Synthesis

Final Blog Subject (Synthesis of Course): In this final blog post, please reflect on how the concepts from this course relate to your work as a future teacher. Please answer at least four of the following questions:
∙ How will you integrate critical literacy instruction in your discipline?
∙ How will you incorporate comprehension instruction into your discipline?
∙ How will you choose and teach vocabulary words?
∙ How will you structure opportunities for students to use oral language?
∙ How will you support your students in writing texts and producing other representations in your discipline?
∙ How will you support academically, linguistically, and culturally diverse learners?
∙ How will you integrate digital technologies?
∙ What kinds of texts will you make available to your students?
∙ Any other concepts from this course that you can apply to your own instruction?
Note: You are NOT required to comment on somebody else's posting for this final blog.

How will you integrate critical literacy instruction in your discipline?
I want to help my students think deeply about the things I teach them from the textbook.  I want them to think about the why's and how's, not just the what's from the book.  One way that I can accomplish this as a teacher is to give them design process assignments.  I will start with a simple scenario where a solution is needed, then ask them to come up with a design to meet the need.  Then, they will use the design process from the curriculum to solve the problem.  Involving each student in the design process, will make it come to life for them and see how it works in the real world.

How will you incorporate comprehension instruction into your discipline?
To ensure that my students are comprehending the material, I would use a lot of formative assessments.  I would use probing questions, pretests, interest approaches to get their attention from the beginning, and continually ask them questions and encourage that they ask me questions. 

How will you support your students in writing texts and producing other representations in your discipline?
I will do an "extra" unit about technical writing, since it is crucial to know how to write technical instructions in the field of drafting.  One activity I have done is to have students write a paper about how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with detailed instructions for someone who doesn't know how to do it.  It may seem silly at first, but I will make sure that they include every possible detail of the process so there will be no doubt about how to build the sandwich.  Then, I will explain that this is the type of writing they will do in the industry, only with much, much more complex fabrications.  Though this is not part of the core curriculum, I feel that it should be included in my classes.

How will you integrate digital technologies?

Teaching my students digital literacy will be one of my most important task.  I will encourage them to not only use the software we provide in class (AutoCAD, Chief Architect, Revit, Inventor, etc.), but I will also show them how to use applicable apps (Sketchup, Autodesk, etc.) on their tablets and smart phones.  Also, I will introduce 3D printing in my class to encourage a 3D mentality with their designs.  And finally, I will be sure to stay on top of all updates and try to keep my programs as relevant as possible.

Oral Language

(a) Please reflect back on your middle school, high school, and college-level experiences in your content area. Then, please choose one discussion in your content area that stood out to you because it was especially striking, compelling, interesting, thought-provoking, or enjoyable. Please describe that experience. What did the teacher do to facilitate the discussion? How did the teacher's facilitation of the discussion compare to the "five elements of effective discussions" recommended in the Van De Weghe article?

I loved my college drafting class instructed by Trevor Robinson.  It was different because most of the time in a self-paced class, there is very little discussion, especially as a whole class.  But he really tried to get us thinking about the industry and our place in the field.  He asked authentic questions, not just questions that he found at the back of the chapter, that he already knew the answers to.  He genuinely wanted to know our opinions.  Knowing that I was already very experienced in the drafting industry, he often encouraged me to share my point of view with the class.  This gave me an opportunity to feel valued and respected as a class member and also as a professional.  It gave students the chance to see a small snapshot of what I did on the job on a daily basis.  I also was able to learn from the other students in my class as they asked questions about drafting that I had never thought about.  Getting to experience their creativity and imagination in their designs, I became a better draftsman, and was better able to think outside the box at work.

I especially liked the discussion we had in that class about roof styles.  We were able to discuss the pros and cons of different roof styles, and which eras and styles they originated from.  He really could have just showed us a quick worksheet and called it good, but instead, he really encouraged us to think about the styles and discuss them and their unique characteristics.  That class period lasted for three hours, but it really flew by for me, because it was so engaging and enjoyable.

To facilitate the discussion, he had a slide show with lots of images that were interesting to look at.  He allowed us time to discuss each image, and never made us feel rushed, so we felt encouraged to ask all the questions that we had.  Some of the questions he asked us, were simple, but a lot of them were very open and authentic, meaning that he had a good reason to ask:  he did not know what we would come up with, and he was curious to find out what our ideas were and what we were thinking.  He also encouraged us to think at a higher level and asked many probing questions to get us thinking more deeply about the curriculum.

Critical Literacy

How do you define critical literacy? What ideas do you have for fostering critical literacy among your students after reading the article? 

