Reflection by K Wronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep video/readings reflection en-us 2020-09-07 22:54:52 UTC 2026-01-29 14:53:59 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f469-1f3eb.png September 7th 2020 kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/725535513 The videos and readings are connected to many language learning theories that were seen in the first video. For instance the first video with the French kindergarten teacher his goal was to use the language naturally with his students. He also had many visuals, songs, reading, and activities that allowed students to move around. All of his activities kept the students engaged. Most importantly he used the target language at all times and emphasize language learning with a focus on meaning. From research and readings the way the French teacher interacted with his students is proven to be the best strategy. For instance, in natural acquisition learning-language is not presented one thing at a time like in structured based instruction. In natural acquisition the learner is exposed to a wide variety of vocabulary and structures. In natural acquisition learners’ errors are rarely corrected (if their interlocutors can understand what they are saying , they do not remark on the correctness of the learners’ speech, whereas in structured based learning accuracy tends to be given priority over meaningful interaction.  Natural acquisition settings allow ample time for learning, where in structure based learning it is limited to a few hours a week. There is no pressure to speak or write in the second language and to do so correctly from the very beginning.
There was also modified interaction between the French teacher and his students. From research and theorists for language learning, this is a necessary mechanism for making language comprehensible. - learners need opportunities to interact with other speakers, working together to reach mutual comprehension through negotiation and meaning. Examples from the video where where modified interaction was used are: comprehension checks (teacher asking students questions about Arthur and his chicken pox in the TL) and self repetitions through songs and asking questions.
The other video talked about how children learn without any active intervention, it's a natural process- children learn languages by being in the environment and processing input and speaking. Evident- young babies can detect the sound patterns of the language around them indicating that they have abstract phonological knowledge . Children model the speech around them.  What is also interesting about babies is that the brain does not start off with these clear divisions of lateralized and localized, they are not present at birth; they develop as the child ages. The infant brain has the property of plasticity, which means that it has the ability to develop, re-organise and become specialized through experience and development. We know that children must be exposed to a language in order to acquire it, but we do not know what types of environment are optimal for language acquisition, nor do we know precisely what role the input plays. I agree with this, since I learned Spanish at home, I grew up listening to my parents speak and I also listened to music and watched TV shows in Spanish. What I find interesting is how my parents did not sit there and teach me grammar, it was a natural process that was acquired. Similar to what the French teacher in the video was doing.
I will continue to practice these theories in my own classroom, specifically I want to focus on making my lessons into a more natural environment, I feel that sometimes we focus too much on grammar. 
After the readings and research, one thing I still find challenging is being able to give students the opportunities for voluntary reading. Since it has been proven that voluntary reading makes academic text much more comprehensible, many studies that prove that we acquire vocabulary and grammar by reading voluntarily. I think this is still a challenge for students even in their L1 classes, finding ways to always motivate students to read is a challenge. 


]]> 2020-09-07 22:58:16 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/725535513 September 12 kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/741127164 After watching the Edpuzzle video it brought back memories when I was in ESL my self. It is true that I understood English and I was able to socialize with others, however academically it took me a while to understand what I read. I remember that I had to study extra harder and took an SAT class strictly for vocabulary and reading. I personally did not think that ESL helped me (this was in the early 90's) all I remember was getting pulled out of class and playing games or drawing. Now as I look back I would have liked the teacher to teach me more English or do more reading activities. I wonder what an ESL classroom look like now. 
From the reading and videos on managing the learning environment with the use of responsiveness, I feel that it does not always work. I have had students where they are very angry an no matter what you do as far as talking to them privately, reaching out to the parents, counselors, offering rewards, etc. does not change. It's like the book stated sometimes there are external factors beyond the teacher's control. I also learned about new tips as far as rewards. I liked the Aztec pyramid reward system it is unique and also a teaching point for the students. This is something I would love to try with my middle schoolers. For the elementary students I like the idea of using stickers or perhaps giving them the role of being the teacher of the day. 

]]> 2020-09-12 17:50:14 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/741127164 September 19- Planning for Curriculum Unit, and Lesson Design kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/761087899 As a teacher I need to start by saying that we do not get enough time to plan. It is also interesting how the book stated the importance of teacher characteristics. "The teacher's language skills and experiences with the target culture will influence all aspects of instruction." For instance I am more into foods and holidays, therefore I can appropriately design a curriculum that reflects those interests (more cultural). 
From the text it is important to design curriculum that have the following: world readiness standards, common core standards, proficiency targets, student learning targets and global can do statements. These are all necessary in order to have all students in par with their international counterparts, proficiency targets are designed to describe language performance for learners in a K-16 school setting. Setting proficiency and global can do benchmarks implies that teachers plan courses, units, and lessons that provide instructional experiences that aim to reach those targets. Assessments need to be aligned with learning trgets so that there is a focus on what students can actively do with the language and not simply on the grammar and vocabulary that they know. Can-do statements are used so that we know what students are able to do as a result from learning experiences. They were also designed as self assessment check lists to be used by language learners so that they "can do" with the language in the interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication. 
Here are my SLO's (student learning objectives) from last year: 

