Chapter 3
- Explain the importance of formal register and its impact on student achievement.
Chapter 4
- Explain why mental models are imperative in helping students learn.
- What are a couple of ways you can modify the way you teach to help students learn based on the information in this chapter.
1. Formal register is "where the abstract words are". Words in formal register are more abstract and less sensory than words in consultative and casual register. This causes a problem for students in school because so much of the language we use is abstract to many of them. It is especially difficult for those students who have few books in the home and they have never been read to before starting school. Also when parents never use formal language those students have not learned it before starting school. So it is our job as teachers to help students develop formal language and how to go from one to another as necessary.
ReplyDelete2. Mental models are imperative in helping students learn because that helps them to understand the abstract. When students come to school to learn they are expected to take concrete concepts and be able to understand that 2D concepts that they see in books and on paper represent things in the world. The author gives the example of a drawing of an apple and that a student has to understand that the 2 dimensional picture of the apple represents an actual apple.
Things that I can do to modify to help my students are doing more hands on concrete things for them to do with their assignments. I need to make sure and take that extra time to use manipulatives with my lessons and give them time to build and/or draw models to solidify and help with understanding. Also, I need to continue setting and enforcing time limits for students with their work so that they will continue to learn about how time and tasks are related.
I absolutely agree about using manipulatives!!!! I also like how you talked about enforcing time limits. It is important for students to understand how time relates to completing a task. Very important life skill!
DeleteI like the idea of incorperating manipulatives and making learning more hands on. I know when I was littler I was very much a hands on learner and it made learning more interesting for me. I also agree that as educators we have to teach students how to navigate/switch between the different registers.
DeleteI think doing more hands-on exercises with our students is so important! Hands-on projects really help give students a more concrete understanding of the concept that we have introduced. I know when I struggle to understand a concept it really helps for me to see it "in real life" and then be able to try applying the concept to something myself.
DeleteI liked your idea of linking time and tasks. Our kids lack context for time management.
DeleteI love your idea of hands on manipulatives too!! Learning is always more fun when you are mind and hand engaged!!
Delete1. I wasn't aware that there were so many "rules" to language. I had never really given it much thought. After reading the chapter I was surprised to find that students even get kicked out of school for "being in the wrong register". I can see how this would impact a school. When students are not communicating in the right register, it builds a barrier between the student and teacher. The teacher expects one thing, while the student is speaking in a way that may seem disrespectful. Having a common register will and does help students build relationships with adults and their peers. When it comes down to it, students will work hard for a teacher they like. Building relationships helps to build trust and it all stems from being in the same register.
ReplyDelete2. When we make things personal, we connect better. So I tend to internalize everything. I have always thought of my brain as a filing cabinet. Perhaps I was told that in school and that is why. However, I never really thought of the term "mental models". Having mental models, much like myself, helps students internalize learning experiences. Teaching mental models can be as simple as creating an anchor chart on paper or the white board. Helping students come up with their own mental models is something I would like to implement to help them get a greater understanding. For those who struggle, I could give them some ideas and help them to decide which is best. For example: Point of view - First person could be a . then the word of then eyes looking into a mirror. That way they could relate first person with self (I, we, me, my etc).
In math I use a lot of kinesthetic movements for memorization. I am going to use more mental models and have students place their mental models in their math notebooks. I believe this will help students internalize and learn at a deeper level of understanding.
I like how you use kinesthetic movements to help with your math concepts. The students enjoy getting up and doing the movements with you.
DeleteI agree on not really thinking about all the different rules to language. I think the teachers at our school do a good job relating to the register that our students use. It really makes me think about students who are allowed to cuss in the home or who hear it continuously. It has to be really hard for students to hear something all the time, but then when they come to school and talk like that they get into trouble. It is definitely our job to teach them what register is appropriate for different times and settings.
DeleteI like your idea too of kinesthetic movements. Learning is more meaningful to kids when it is taught this way!!
Delete1. Formal register is what is expected at school. We expect the students to use complete sentences and use a variety of words to make the word choice sound better. This is very difficult for some students because they often only have this model at school.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard for the students to transition to formal language if they have only ever been exposed to casual language at home prior to beginning school. It is important that we teach the students the formal language, but we also have to be understanding and patient for those not catching on as easily due to lack of exposure. It is important that we give the students many opportunities to practice formal language and hear it to help them understand.