Critical literacy is helping your students to think outside of the text.  Students come up with their own ideas, questions, and thoughts regarding the course material.  They are encouraged to think at a deeper level and not just to take the author's word for it.  They are asked how to apply the theories and material to the real world and are encouraged to pose questions.  Critical literacy can lead to interesting classroom discussions and new ideas.  Ultimately, critical thinking can lead to action as the students decide how they will act on the knowledge they gain in class.

After reading the following self-selected article on critical literacy:  http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/scholasticprofessional/authors/pdfs/Sample_pages_Critical_literacy.pdf  I have a few ideas about how I can use critical literacy in my teaching discipline:

1.  When learning about building codes and regulations, we could have a classroom debate about whether older homes need to be updated and brought up to code, or whether they should be "grandfathered in", allowing existing codes to stand.  Each group will study and discuss the pros and cons of their positions, then present to the class what they have learned and how they feel.

2.  Discuss the recent mud slides in northern Utah.  (see http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/utah-mudslide-destroys-home-north-salt-lake-city-n173071)  Ask the students who they feel was responsible?  What should be done to indemnify the homeowners?  Who should provide compensation?  The home insurance (they won't)?  The contractor?  The geotechnical team?  The city?  The state?  Engage in a  discussion about where the buck stops and how different industries come together in the construction process.  Also, discuss liability in the construction and design process.

(image courtesy of nydailynews.com)

(image courtesy of 860wgul.com

Digital Text and Reflection

I read the following article for this assignment, and I was interested in learning more about Autodesk Sketchbook app, which can be used with Chromecast.  http://mashable.com/2014/10/11/5-apps-autodesk-sketchbook/

I am glad that I downloaded the app to my phone, and I played around with it for a while.  Here is a quick sketch that I drew of a basic, very simple floor plan.

I appreciate the usefulness of this app, and I like that it can be used with Chromecast, because then I can easily show what I am drawing to the class on the big screen.  Any of them that have the Chromecast version of the app, could also use it to draw images for the class to see from their seats, which might be a fun and interactive way to learn about design.  I did not feel that the app was very user-friendly, however.  It was difficult to write and draw with any accuracy with my big fat fingers, but if I could have had some sort of stylus, it would have been better.  It was also really hard to figure out how to draw straight lines, though I suspect there is a way to do it.  Also, I found it difficult to save and share my images, and it took me quite a while to figure out how to send myself the image I drew.

The image that was posted as an example of what I could draw in Sketchbook, was very detailed and colorful, so I have hope that I could do something better than my silly sketch.  I'll have to play around with it more and learn about all the tools, then see if I can come up with something more impressive.

Vocabulary Instruction

I chose to do the morpheme circle exercise with my twelve-year-old daughter.  I drew a circle with eight segments on one side of the paper, then another circle with four segments on the other side of the paper.  In the first circle, I wrote the word "talking" in one of the segments.  Then, I asked her to fill in the other seven segments with words that end in "ing".  She wrote the following words:  struggling, timing, exciting, bouncing, painting, penciling, diving.  Then, I wrote the word " geography" in one of the sections on the reverse side and asked her to write three more words ending in "graphy".  She wrote:  biography, bibliography, and autobiography.  When both circles were filled in, I asked her to write, in her own words, the meaning of each respective word ending.  For " ing", she wrote: "what you put at the end of a word which makes it present tense." For "graphy", she wrote:  " sources, stories, or records of something. "

This was an interesting activity for Kelsey (my daughter).  It helped her understand the terminology in a new way, and on a deeper level.  Though her definitions weren't exactly what you would find in a dictionary or glossary, I think that she did a pretty good job of determining the meanings based on context and relation to the other words.  This activity lets the student take the lead in learning new vocabulary, and we both liked that.  It also led to a great discussion about what the words really meant, and I get the feeling that those vocabulary words will stick with her for a much longer time.

I have to laugh because about now, I'm realizing that I was supposed to do an activity from the text book, not from the e-reading.  (Remember, I told you I have dyslexia LOL). So now, I'll do one from the book too.

I decided to do the vocabulary interview with my daughter.  I told her I was thinking of a landmark somewhere in the world and told her to ask me questions to try and figure what landmark I was thinking of.  First, I had her guess the Great Wall of China.  It was cool, because in the process of guessing the landmark, she ended up learning a lot about it as well.  She asked me questions to determine what continent it was in, what country, what the climate was, the size of the landmark, the color, if it was man-made, etc., until finally she guessed it.  Then, she guessed Angel Falls in Venezuela.  After the activity, she wanted to keep playing, so I let her have a turn choosing the landmark.  I liked this method of teaching a lot and now plan on using it in my future classroom.

