Chapter 11 discussion

Hello! I must admit that I don't have a lot to discuss about chapter 11. In fact, I honestly thought that some of what was included in this chapter was covered already in other sections of the book we've read before this semester. Perhaps I feel this way because we're working on our VDAPs (Vision Driven Action Plans) at work, and many of these issues have been addressed to the point of overkill there. Then again, maybe it's just me reading too far into things, and missing out on what's literally right in front of my nose. I did see this chapter as valuable to those people who might not have studied this stuff previously, though, and it was a nice refresher for me too. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my brain is just fried right now. I need another weekend!!!

Revised Summary

The author, Norris-Holt, presents information regarding Gardner's Socio-Educational Model, as well as explains the difference between what she states are the two types of motivation. She states that:

"Motivation is divided into two basic types: integrative and instrumental. Integrative motivation is characterized by the learner's positive attitudes towards the target language group and the desire to integrate into the target language community. Instrumental motivation underlies the goal to gain some social or economic reward through L2 achievement, thus referring a more functional reason for language learning." (Norris-Holt, 2001)

Norris-Holt also goes on to present information gained through previously conducted research in Japan. This study, conducted by Berwick and Ross in 1989, consisted of a group of 90 Japanese students at the university level. The purpose of this research was to determine the amount/degree and form of motivation to continue to study English. According to the researchers, their results showed that students were found to possess instrumental motivation, with the underlying reason for studying English being the entrance exam requirements to the university. Typically, upon entrance to the desired establishment, the students' interest to continue study declined. (Norris-Holt, 2001)

The author concluded the article by adding a discussion section, as well as suggestions for teachers, such as encouraging students to be more active in classroom activities. Doing so can not only improve their communication skills in the target language, but also causes them to see an important purpose for studying the target language in general. As many teachers know, incorporating the use of interesting text or ones that relate to the students' lives can also increase the amount of motivation to learn and use the target language.

Norris-Holt, J. (2001). Motivation as a Contributing Factor in Second Language Acquisition. The Internet TESL Journal. Retrieved October 3, 2006, from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Norris-Motivation.html.

In-text citations: pp. 117, 120-121 & pp. 207-214

Revised Paraphrase

Lile, W.T. (2002, January). Motivation in the ESL Classroom. The Internet TESL Journal, 8, Article 1. Retrieved September 2, 2006, from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Lile-Motivation.html.


Original text:

“ A teacher’s positive energy could lead to the students becoming more motivated. If the students see that the teacher is happy to be in the classroom and excited to teach them, then the students can learn by example. A smile is contagious. Positive attitude is a must for a successful learning atmosphere. To promote self-confidence, it helps if the teacher is self-confident. Positive approval and praise for student efforts is very effective, even if the student is wrong. Let the students know that you’re glad they tried and being wrong isn’t such a big problem, and the students won’t be so reluctant the next time they’re called on to participate. Positive energy affirming a belief in the students’ ability develops a comfortable atmosphere for the students in the classroom.”


My paraphrase:

A teacher with a positive attitude can influence students to be more motivated to learn. When a student knows their teacher values their efforts and will offer constructive criticism, even when mistakes are made, he or she won’t be afraid to answer questions or volunteer in class. Lile (2002) said that smiling causes more smiles, which leads to a more welcoming learning environment for all.

SR 6: Introspective Measures

Yes, I know...overacheiver! I just wanted to get some stuff done ahead of time. Sorry!

My 6th, and last, SR article was kind of a let down, to be honest with you. The article, "Error Correction Strategies Used By Learners Of Japanese When Revising A Writing Task," was written by Mariko Kubota. I felt that, although the information presented has to be valuable to me (as a grad student and as an educator), I found myself having to read parts of it over and over again just to remember what the authors said. That doesn't happen to me very often, so I was left feeling disappointed.

I did find a common thread between the work the authors presented in this article and how I check for learning in my own Spanish classes. For example, when I walk around the room during group activities, I always ask my students how they came up with the answers they did. Some just say it's because they knew it was correct, and others say they guessed on the ones they didn't know for sure. When I help them correct their errors (actually, I try to provide helpful hints and correcting tools that will enable them to find the errors and make the necessary corrections themselves...some of my students, however, might tell you I'm just being a witch!), I again try to walk them through the steps they took to arrive at their answers. I want to know if they're doing the work themselves or simply copying someone else to get credit for completion or to get a higher grade on their work.

SR 5: Surveys & Interviews

Hello again! I'm trying to work ahead a little bit, so as to give myself more time later to work on chapter 2 of my APP.

