CONTENTS
Journal
1_________________________________________________________
____ pg 2
Journal
2_________________________________________________________
____ pg 3
Journal
3_________________________________________________________
____ pg 4
Journal
4_________________________________________________________
____ pg 5
Journal
5_________________________________________________________
____ pg 6
Summative
Statement_______________________________________pg 7-9
Goal Statement
___________________________________________________pg 10
APA Reference
List________________________________________________pg 11
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JOURNAL ONE EAL LEARNERS
OCTOBER 3RD 2016
During my rounds I had one particular student who was of an African descent.
He would often sit at his table and make little attempt at any task given to him,
especially during literacy. Initially I assumed that he had no interest in
learning, but I later realised that on many occasions it was just that he did not
fully understand the task at hand. This made me feel distressed, as I did not
want any students missing out on crucial learning opportunities.
One strategy that I did find useful for this student was pair dictation. This
could be used for reading or writing. When doing this you could pair a higher
capable student with a lower capable student, however ensure that the
higher-level learner does not lose patience and take over tasks, as I have
seen this happen previously. Hertzberg (2012) believes that students feel
more comfortable interacting with their peers than their teachers, therefore
encouraging them to take risks and fully participate. It also encourages better
pronunciation and listening skills. Leung & Creese (2010) mention that in
Australian public schools, newly arrived ESL students are granted six months
intensive ESL instruction. This is often done through additional support
provided by the school. They will continue to have extra support after this if
need be. It is important that teachers form a good relationship with these
aides and have a deep understanding of the students prior experiences and
learning needs.
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Leung & Creese suggest using a number of instructional strategies in order to
make the subject more comprehensible for students. This may include
explaining a task to students by writing a list, which clearly indicates each step
of the task. It is also beneficial for students to see an example of the task.
Throughout my placement I would often take a couple of EAL students and go
through the task with them separately after I had explained it to the class. This
was extremely helpful as I was able to gather insight into what these students
understood and what needed further explanation/areas that required attention.
This emphasises how important it is for teachers to know their students.
This weeks lecture gave me an insight into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),
particularly focusing on ways in which we can cater for and include students
with ASD in the classroom. This was interesting for me, as I have worked with
a number of students who are on the spectrum, however I have never been
fully aware of strategies to assist their learning. Lindsay, Proulx, Scott &
Thomson (2013) state that ASD is the most common childhood neurological
disorder; therefore it is more than likely that I will have students who suffer
from ASD in my future classrooms.
There were a number of ideas spoken about in the lecture which I found
would be useful to use in the classroom to cater for students with ASD.
Graham (2016) spoke about the importance of providing students with one on
one support where they are given explicit instructions. It is also important to
give on instruction at a time. Creating a list at the start of everyday, which
explicitly states what will be expected that day supports children who suffer
from ASD as they prefer to have a repeated routine. Jones, Lang &
Frederickson (2010) support this idea, as they believe that students with ASD
prefer repetition and structure. This allows them to cope with their
surroundings.
Bowe (2004) focuses on the idea that students who suffer from ASD may
have difficulty managing loud environments. In the tutorial we spoke about the
need to create a peaceful classroom environment. Encouraging students to
use inside voices as well as managing the seating arrangements of the class
can assist with this.
A lack of support for a child with autism can be detrimental to their learning.
This is why it is essential for teachers to understand the disorder and form a
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good relationship with the childs parents as well as aides, or any other form
of support the child has outside of the classroom. I have seen this being done
on my previous placements and it has been extremely beneficial for the child.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Alison Lester YouTube clip, which demonstrated the
making of the book Our Island in collaboration with the indigenous children of
Mornington Island. The picture book is a great resource that can be used in
the classroom to give students an insight into life from an indigenous
perspective, while also including indigenous students within the classroom.
Beales (2012) emphasises the importance of introducing books to the
classroom, which are developed in conjunction with Indigenous Australians.
He also suggests inviting Indigenous Australian students to contribute to the
story, only if they wish to do so. This helps them feel as though they are
respected and included within the school community. The Arts is a great way
of integrating Indigenous perspectives. This can be done through visual arts,
musical arts and dance.
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positively within a multicultural society. In todays day and age this is
extremely important. An inclusive environment recognises the fact that
students come from all types of cultural backgrounds and these backgrounds
will influence them as individuals. The diversity that they bring to the
classroom should be celebrated and acknowledged.
