Blog 24-Draft

Intro

It’s funny how when you start doing something, you picture the way it will turn out. You don’t really think about the things that will go wrong, right? You usually see that thing ending in a certain way, for example, when you write a research paper. You usually get a topic, find all the research that is out there, make your  own observations by gathering data, compare the research you found with what is out there with what you have found, and then come to some sort of conclusion.  Well, when I tried this approach with my research project I never considered the things that could go wrong, and that’s exactly what happened to me; everything went wrong.  So instead of having a research project, what I have ended up with is a lesson in how to carefully plan out a research project.

Research Question/Why?       

What I did first was pick a topic. I tried to pick something that would be useful to me and relates to my career choice. Since I have been observing a kindergarten class for my junior field experience, I decided I would choose a topic about an English Language Learner (ELL) in my class. So my research question became, what kind of social interactions with native speaking students help ELL students fit-in in the classroom? This research question is one that educators, students, parents, basically everyone could benefit from. Many people from other countries who come to America are affected by this. I believe that finding out what influences ELL students socially and academically could determine how they learn. We have so many students who are ELL students and they have a difficult time adapting to the social and academic environment. They have a difficult time and transitioning into an academic environment because of their language barrier. It’s important to know the current methods we are using today, and to see if they are effective, helpful, and whether or not we need better methods? Eventually students will grow up and be effective citizens since they will be part of our community. Educators need to make sure that students will overcome those barriers. This is why this topic is important to writing research studies. What I didn’t consider is that instead of making it about just one student in the class, I could have focused on other ELL students in the classroom. In the class I was observing, there was one other ELL student. Expanding the research to more than one students would have given me more feedback and more less opportunities for things to go wrong.

The Research Out There

In looking for research to support what I was looking for, I found two articles that came close. The first article was An English-Speaking Pre-kindergarten Teacher for Young Latino Children: Implications of the Teacher-Child Relationship on Second Language Learning by Christina Gillanders. When I looked at this article I noticed that it was stressing the need for Bilingual teachers in teaching ELL students. When it came to the part of the article that would actually help me out, the findings of the data, I realized I had to purchase the article to look at it. The price was a bit much so I decided not to purchase it. It figures that the most important part of the paper that I needed was not free. So I looked at my second article, Contemporary Perspectives on Social Learning in Early Childhood Education by Olivia N. Saracho and Bernard Spodek. This article is focused on the need to develop a positive relationship with the students in order to allow access for opportunities for learning English. However like the first article, when it got to the par that I would really help me out, Of course I had to pay for it and it was not cheap. I tried looking on other websites, to see if I could find the article(s) for free somewhere else. It just wasn’t happening for me. By this time, I started to get worried about my paper because I didn’t even have the research to support why I was doing my own research project. But after speaking with my professor, I realized I could gather my own data first and then find the research to support it, so that it what I decided to do.

The Interview

My last Resort

Blog 23

In class, I spoke with Professor Chandler and she advised me that it would be helpful to include the observation of the child after all; however if i am unable to obtain the consent form from his mother then I should just do a second quick-interview with the teacher. In the inter view I can ask the teacher questions that obtain to what I have already noticed about the child without making it my own, but making it hers. So I decided to write down more things that I have noticed from my data. This is what I have.

-A strategy she uses is the interpretation  "buddy-up" system where she has a student who speaks the ELL student's language and English together to sit and translate things to him. The problem that arose with that is that the ELL student felt frustrated  with another student telling him what to do all the time. It must be hard for him constantly being told what to do, but it must be even harder to have a peer, your own age bossing you around. That would make someone feel inadequate.

·    
-He seemed frustrated not being able to understand and constantly being told what to do. His frustration may have been a cause in him taking it out on others--i.e. pushed a student, throwing things.

I will conduct my second interview hopefully tomorrow when I go to the school. I have prepared more questions to ask the teacher, and hopefully will be able to gather more data to make an adequate analysis.

Blog 22

In class, I reviewed my transcription and started to notice certain patterns. I was still a bit worried about the research I found because I wasn't sure if I would find anything that would support the data that I found. But I decided that I wouldn't be able to do the introduction unless
I analyzed my data. I revised my transcription because it was incomplete. Here is the analysis that I came up with so far from the data:

• ·         Umms a lot-possibly means she is trying to remember or is unsure about something
• ·         Repeats my questions before she answers them
• ·         Trying to remember
• ·         When she is sure about something, she answers very quickly, or even cuts me off. So maybe when she says umm, when she’s thinking, she is unsure. Like the Portuguese answer was very quick.