Student Learning Objective 1:
What specific Core standards does this objective address? 
What is the baseline data for the SLO?
All students in Spanish 1B will achieve mastery of writing skills at the novice mid level based on the ACTFL Can- Do statements.
All students in Spanish 1B completed mastery skills in Spanish 1A at Novice-low level. The baseline for all Spanish 1B students is Novice-low with the expectation that they will meet at novice-mid.
indicator: Students will achieve a score of 80% or better on 6 out of 8 writing tasks.
interim assessments: interim assessments throughout the year include
warm up activities
in class writing work/homework
paired writing tasks with peer and self grading
formal and informal assessments
writing learning checks.
After data collection at the end of the year- A notable percentage of students substantially exceeded the targets and all or nearly all of the remaining students met the targets. 
Examples of some ALE's (alternative learning experiences) 

Me llamo_______________________________  
Invitations and Activities/Interpretive Listening Learning Check (2 pts. each)

I can
  • Understand time in an invitation.
Listen to my invitation.  What time are you being invited to do this activity?

Prove it!  (Write the time here in digits.)

____________________________________________________________

I can
  • Recognize the day and date when plans are discussed.
Listen to my invitation.  What day and date is this activity going to occur?

Prove it!  (Write the day and date here in English..)

____________________________________________________________

I can
  • Recognize if a statement is an invitation, acceptance or a decline.
Listen to my sentence and write if it is an invitation, someone accepting the invitation, or someone giving an excuse and declining the invitation.

Prove it!  (Write your answer here.)

____________________________________________________________

Me llamo _____________________________Writing assessment #1-La tarjeta postal

I can write short messages and notes on familiar topics related to everyday life.
I can write information about my daily life in a letter, blog, discussion board, or email message.I can ask and answer questions about an eventI can tell where I am going to go I can tell what I am going to doI can extend an invitation to a friend

Objective: 
You have been chosen to spend the summer in México with a Spanish speaking family.  While you are there, you receive a postcard from your good friend, Rachael, letting you know that she is going to visit you there!  Read the postcard from Rachael, respond to all of her questions and tell her all about your trip.  Some suggestions about what to write:  Tell her all about what you are going to do, what you have to do, where you want to visit, what you feel like eating, where different places are located, where you are going to go.  Ask Rachael questions, as well, so that you can keep the communication going during your month there.  Invite Rachael to do at least one activity with you while she visits (this will count as one of your questions). As you write your postcard, follow the requirements on the rubric and check off each item as you complete it. 

***Link to awesome guide in how to meet all modes interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational.*****



]]> 2020-09-19 16:29:16 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/761087899 September 30th- Strategies for Building Toward Proficiency kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/793059965 I realized that I have used TPR daily with my elementary students. I play a song in the beginning of the year and we do all the gestures during the song and students have learned a great deal from this welcoming/warm up song when we meet. It's unfortunate that we can't sing now because of the virus but gestures are very important. 
I would like to try TPR while reading a book. There are many activities that the text shares to give students after the reading. I will be reading Srta. Mariposa to my students this week. For hispanic heritage month I wanted to talk about something different the monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico for the fall. I hope this theme captures student interest. Here is the link to my slides. After reading chapter 7 I just thought about adding an actual video or digital tour of what Mexico looks like in the fall with the monarch butterflies, so that students can have a better understanding of what it actually looks like. ]]> 2020-09-30 21:26:53 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/793059965 Chapter 7 kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/811796711 I agree with the text, sometimes it is difficult to find authentic resources to include in the classroom. The textbooks usually have great resources but they are all outdated. Finding authentic resources is crucial for teaching. The interests and developmental level of students in the class must guide the choice of cultural information selected for instruction. Learning a language has to be directed to their interests and built into their own experiences. Also research talks about the best way to acquire language. Comprehension hypothesis- acquire language by understanding it- what people tell us and read. Conscious learning becomes subconscious acquisition… meaning that you’re learning the same over and over again and it becomes more automatic… this is the foundation of applied linguistics until the mid 70’s people turned it into exercise- krahsen says its incorrect- he says there are 2 kinds of acquisition models one is deductive tell people the rules and they learn it and then explicit instruction. 2 inductive figure out the rule- output plus correction say something and someone corrects it and you change the ideas… example: I comes to school every day…. teacher corrects… the child fixes it…
2nd inductive- comprehensible  output- one way to acquire language- say something in another language the person doesn’t understand try again and the person understands and figures out the rules. 
Total submersion have to talk… need hypothesis requires people to say something and get feedback…Grammar is limited- monitor what to edit what you’re saying or writing and it’s difficult.  