This article, entitled "Factors Affecting Oral Classroom Participation of International Graduate Students in an ESL Setting" was written by Jun Liu and Li-feng Kuo from Ohio State University. I thought about many different things while reading this article, a few of which I'd like to discuss here. The first thing was that I couldn't get over how similar the questions posed by the authors were to the real-life situations of some of my grad school peers. I think back to my very first year of grad school at MSU, and my new friends from Korea. (I won't mention names to avoid offending someone, but you can probably guess who these people are if you were around in 2003-2004.) They had a very difficult time speaking up in class, and an even harder time questioning the professors...it just wasn't part of their culture to do so. They simply can't force themselves to adjust 100% to the norms of the mid-western culture of "looking people in the eye" when talking to them or when listening, and questions authority is frowned upon there when it isn't here (as long as it's done in a respectful way).

Another thing I thought of was certain students I have right now in my Spanish classes. A few of them have no problems asking questions, almost to the point of annoying others (and myself!), but others who really need the extra help never raise their hand or stay after class to ask for additional help. I worry about these "quiet ones," mostly because I used to be one of them myself growing up.

A third thing I thought of actually ties into what I posted earlier about chapter 10...the amount of time required to administer the survey and/or interviews, and even more time to compile and interpret the data collected. Again, I barely have enough time in the day to keep up with lesson plans and grading papers, and then I have grad school work staring me in the face when I get home from work every day...when would the "average bear" have time to hand out surveys or conduct interviews with their coworkers or students?!?!

Chapter 10 discussion

I just got done reading chapter 10...what a lot to digest! In a good way, though, so it's okay. I came away from reading the chapter with a bunch of ideas to use in my own classroom, mostly about how to conduct good/valuable research experiments. Still, I was left with a big "huh?" in one area. The amount of time needed to construct and conduct the experiment, as well as to interpret the results. I don't know about you guys, but I just don't have that kind of extra time. I already feel majorly torn between being a quality teacher to my Spanish students and my requirements for this class/writing my APP. However, I do think that as educators, we already conduct "mini-experiments" all the time...trying something new with an end result prediction in our minds, using what works and ditching what doesn't. I guess the thing that stuck with me the most after reading chapter 10 was, regardless of the intent behind creating/conducting the experiment, one can never fully factor in the amount of time the whole process will take. One of my professors as an undergraduate told us many times, "expect the unexpected, and you'll be prepared for anything!" Yep, Dr. Dyer...you were right! (And Shakespeare is still one of my favorite MSU memories!!!)

SR 4: Experimental & Correlational Research

This fourth supplementary reading turned out to be much better than the third one for me. I think I can actually use this to help write my APP!!! It was quite long, though, and I kept thinking that there were too many in-text citations and other distractions in the article. Still, there was a lot of valuable information I can use. The title of the article is "The Skilled Use of Interaction Strategies: Creating A Framework For Improved Small-Group Communicative Interaction In The Language Classroom," and was written by Yael Bejarano, Tamar Levine, Elite Olshtain, and Judy Steiner.

The organization of the article was very easy to follow, even with all the in-text citations and such. Every section of the article had clear headings, and the graphs and charts were simple to understand (a nice change for stressed-out people like me!) The best part of the whole reading, for me, was the appendices. They provided hard copy examples of the strategies discussed in the articles, as well as the students' reactions to them. This is something that seems relatively easy for teachers to implement. Even more so, this turned out to be a good source for me while writing my APP (sorry about the rhyming there...couldn't be helped!)

revised chapter 2 outline

Review of Literature

1. Introduction

2. Definition of Motivation & Early Research

3. Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation

4. Effective Motivational Techniques in the areas of:
A) reading
B) writing
C) listening
D) speaking

5. Current Second Language Motivational Practices/Perspectives
A) recent research
B) how to approach motivating students
C) involving parents & the community

6. Summary

3rd revision of my abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare different methods of motivating English Language Learner (ELL) students in a classroom setting.

Previously conducted research will be analyzed and/or discussed in detail to provide insight into the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Field notes obtained through peer observations may be included to add a more personal aspect to the research discussed. More specifically, however, there will be a lengthy discussion of effective motivational techniques/strategies for English Language Learners in the areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the target language.

Based on the previously conducted research and field notes, I hope to expose both clinical and personal glimpses into effective motivation in a classroom setting and students' perceptions of how their teachers motivate them to learn.