2.Mental models are important to help our students learn. It is amazing how it is so much easier for them when they have a mental model to help them remember a concept. Students need that connection to make things easier. Anchor charts are helpful. I have seen students look where an anchor chart hung weeks later and remember how to do something or what something is because they can mentally picture the chart even though it has been gone for weeks. In their reading response journals they can draw pictures to help them remember vocabulary words or a book. They will have their journals to look back at later when they need to remember the word/book. Using more anchor charts in the classroom will also help the students to have something to refer back to.
I like that you mentioned we need to be paitent and understanding with those who struggle. As you stated if school is the only place the students are being taught formal rgister then it will take more time for them to develop those formal skills and how to tranition between formal and casual.
DeleteI agree with you that we need to be patient and understanding with students who are having a hard time learning formal register. When they never hear anything else, except at school it takes a lot of time to learn it.
Delete1) Formal register is the level of language where words are abstract. The vocabulary is expanded and sentence structure is more complex. This is the register that is used in school and work. The chapter mentions that "language is the tool that builds social capital. The greater the specificity of language the cleaner and clearer the thinking can be." It is important that as teachers we continue to build language resources in our classroom. Students come to us with all levels of experiences and exposure to language. We have to provide the tools for those students whether its giving that initial exposure or building on what they already have. Students who have the vocabulary, sentence structure and can switch and use formal register as needed will be problem solvers.
ReplyDelete2) Mental models help the student create connections to abstract concepts. When students are able to create mental models they chunk information, create stories or pictures, and help understand the the why of concepts. Anchor charts are a great way to help create the connections. I love seeing students make connections and use the anchor charts that are hanging on the wall long after the initial lesson. Using manipulatives also allow for mental models to help further the understanding of the math concepts. There are a vast amount of math concepts that lends themselves to using manipulatives. Using Base 10 blocks for the introduction of addition and subtraction regrouping helps create the understanding of what is happening when completing that operation.
I thought is was interesting that you pointed out about how, " the greater the specificity of language, the cleaner and clearer the thinking can be". I tell my own kids that they should never cuss because people who use those words simply aren't smart enough to know what words to use instead. I have incorporated a lot of writing activities in middle school artwork as well as cursive writing just to give students more practice in these areas.
DeleteIt is important because in a persons formal register is where their abstract words are. When an individual doesn't have a large enough vocabulary in formal register, then resolving conflicts becomes an issue. I never really thought about how when speaking words a person needs to go from the "personal" to the "issue" to resolve a conflict. This becomes extremely challenging on a person since most of the words needed are in a formal register. If an individual isn't able to communicate in the "right" register then dealing with the up and downs of life becomes very taxing on a person!!
ReplyDeleteChapter 4:
Mental models can help students to quickly learn/retain new and rigorous information in and out of school. Many of my remedial students struggle to create and use mental models to make reading easier. Mental models help the learner to know what isn't and what is important in any area of the curriculum they are learning. In my class we use RRJ to help the kids learn reading information. In class I use chants, clapping, analogies, sketches, and stories. I strive to be very intentional with how I explain and practice the concepts. Finally, in our remedial classroom I help the students link and transfer concepts to other areas in ELA. The children often don't know that the letter "B" is the same on the ABC chart, at the beginning of a word, or in an acronym. It is my job to help them make those connections so that learning to read is easier for them.
I love that you are so inventive with the way that you introduce concepts to your students! No two students learn alike so it is so important that we always keep looking for new ways to help students make those connections.
DeleteYes! We do this all the time to help the students connect the letters and words and how they are shown in many different ways.
DeleteChapter 3
ReplyDeleteFormal register is a proper way of speaking verses casual register which is more laid back. In school we use formal register and expect/teach the students to be able to speak and write using that register. However that poses a challenge for both teachers and students if outside of school the students have only been exposed to casual/informal register.
Chapter 4
Mental models helps students to learn, store, connect abstract information. As the book said, think of the human mind like a computer with a complex storage system that is neatly organized so that information can be retrieved quickly. When using mental models to learn, it helps the mind to organize the information learned and make it easy to access/recall/associate. However some mental models can also become a hinderance. For example if a student associates the size of something for instance money to mean it is worth more, that association can be wrong. A dime is smaller than a nickle yet the dime is worth more but some students think the nickel is worth more because it is larger. I saw this mistake made on the star math test this week. The same could be said using the quantity of dollar bills. A way I can modify the way I help students learn is to incorporate more hands on items, especially with what I teach being all tech based. One idea I had was to bring in the internal pieces of a computer so the students can see first hand what parts make up the inside of an actual computer instead of just seeing them in 2d form on a mimio board or worksheet.
In a lot of ways, whoever invented our money system did not make it simple. I noticed the same thing you did. Why can't they make the largest coins worth the most, and the smallest worth the least?