Blog 21

Here is what I have so far for my Research Project. This is information from  my articles.

An English Speaking pre-K teacher for Latino children, Implications on the teacher-child relationship on second language learning.  The study describes how an effective Pre-k teacher designs strategies for communicating with and teaching young English Language Learners. The teacher tried to enhance her own relationship with the students, and by doing so it promoted her students to become full participants in the classroom community.

By the end of the year, the Latino students showed progress in formal and informal measures of receptive vocabulary in both English and Spanish. The findings from the study show the importance of the affective and social nature of second language learning in young children.

The article starts by stating that there is a dramatic increase of Latino students in the U.S but they still have the lowest among other races in terms of school readiness. Their methods are to use Latino bilingual teachers so they can use Spanish as the language if instruction. They feel there is a lack of that, and they also feel there is a need for monolingual teachers to teach ELL to early childhood students.

Questions asked:

·         How does this teacher communicate with her Spanish speaking students?

·         How does she support the children’s native language?

·         What strategies does she use to teach English to
Latino students, and to promote literacy development?

Establishing a positive relationship with the students allowed access to opportunities for learning English

Interview questions:

Approximate age, ethnicity, education degree, any training for teaching ELL’s,  why you became a teacher, philosophy statement, give information  about the students in the class and their ethnicity  how many total students, the child in focus. Time of observation, how long, January to ,April, Wednesdays etc… This study is based on an interview and observation of the teacher’s interaction with Ted as well as Ted’s interaction with other students.

2nd Article:

It’s important to know the 2 social worlds of children. Trying to find out:  How social interchanges and classroom social dynamics contribute to children’s early school adaptation, particularly in contemporary classroom contexts with children from diverse backgrounds, cultures and abilities.

What are the implications?

There is a need to develop strategies to examine how children’s conceptions of classroom peer relations and peer group dynamics are related to their social behavior and classroom adjustment. 

I'm not sure if the information I have can help me start my interview and observation.

Research Project Interview-Transcribed

S:            This is Suzy Ackumey, I am interviewing N, a kindergarten teacher at Connecticut Farms School for a research project at Kean University. Today is Wednesday April 17,2013 and the time is 11:25 am.

                So how long have you been teaching?

S:            This is Suzy Ackumey, I am interviewing N, a kindergarten teacher at Connecticut Farms School for a research project at Kean University. Today is Wednesday April 17,2013 and the time is 11:25 am.

                So how long have you been teaching?

N:           umm… I’ve been teaching elementary children for nine years and I worked as an assistant and a teacher at a nursery school for 15 years.

S:            And what school did you get your diploma?

N:           From Kean University. First, Union County, and then at Kean.

S:            How long ago did you receive your diploma?

N:           I graduated from Kean in 2004

S:            Did you receive any type of training on teaching ELL students at all?

N:           umm…. Not really

S:            umm what about when you started like working within the actual school, did they like do anything

N:           yes, umm.. ummm.. they go over certain procedures, and certain ways that we can help them

S:            Do you know how many ELL students are in you class now?

N:           yes, two

S:            What different  strategies do you use when you are teaching the classroom, like just in general?

N:           umm  different strategies in general?

S:            yea, like I guess to accommodate the different learning styles?

N:           you know, have some children sit closer to us (teacher’s assistant and herself) to focus, some children need to sit closer to the board, umm, maybe put children, of course walk around the room, revolve around the room and help individual students, make sure they are on target. When we have umm, free time, call up some individual students to do sight words or read with us. We do centers with small groups.

                Of course you do all these things but you know you can’t figure out how to put them…hahahaha hahha

S:            yea I know… hahaha hahahaha

N:           You’re thinking let’s use presege… and you’re like well we did that already we just don’t call it that  hahahhah

S:            hahaha, right right

S:            So when you first umm.. I guess, just in general it doesn’t necessarily have to be in this classroom but in other classes that you’ve taught, When the ELL students first come in to the classrooms, how do you approach them? Like what kind of things do you do?

N:           Okay well first I would introduce myself and see, talk to them a little and see if they understand English and if they did not understand me, maybe I would search out for someone in the school that speaks their language and English and we can communicate that way.

S:            And then how do you build upon that I guess?

N:           And if there is a student in the classroom that speaks their language and English, I would buddy them up with that student.

S:            Do you feel that your teaching strategies have changed over the years?