Chapter 9 discussion

I find myself thinking back to the "new teacher in the district" meetings that I've had to sit through every fall for the past 5-6 years...what a chapter this was! I mean, like at these meetings I've gone to, I sit there and think...gosh, I know this stuff is important, but how/why do I remember all this stuff?!?! What, specifically, does this have to do with me as a Spanish teacher?!?! How will this data effect, if at all, my students or how I teach them the material?!?! Yikes! All the graphs, charts, and hard-core data just makes me more and more confused the longer I stare at it. There's a woman in my district right now who's responsibility is to be the "data lady," or at least that's what I've been calling her. She organizes all this data collected during state/national testing dates, figured out RIT scores, and helps create a plan of attack if/when a school or schools in our district haven't met our AYP (adequate yearly progress). She's in her glory when she's presenting information on all this stuff, yet my eyes just glaze over and I know that very little is sinking in, especially when I'm trying to focus on my own teaching practices, my graduate work, finding sources for my APP, reading the assigned chapters, and so on... Holy cow! Will this whole mess really be over within a year?!?!

Chapter 6-7 discussion

Chapter 6: Definitions & Overview
Chapter 7: Observing Language Classrooms

Since these two chapters are quite similar, and also since I read them the same night, I'd like to pick out just a few things to write about here (if that's okay...if not, you're stuck with what I'm typing!)

First of all, while reading chapter 6, I was reminded of something Dr. Stoynoff said during our first Advisor meeting...he said to take detailed notes while observing coworkers (he called them "field notes"), yet don't specifically quote them in your APP. Once you start quoting or referring to oberving teachers/students, you're moving more and more towards a thesis and conducting your own research. This is not something I want for my APP, and something he's advised me against, based on what we discussed and what I'd like to write about, so I agree with him. I was definitely making the observations/field notes into something more significant than they were supposed to be. Dr. Stoynoff said that these notes are extremely valuable, to me as a teacher and to me while in regards to writing chapter 3 of my APP, but just not for writing chapter 2...I should stick to research that's been conducted already. (Works for me!)

The second thing I'd like to discuss actually is a question I've had for a while, or at least whenever I've had to complete a "clinical/field experience" for a graduate class and/or as an undergraduate student: how much observation is okay before a student teacher or clinical observation student is "thrown to the wolves" with these students? The reason I ask this question is because, when I was student teaching as an undergraduate, I worked with two different high school teachers...polar opposites, actually. The English teacher I worked with eased me into the whole "teaching" part of my experience, giving me little bits of the lesson to teach until I was teaching the whole period. Of course, I first observed without teaching at all for the first week or so. The Spanish teacher I worked with, on the other hand, gave me one or two full days of observing without teaching, then left the room and basically said "good luck!" I wish there would've been more communication between the two teachers I worked with, because I ended up respecting the English teacher a lot more than the Spanish teacher, and got more out of that part of my student teaching as well. The question I posed is really for my own information, especially when I've got enough experience in a school district where I feel comfortable having a student teacher come into my classroom to observe me teach and to complete his/her own student teaching experience with me. Any comments and/or helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.

Chapter 8 discussion

I agree with the idea that diaries and case studies are valuable resources, but I've always thought of them as works that are used for personal or professional reflection...you know, as a way of improving oneself or the job they do. I, too, have been required in the past to keep an ongoing diary of progress, so to speak. During one of my summer grad classes, we had to keep up a diary on our D2L site of reactions to readings, emotions that came up while reading something, and so forth. It was actually one of the best "teaching tools" I've used, and I was one of the students! I'm hoping, with future Spanish classes (upper level, of course) to use this technique again when studying literature. Case studies, to me, are more valid and/or reliable than diaries, because they lean less towards personal opinion or bias. Either way, though, I'm not sure how much faith/trust a person can place in diaries or case studies, though, because they're not concrete "hard research." I hope that makes sense, and that I haven't just rambled on. Holler if anyone needs me to explain something better!

You've got to read this book!!!

I'm in the process of reading a new book..."From Baghdad, With Love," by Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman. It's about the war in Iraq, obviously, but more specifically how a group of Marines finding an abandoned puppy in a warzone ended up healing themselves (written from the author's personal perspective, not just the telling of a story that could fit thousands of soldiers over there). I'm only a chapter or two into the book, but I'd already highly recommend this to anyone...especially someone who's got a loved one fighting overseas.

P.S. My cousin, Chad (a captain in the Army), is doing well. He's somewhere in Baghdad right now, or at least he was the last time we heard anything. Chad was supposed to have come home to the United States at the end of July, but all trips home were cancelled indefinitely. Please, if you're reading my blog, say an extra prayer for my cousin, his family, and all the other soldiers and families involved. Thank you, from both me and from Chad and his family!

paraphrase for Oct. 10th

"Help Us Care Enough to Learn" by Kathleen Cushman
Article found in the February 2006, Vol. 63 No. 5, of Educational Leadership Journal

(I can redo this/add the correct APA citation/bibliography later, when I've got my book in front of me.)