Delete1) Formal register is important because it is “where the abstract words are.” When a student doesn’t have much vocabulary in the formal register, conflict resolution is usually an issue too. Most “issue” words are in the formal register, and to solve most conflicts, a student must be able to switch from register to register. If a student comes from a low economic home they most likely will not have much exposure to vocabulary in the formal register so this becomes a problem. Some students do not realize that there is more than one way to say something. This can lead to many misunderstandings in the classroom and can put a strain on that teacher/student relationship that is so desperately needed for student success.
ReplyDelete2) Mental models are one of the fastest ways to move students from a sensory reality to a representational paper world. They help students understand how ideas are presented on paper. When a student doesn’t understand a concept or how it relates to them, they may do their work, but they aren’t “getting” anything out of it. They aren’t learning, they are just repeating us. Mental models help students gain a true understanding of the concepts we introduce to them and help apply these concepts to their own lives.
3) It is all about helping students make those connections to “real life.” We must give our students multiple opportunities to practice applying the introduced concepts to their own lives. I think in math it is imperative that we teach with manipulatives! Math can be such an abstract concept for children. Manipulatives help them understand what is happening when they are using addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc. I think it’s also important to remember to present the concept in many ways. We can sing songs, draw pictures, watch videos, or even make up dances. This will ensure that we are giving our students multiple ways to remember these concepts and that we are reaching all of our students instead of just a few.
When I think of mental models, I think of graphic organizers. I was amazed at how one of my education professors had a graphic organizer for almost everything for which we discussed. I like your ideal of have manipulatives. Younger students especially need that hands on approach to learning.
DeleteManipulatives are definitely a helpful tool to use. Students sometimes are only able to work with something that is tangible and makes it easier for them to work through a problem.
DeleteYes, I tend to think of things in an assembly line. when I have a problem that I need to fix I try to think through what the problem is, what steps I need to take to finish it, and what tools do I need. In order to do that I like to either look at a finished product and figure out how it was put together or watch the process that someone else took. That is how manipulative's work for me and why I think they are so important.
DeleteCh. 3 Q1 First of all, I was shocked at the statement “ a 3 year old in a professional household has more vocabulary than an adult in a welfare household”. Some of our population falls into this category. Parents are visibly nervous or uneasy at conferences sometimes, and I think this explains, to a certain extent, why. This is what I believe to be the most important reason to model formal register at school and explicitly teach the difference between the way we talk at school and the way we talk at home- they don’t get it at home. Ruby Payne says the formal register is the “language of money”. I don’t necessarily think second graders would understand that, but if they know that their teacher uses this language, and they admire their teacher, then that should be enough for that age.
ReplyDeleteCh. 4 Q1 I feel like we do a lot of these things very well in elementary. The first thing I thought of when I read this chapter is a chart I have hanging in my classroom that shows a 0-5 scale to give students an idea of how loud to talk. 0 is silence, 1 is whisper, and all the way up to 5 which is yelling (outside voice). This gives a student a mental model. Second graders need context with abstract things like this. Another example is the Letterland characters from our phonics curriculum. I can’t imagine trying to learn letters as a Kindergarten when you have very little experience with written language. It would just be random, out of context squiggles! So the stories and silly songs give kids the context needed to put the letters into long term memory.
Ch 4 Q2 I want to utilize more mental models in my classroom. Id like to move from making an anchor chart for everything to creating an interactive context for a few main concepts. For example, I think my students will benefit from touching money everyday, so I am reimplementing my school store, starting in January. I was also thinking of making a chart for when students have to wear their coats for recess. It may leave it up to students, but I would simply write the temperature and “feels like” on the board, then add another extraneous factor, such as wind or cloud cover, and students can decide for themselves. That way 18 students won’t ask me if they need a coat!
I also was shocked by the statement comparing a three year old's vocabulary to a adult in a welfare home. I'm glad that you related it to our parents. We can admire the bravery it takes for those parents to come to conference.
DeleteI heard a similar statement when I was going to school, that students who come from a poverty background are exposed to 30 million more words than that of a child from a middle class home. This is based on how much the family verbally communicates. The lower income families tend to use less communication than those of higher income homes.
DeleteI agree on changing some anchor charts to mental models. To teach author and illustrator, I would have the kids "write" on their hands as we said author and "paint" in the air as we said illustrator.
DeleteFormal register is proper and appropriate for school because it is shows dignity and respect. As teachers, we are supposed to be preparing students for the real world and the highest potential students can achieve while in school. The business world uses formal register, so it is important that we push students to understand and be able to use proper language in hopes that they fulfill their potential which could mean white collar jobs in the business world.