]]> 2020-10-07 20:22:02 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/811796711 Reading out loud in the classroom. kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/838939194 I have ordered many bilingual books to use this year for my elementary school students. I have noticed that they love stories and being read to. So far I have read Srta. Mariposa this book is bilingual- I read it to the class and it was a wonderful SEL activity students were able to comprehend since I read the Spanish first and then English. Students were able to share their feelings some felt sad because the butterflies left and some shared they were happy that the butterflies were able to go somewhere safe. When I introduced the alphabet I also read this fantastic book titled D is for Diversity. This book is only in English, but I read the letters in Spanish and read the rest in English for example A (ah) is for African American... B (beh) is for Bindi... When I finished reading the book I asked students how they felt about the book, then I asked why did I say the letters in Spanish why do you think? many were able to figure out the target learning the Spanish alphabet. So far reading out loud and carefully researching and choosing the right books have been meaningful in SEL ways. Within two weeks I will read out loud another bilingual book titled El Cucuy a Mexican folklore for Halloween. This will be a meaningful story since students will learn about a Mexican folklore and they will share folklores from their own culture that is similar to El Cucuy. These have been the ways that I have found reading out loud meaningful to the students, stories that they can relate to and that pertains to the target of the day. 
When I read Srta. Mariposa to my 3rd grade class my supervisor walked and evaluated my lesson (informal) her feedback was the following:
"Kristy's instructional practice allows for equity and access to content through a variety of scaffolding strategies. Her choice of a bilingual book allows students to connect language and sequence. She uses visuals to connect to all content and supports student's comprehension through highlighting vocabulary such as "poderosa" and supporting student's understanding of self- asset and in supporting linguistic assets of bilingualism". Some recommendations were:
Continue to learn CASEL Competencies and Social-Emotional Learning. (Model attached)
Continue to model metacognitive strategies. (https://www.ldatschool.ca/metacognitive-strategies-or-thinking-about-my-thinking/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Inclusive%20Schools,can%20positively%20impact%20students%20who)]]> 2020-10-18 15:51:35 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/838939194 deductive/inductive dichotomy kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/886413925 After reading so many theories of language acquisition, it makes sense that focusing on grammar is not the best way to learn language. If we think about how we learn how to talk, we don't start learning by being taught grammar, we just talk and model what we hear. From the reading deductive instruction the teacher starts with a grammar rule with specific examples, and the rule is learned through practice.Inductive instruction the teacher provides examples of the structure in context and students make observations, detect patterns, formulate hypothesis, and draw conclusions. The inductive approach focuses on meaning along with the forms communicatively.  The deductive approach focused more (or maybe even only) on the forms. Brown (2007) reminds us that “While it might be appropriate to articulate a rule and then proceed to instances, most of the evidence in communicative second language teaching points to the superiority of an inductive approach to rules and generalizations.”

Here is an example of a lesson using the PACE MODEL>
Spanish Regular Verbs (AR, ER, IR) Speaking and Writing Powerpoint Activity

This is a great activity to get students saying (or writing) complete sentences in Spanish with correct verb forms that has them demonstrate that they know the meaning of the verb and can come up with sentences quickly. There are two possible activities.

1.Students write sentences based on the subject and infinitive on each slide. The teacher begins each slide with a single click that reveals an infinitive and a subject pronoun. Students then see 4 possible verb forms. They should write the subject (optional) and correct verb form from the choices. A second click shows a circle around the correct form for students to verify their answer and a question word. Student then complete sentence with an answer to the question word.

2. Two students go to the board (where powerpoint is projected) and each has a fly swatter. The teacher begins each slide with a single click that will reveal an infinitive and a subject pronoun. Students then see 4 possible verb forms. The first to swat the correct form wins the first part of the round. A second click shows a circle around the correct form and question words. The winning student must say a complete sentence with the subject (optional), verb and answer to the question word. If the sentence is correct, he/she remains and a new student is called up to play the next round. If the sentence is not correct the opponent gets a chance to win and continue against a new challenger if he/she can say a sentence that is correct.





]]> 2020-11-03 14:46:06 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/886413925 Final Reflection kristywronowski https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/966438552 Here are some facts that I learned about language acquisition, particularly at the elementary level. 
Second Language learning should be initiated as early as possible. (Chomsky)
Cognitive psychology supports the fact that information is best learned and retained if it is made meaningful to the students.
Because children are quick to pick up attitudes, it is essential that the student be surrounded by positive attitudes regarding language learning. Helping in this way lowers the affective filter of the student. (Krashen)
Language acquisition takes place most effectively when input is meaningful and interesting. Thus, a content related program is most effective. Language acquisition also takes place most effectively when it is comprehensible and when it is not grammatically sequenced. (Krashen)
There is mounting evidence that direct error correction has little or no influence on the accuracy of messages. (Dulay, Burt, Krashen 1982) Correction that responds to the meaning of the message has much greater likelihood of making a difference for the speaker.
What I enjoyed the most during the semester was seeing demo lessons from others I was able to see how different our teaching styles are. I would have liked to have an opportunity to watch more lessons to get ideas and ways to improve my lessons. I also think that my best post was on planning I was able to research and share authentic resources to use in the classroom, something that many world language teachers are always looking for.
Overall I would grade myself with an A-. I was able to collaborate, share a demo lesson, watch others teach their demo lesson and give feedback. 


]]> 2020-11-27 22:31:31 UTC https://padlet.com/kristywronowski/m7ybd1kowjottuep/wish/966438552