This article, "Help Us Care Enough to Learn," examines the lack of truly meaningful curriculum in an urban high school. It begins by discussing the feelings of Bernice, an 11th grader, who was one of 65 high school students who spoke with the author as part of a study on school leadership. Students are always working on establishing their identity, and this study conducted by Cushman explores ways of promoting and maintaining a high motivation level among students. The author found that teachers need to integrate aspects of the students' lives into the curriculum that they teach, make the material in class relate to real-life situations. Another suggestion given during the study was to treat students like people, not just as students in a class. Cushman also discovered that the students view their community as a great resource and motivating factor in their learning. It engages students and connects them to the world outside of the school setting. The author concluded the article by saying that meaning sparks motivation. If we, as educators, can find even some small way to make classroom activities meaningful, interesting, and exciting for students, a more positive and stronger school culture will be formed.

SR 3 Article Review

The article I read was “Autonomy and language learning in a simulated environment” by Garold L. Murray.

This article, while I was fairly excited about reading it at first, turned out to be not as valuable for writing my APP as I had hoped. It falls under the SR 3: Diary & Case Studies on our readings list, and I honestly wish I could’ve found a different and better one to read. Based on the choice of vocabulary and the actual presentation of materials/research, it just seemed “sterile” and unfriendly. It definitely, in my opinion, was not welcoming to the reader, if that makes sense.

The author organizes his paper in the following order:
Abstract (1 paragraph)
Introduction (approx. 1 page)
The interactive videodisc program (approx. 1 ½ pages)
The study (approx. 1 ½ pages)
The discussion (approx. 6 ½ pages)
Conclusion (approx. ¾ page)
References (approx. 1 ¾ pages)

The most interesting portion of the entire article, to me, was the third section “The Study.” She calls for more research “to identify the student’s relationship to the materials” (Murray, 1992, p.328). That, in itself, caused me to continue reading because I thought that this would be the section that I could possible use or reference in some way in my APP. While I probably won’t end up using it, I thought it was neat how the inquiry presented in this section of the article voiced three questions: (1) what are the experiences of the learners working on their own with the interactive videodisc program? (2) what is the impact of this experience on their second language acquisition? (3) what are the implications for second language pedagogy? I think, and I’m only basing this on my own education and teaching experiences, that all teachers must have the same questions or similar ones depending on what subject area they teach. For example, I could modify these questions to work better with my Spanish classes by asking: (1) what experiences have my students had while working independently with the target language? (2) which appears to be the most beneficial for my students, individual work/assignments or cooperative learning groups? (3) what is the impact/implications of my teaching methods on their motivation to continue in future Spanish classes after taking my class?

Article Summary for Oct. 3

http://iteslj.org/Articles/Norris-Motivation.html

Norris-Holt, J. (2001). Motivation as a Contributing Factor in Second Language Acquisition. The Internet TESL Journal. Retrieved April 25, 2004. Retrieved October 3, 2006.

In-text citations: pp. 120-121 & pp. 207-214



The author presents information regarding Gardner’s Socio-Educational Model, as well as explains the difference between what she states are the two types of motivation. “Motivation is divided into two basic types: integrative and instrumental. Integrative motivation is characterized by the learner’s positive attitudes towards the target language group and the desire to integrate into the target language community. Instrumental motivation underlies the goal to gain some social or economic reward through L2 achievement, thus referring a more functional reason for language learning.” (Norris-Holt, 2001, para. 1)

Norris-Holt also goes on to present information gained through previously conducted research in Japan. This study, conducted by Berwick and Ross (1989), consisted of a group of 90 Japanese students at the university level. The purpose of this research was to determine the amount/degree and form of motivation. According to Berwick and Rose, their results showed that students were found to possess instrumental motivation, with the underlying reason for studying English being the entrance exam requirements to the university. Typically, upon entrance to the desired establishment, the students’ interest to continue study declined (1989).

The author concluded the article by adding a discussion section, as well as suggestions for teachers. “Encouraging students to become more active participants in a lesson can sometimes assist them to see a purpose for improving their communication skills in the target language. Successful communication using the target language should result in the students feeling some sense of accomplishment.” (Norris-Holt, 2001, para. 20). As many teachers know, incorporating the use of interesting text or ones that relate to the students’ lives can also increase the amount of motivation to learn and use the target language.