In my own situation since there has been minimal professional and sustained instruction in technology integration there has been little attempt to use it in the classroom. However, the activity- based guidelines presented in the article offers many options and demonstrates that there are many areas in true integration can take place.

I particularly appreciated the point that technology integration is not to place the focus of instruction on the particular technology being used. Instead it should always be seen as a tool that can be utilized in delivery, learning, assessment etc. The point was made that teachers should not plan around the technology but should simply incorporate it in the classroom to achieve certain goals.

The article also made it clear that successful integration was dependent on pedagogical, content and technological knowledge. That is, it is imperative that teachers are knowledgeable re their content area and they must also be aware of the effective means of delivering the curriculim. The three types of knowledge must work in unison if we are to be truly successful in our efforts in technology integration.

Essential to the whole process is the relevance of proper planning. The challenge is not just to learn the content and be skilled in the operation of the technology but to effectively plan and deliver content.

I believe that utilizing TPACK will enhance the teaching/learning process.