Comprehension Instruction

(3) On page eight, Buehl emphasizes that “the activity” and “the context” have a tremendous impact on classroom learning. For instance, if reading and writing are interwoven into high-interest activities and larger inquiries, students are much more likely to enjoy them as opposed to exercises in which they repeatedly read the textbook and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.

For this blog, please think of a person who really fostered your love of reading. This person could be a mentor, a parent, a teacher, an older sibling, and so forth. What activities and contexts did s/he provide to you that caused you to enjoy reading? How can you establish similar activities or contexts in your own instruction?
Next, please think of a person who potentially damaged your love of reading. Without naming names, please describe the activities and contexts that this person provided, which caused you to dislike reading. How can you avoid similar activities or contexts in your own instruction?

I couldn't agree more with Buehl's emphasis on activity and context in the learning process.  I have four children who attend an expeditionary learning charter school in Perry, UT.  The idea behind the EL format, is that the students spend a short time reading the text, and maybe answering or discussing some preliminary questions, but then they get outdoors and do field work to support what they are studying.  For example. my nine-year-old son was recently learning about geology.  They spent some time with worksheets with the descriptions and terminology about different types and categories of rocks.  Then, they had several field work trips to nearby areas, where they mapped out data, prepared graphs and charts, and conducted scientific research and experiments.  To finish out the expedition, they spent a portion of their class every Monday afternoon at the Brigham City Natural History Museum, helping to label, classify, and volunteer.  At the end of the unit, the students acted as docets (museum guides) for their parents, and they had the opportunity to show us what they had learned.  This whole process allows the kids to take ownership and personal interest in their own educations, and will ultimately mean much more to them than a in-class module, because it is hands-on.  I have heard that 90% of  students are hands-on learners, and will retain knowledge more effectively if given the opportunity to apply it in its real-life context.  Here is a link to a video featuring the kids in my son's class explaining their recent geology unit.

Honestly, there has never been a person who has fostered my love of reading.  I do not enjoy reading, and I never have.  I struggle with sitting still long enough to pick up a book and just read.  Every time I start reading, my mind wanders, and it is very difficult to stay focused.  Retaining information is hard for me, but over the years, I have learned some strategies that help me with studying and with reading comprehension.  I almost always read out loud when I am preparing for a class, and I often take notes.  It also helps to have someone to discuss the topics with (usually my wife or children).  In high school, and also in college, the classes I have enjoyed the most were focused more on the application, and less on textbook reading.  I think that is one of the main reasons I have chosen Trade and Technology for my educational discipline.  I want to be able to help others apply what they are learning in an active way.

As a student when I was younger, I didn't realize that I probably had a learning disability, such as dyslexia.  I hated reading because the difficulties I had with comprehension and focus just made me feel inferior to my peers, who didn't struggle as much as I did.  I spent a lot of time feeling out of place and even stupid.  The "aha" moment for me was few years ago, when I was watching a "Cosby Show" rerun.  Theo was in college and was really struggling with his grades.  In fact, he had had awful grades all throughout high school as well.  Finally, in this episode, he met with a counselor at his university, and was told that he was probably dyslexic.  A light bulb went on for me and I turned to my wife, and said, "I'm dyslexic!"  For the first time ever, it dawned on me that maybe I wasn't stupid, but maybe I had a learning disability.  Like Theo, in the show, I have been able to use this knowledge to empower me.  I have learned techniques that help me, and my grades have skyrocketed since that moment. I think the constant chorus of voices telling me that I "wasn't applying myself", or that I "was just being lazy", or my internal voice that told me that I was "stupid" kept me from loving reading.  I'm still working on it.

Introduction

Hello!  My name is Tyler Walton and I am majoring in Trade and Technical Education with an emphasis in drafting education.  When I graduate, I will be prepared to teach at a high school or ATC.  I currently work full time as a draftsman for a structural steel engineering firm in Brigham City, where I also live.  I have been married for 14 years and am the father of five children:  three girls and two boys.  Click here to have comedian Jim Gaffigan explain what it is like to have five children?

I love to play basketball with my family, watch movies, do woodworking, design homes, and cook. I have been drawn (pun intended) to the drafting and architectural industry since I took a drafting course myself in high school.  Since then, being a drafting teacher has been my dream, even though I have taken quite a detour!

I would define literacy as being able to read or interpret, then comprehend material in a certain setting.  More literate folks would be able to also think about the material presented and think about the things they are learning, then form their own opinions and act on them.  Literacy definitely applies to my area of discipline.  First, quantitative literacy is a must because math is a huge part of drafting.  Second, a draftsman is responsible for writing instructions for building fabrication, so it is necessary to have excellent comprehension and an ability to communicate the instructions clearly in writing.

I look forward to this class and will blog again soon!