ReplyDeleteMost learners are visual learners. Not only did language begin with pictures, it is much easier to remember something if you can tie it to something like a picture or circumstance. In today's times of constant entertainment and exposure to technology, we need to provide any means necessary to help students retain information.
I can try to make important information more valuable by giving students specific images to help them remember. I can also help students remember by brainstorming with them ways to tie what we are learning to real-life situations as well as visuals and things they can remember. Even acronyms and changing the words to common songs by using terms relative to what they are learning would be fun and easy.
Your tying to real life situations will make the concept more meaningful to them!
DeleteI like the way you try and connect what the students are learning to why it is important and how it can fit in their own lives. New things and ideas are fine, but don't they just mean more when we can connect them to our own experiences?
DeleteI really like the way that you explained the importance of formal register...it shows dignity and respect. You are right on. Formal register stands out from any other type of speech and it makes a difference to the audience.
DeleteChapter 3
ReplyDelete1. It is important for students to know formal register and that it is different from causal register. Students need to be aware that different situations call for different types of communication. We have all told students that some words are not used at school or have asked them to rephrase a request or statement. Looking toward their future these are skills they will need. Our students need to have the verbal skills for job interviews (we’ve have heard those horror stories of awful interviews) and will need to have the knowledge to express their opinions, dislikes and feelings to others in an appropriate manner.
Chapter 4
1. Mental models are the path to get information into our heads. Taking the abstract concept and storing in the brain.
2. I really liked the "sketch the word" example used in the book. Many times a student will ask for the meaning of a word during a book and we will go over the definition. It would be great if we could take a moment and have them sketch the word and them I could find out if the definition stuck. For myself word play helps, my brother taught me that on a boat port is left because they both have 4 letters. My 4th grade BFF taught me how to spell America (A mice eats rice in china always) so having students explain to each other would probably be beneficial to everyone.
I like your idea on how students share their way of thinking about certain things. This is a great tool as students might not be able to understand how a teacher presents information, but they may be able to make a connection based on how someone else perceived and thought about the information.
DeleteI was thinking of several examples from when I was a kid too! I think I always spell Mississippi as m, i, crooked letter, crooked letter, i, crooked letter, crooked letter, i, hump back, hump back, i (thanks to my grandma)!! I know my own children can still sing the SSRW Phonics Song that Mrs. Prudhoe and Mrs. Byrd taught them.
DeleteI actually utilized sketch the word in one of my classes in elementary school! I actually thought it would make a great collaborative lesson between art and reading!
DeleteExplain the importance of formal register and its impact on student achievement.
ReplyDeleteI think the book made and excellent example of how teachers can teach students to use their formal register by having them create a sentence they would express in a casual register and then ask them how they could express the same message in a more formal way. We could also use examples as to how you would not talk to the president of the united states or a person in authority such as the principal in the same way we would talk to our family or friends. We can do this by explaining to our students we convey messages differently when we are different situations. These are social protocols everyone in life abides by, and we are teaching you these tools so you will be a more effective communicator once you become and adult. As said in the book formal registers in writing and speaking is an entree into the job market. It is the language of money and is necessary for understanding textbooks, written texts and business letters.
2. Explain why mental models are imperative in helping students learn.
I think using graphic organizers would be a good tool for students to use when organizes their schemas or mental models of concepts. This way students will be able to collect the information they are thinking and see how it correlates with other ideas and thoughts they have about the subject matter. I believe using a graphic organizer is a great way for visual learners to see how connections are made. As Jamey said manipulatives are also a great tool for kinesthetic learner to use when making mental connections.
3. What are a couple of ways you can modify the way you teach to help students learn based on the information in this chapter.
The book gives examples of how graphic organizers and mental maps help students make connections. As I stated earlier, I think having students complete graphic organizers to help them sort and connect ideas will help them better internalize the information that is being presented to them. I think using KWL charts would also help you assess how much background knowledge the student has about the concept or subject matter; which in return will help me as a teacher understand which information and/or tools I will need to present next for the student to learn the content and/or subject matter.
Chapter 4
Explain why mental models are imperative in helping students learn.
What are a couple of ways you can modify the way you teach to help students learn based on the information in this chapter.
Mental models help you learn what and how students think about things. Once you are able to see how a student thinks about things, this will allow me to see how I can present the information to where the student will understand or possibly create new opportunities to present information in a new way.