Gavin & Moylan (2012) believe that teachers should increase expectations for
all students. This means they should be given opportunities to step outside
their comfort zones. We should also encourage students to expand on their
thinking by explaining their reasoning. Tasks have to be appropriate for the
level at which the student is at. Therefore knowing students capabilities is
extremely important. This was a bit challenging at the beginning of placement,
as I was unaware of each individual childs strengths and preferred learning
styles.
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knowledge being constructed. It also extends their mathematical thinking, as
there is not one set response, therefore a range of options is possible.
I gathered some great ideas from reviewing the tutorial slides for week 8. The
focus of this week was on collaboration, which is something that will be vital in
my future career as a teacher. I was unaware of all the types of support
available for schools, as I have usually just come across teachers aides and
classroom assistants.
Learning Support Officers (LSO) is a broad term that is used to refer to those
who work alongside teachers in the classroom. LSOs play a crucial role and if
used effectively, can have a profound impact on students learning. As
teachers we have to make the most of LSOs. This can be done through
regular communication in regards to information about students and their
learning. A great way to collaborate with LSOs is to get together and create
plans and timelines for particular students. This ensures that you are both
following a similar action plan, which will be beneficial to the student and
provide consistencies in his/her learning.
Bryk & Schnider (2003) emphasise the need for positive relationships
between teachers, parents and school leaders. This is a key resource for
improvement of schools as a whole community. As teachers we build
relationships with a number of parties and hold different expectations from
each of them as they hold different expectations from us. For example we
have expectations that the principal will provide us with facilities that engage
parents and students. Parents then rely on principals and teachers to provide
their child with great educational opportunities in a safe and nurturing
environment. If any of these relationships are broken it directly affects
students learning.
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Positive relationships and regular communication with parents is vital, as you
have to work as a team. I am currently working with a child on the autism
spectrum at my kindergarten. His parents see a psychologist on a regular
basis and will bring in plans set by the psychologist for us to use in the room.
Towards the end of the day one of the educators, including myself will ring the
parents and let them know if the plan was working for the child that day. If it is
continuously not working we know that we have to change and therefore the
parents can explain that to the psychologist. This is a great relationship where
all parties are working together to do what is best for the child. Hughes &
Read (2012) believe that these stable relationships are built through daily
contact and a welcoming atmosphere.
SUMMATIVE STATEMENT
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may be focusing on. Conklin & Frei (2007) recommend providing gifted
students with opportunities to problem solve. This is because they are
quick at using their thinking skills and are able to recognise similar
problems and use prior knowledge to attempt new problems (Journal
4,pg 5).
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preparation in regards to forming relationships with parents. Parents
want to know how their child is tracking academically and socially in the
classroom, and teachers should be valuing the help parents can give
them. Journal five (pg 6) speaks about the benefits of having Learning
Support Officers (LSOS) in the classroom. Teachers can collaborate
with LSOs by creating plans and timelines for students with special
needs, ensuring that they are both following a similar action plan for that
particular child.(pg 6) Another relationship that is important for teachers
to have is between themselves and other classroom teachers. This is
because they may have ideas that they use for students with diverse
learning needs in their classroom, that you may have not considered
before.
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ACTION GOAL
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References
http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/home/Home
http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=797108119193887;res=
Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Bryk, A., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in schools: a resource for school
Conklin, W., & Frei, S. (2007). Differentiating the curriculum for gifted learners.
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Elkins, J. (2004). The Ministerial Taskforce on Inclusive Education (Students with
http://education.qld.gov.au/students/disabilities/adjustment/
development/docs/disable-report.pdf
Frederickson, N., Jones, A. P., & Lang, J. (2010). Inclusive provision options for
Graham, M. (2016, October 10). Catering for Students with Autism Spectrum
http://file:///Users/tessdesmond/Downloads/Tutorial%20Week
%205%202016%20Catering%20for%20Students%20with%20Autism
%20Spectrum%20Disorder-final%20(1).pdf
Association Australia.
Hughes, A. M., & Read, V. (2012). Building Positive Relationships with Parents in
Francis.
Leung, C., & Creese, A. (2010). English as an additional language: A guide for
teachers working with linguistic minority pupils. Thosand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications.
Lindsay, S., Proulx, M., Scott, H., & Thomson, N. (2013). Exploring teachers'
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classrooms. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(2), 101-122.
doi:10.1080/13603116.2012.758320
The little big book club. (2012). Implementing an Aboriginal Perspective in the
5961
Parish, L. (2013). I want to learn too! Catering for the young Einsteins of the 21st
Sullivan, P., Clarke, D., & Clarke, B. (2012). Using Content-Specific Open-Ended
doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-4681-1_6
Sullivan, P., Warren, E., & White, P. (2000). Students responses to content specific
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