I wish that it was taught when I was young that everyone learns and thinks differently. I think I was blinded thinking that I was the only one who saw things the way I did. Knowing that students have a variety of ways of processing information is beneficial for educators and teachers. I completely agree that it gives us keys to unlock students' understanding of core concepts.
DeleteChapter 3
ReplyDeleteThe importance of formal register is "it is where the abstract words are." It is important for students to be able to use and interpret formal language for student achievement. We read many books to children at the elementary level to develop their schema, introduce them to sentence structure, vocabulary and expose them to formal language. I think it is also very important that students know the difference between casual and formal language and when it is appropriate to use the different types of language.
Chapter 4
Mental models are imperative to learning to help move learned concepts from short term to long term memory. Any time you can help a student understand a concept through a model it will help the concept become concrete.
It always helps me to understand a concept if I am given the "why" I need to learn something. And, then the "how" to get there. Why do we learn the alphabet? Because the letters are symbols for sounds. I love using visual phonics with letter identification to teach the alphabet. Using manipulatives in different ways for teaching math concepts.
I totally agree with you when it comes to knowing the "why" when I am learning something. I do not remember getting that a lot in school. Therefore, I make it a point to let my students know why they are learning what they are.
DeleteIf I could have added one thing to my answer it would have been the idea of sharing the "why" we must do things. I agree that it is so important to give the kiddos context as to why they'll need to know the information we are teaching them. Ruby states that if we can not ask questions about what we are learning, then we aren't really ever sure what we know and what we don't know. I think "why" is one of the most important questions for learning.
DeleteCh. 3
ReplyDelete1. Knowing what it is and when to use formal register is extremely important to the success of students. Many of the concepts taught at school are taught using formal language, both through textbooks and lectures. Formal language is not always taught or expected at home, so it becomes our jobs to teach formal language in order to bridge the gap from home language to school language. Often times, students are saying what we need them to say, but in casual language. If we can help students connect words they already know in the casual register to formal register words, their success at school becomes greater.
Ch. 4
1. Mental models are everything. They are the way we organize the abstract ideas that we are constantly bombarded with on a daily basis. When we learn something new, we need a place in our mind to store that information; either storing it in an existing mental model or creating a new mental model to organize something we have never encountered before. Considering school is structured around abstract and decontextualized concepts, it is imperative that students are taught ways to manage, sort, and store those constructs. Mental models give us a way to arrange abstract ideas into manageable stories for our minds in order to use the information we are given. If our students aren't taught ways to organize all of the information they learn at school plus the shared language used to discuss it, success is more difficult to obtain.
2. In order to help students learn ideas that are not based in the physical environment, I really try and get the kids to practice and be intentional in what they are doing. For example, in the beginning of the year when we are discussing the Pirate ARRS I have the students practice specific skills that fall under Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. There are so many components to any of those concepts that it is not just enough to say "be respectful," but rather asking, "how are you being respectful?" So we end up playing a lot of charades and acting out scenarios that require students to show the meaning of the concepts we expect them to know. I think this strategy helps with relational learning.
I really like and agree with your way of asking students “how?” It turns the question to the student and requires them to create a well worded response. I also like how you use charades to learn concepts. This is one reason I really like the ARRS we use. It gives us so many opportunities to utilize mental models.
DeleteFormal register is important to student success because it creates a path at which the teacher and the student can communicate and also prepares the student for communication in other fields. As teachers, we try to communicate to our students using formal register however at times we ourselves can fall into other forms of register such as consultative. I can recall a time that I was a student and heard one of my teachers use an abstract word which stimulated me to use that word in the same way once I figured how to appropriately use it in a sentence. I vividly remember beginning to think more abstractly about how I use my words in our text they referred to it as “stimulated learning.” As a choral teacher I find it very interesting that my students are often confused at the text which is written normally in formal register and it makes for a great conversation as a class. As the text states my students often think of it as an uppity especially since it is a language many of them do not hear at home. By teaching students to speak in formal register we are better preparing them for the job market and better understanding of the language of money and business.
ReplyDeleteMental models are important to student learning because they create an inner mind picture of the concept being taught. Many students come to school exhibiting strong imaginations or the ability to create a photo in the mind. This can be a great tool for teachers to use in getting students to understand a structure, process, or problem. In music we use this strategy to teach how sound is built. Such as the imagery of notes being split into two to show their relative value.
Students simply learn better when they can make a connection to the material being taught.
In my classroom I use stories to explain abstract concepts. I have characters to represent certain sounds and movements in music. I also encourage students to create their own characters or stories. This seems to help them make even more connections to what they are learning and it becomes more real for them.