N:           Umm yes. I feel as though every year you’ve been teaching and every time you go to another workshop you learn something new.

S:            Umm.. when was the first time that you had an ELL student in your class?

N:           umm… probably about three years ago, I taught pre-K in Union one year, probably in pre-K. I really haven’t had that many.

S:            Not that many, yea?

N:           Yea this is the first time I’ve had someone like Timmy.

S:            Oh okay. Umm..okay so with the training that, I guess, that you received like when you first started working at the school, like what does that entail? Like do you remember what kind of things they taught you?

N:           hahaha…I don’t remember them really training us, you know we just have a li…I received a list from the ESL teacher that would help us, and they gave us strategies.

S:            Do you feel that the ELL teachers, that  they have helped ? Like do you see any progress when they go to the ELL teacher, do you see any type of progress?

N:           Yes, a little progress, they help a little.

S:            How do you find the level of difficulty of how you relate to the ELL students?

N:           It depends on how much English they understand. If they understand a little it’s okay. But if they don’t understand any English it’s a little difficult. But they seem to learn quickly. He (Timmy) didn’t speak any English.

S:            What do you think contributes to him picking up and learning quickly?

N:           I think that he’s young, you know his brain is like a sponge, absorbing everything.

S:            right, right.  So umm, can you describe what it was like when Timmy first transferred into your class?

N:           Okay when Timmy first transferred into my class, when he first came, he didn’t seem to know any English so he did speak to a cafeteria worker, and his cousin is here that speaks English…

S:            The cafeteria worker, speaks Engl..

N:           Right, she spoke to him a little bit.

S:            What language does he speak at home?

N:           Portuguese

S:            How did he seem to act in the classroom when he first came?

N:           He seemed quiet, and we had a student helping him and he did become a little frustrated with the student telling him what to do all the time.

S:         What kind of changes have you noticed in Timmy’s behavior, I guess sin terms of like social interactions, school work, from when he first started to now?

N:        Okay, When he first started he was quiet but then he did become a little aggressive, but after we talked to his mother he settled down.

S:         Okay aggressive meaning?

N:        umm, like like he pushed someone.. or umm.. he seemed to settle in, he seems to do his work, and follow what the other students are doing. He copies what they are doing.

S:         How do you think he  socializes with other students?

N:        I think he socializes fine. He seems to get along with most of the students.

S:         And what about, how do you think he socializes with you the teacher? Or with other teachers?

N:        Okay he is speaking more, we told him to speak more, and he does speak more, sometimes his words kind of run together and I have to ask him to repeat it, but he is speaking more now.

S:         DO you know how he got introduced to friends, or do you know if he has any close friends in the class?

N:        Umm….I…don’t know how he, you know, other than introducing him to the class, I don’t know how he’s introduced on the playground. But he does have a brother, a sister in the school. And he also has cousins in the school, so that would help. His cousin speaks English very nicely, so he probably would introduce him on the playground.

S:         What grade is his cousin in?

N:        Umm..his cousin, she’ a girl, she’s in first grade. So it’s, first grade or second, I’m not sure, but I had his cousin in pre-K. She’s very outgoing so...

S:         AS of now, the transitioning period from when he started to now, what kind of change have you seen in him?

N:        Yes, I think he’s making a great, progress. He did not start in September so, he only started a few months ago.

S:         About how many months ago?

N:        umm… I’m not sure, I would have to look, maybe about 3 months? I think he’s made such a progress in that time.

Blog 20

o   1. State your focus what you are studying

§  Studying how what kinds of methods help ELL in regular classrooms.

o   2. State your research question /what you hope to find

§  What kind of social interactions w/native speaking students help ELL students “fit in” to the classrooms.

§  On a student-to student basis I’m trying to find out that when they interact with other student does it help them adapt academically and socially/language development.

§  Trying to see if the teachers methods are effective or not for the students language.

o   3. State why it is important to writing studies

§  We have so many students who are EEL and they  have a difficult time, because of social and academic environment, they have a difficult time and transiting into an academic environment because of their language barrier, It’s important to know the current methods or we are using today are they effective, helpful, do we need better methods? Eventually students will grow up and be effective citizens since they will be part of our community. Educators need to make sure that students will overcome their barriers.

§  Teacher’s role in sponsoring student interactions.

o   4. Tell/talk about research essay

• A study about a bilingual teacher and how she teaches ELL students. Latino pre-kindergarten students.

o   5. Say what her research essay shows about 1,2,& 3

§  Talks about  the need to develop a positive relationship with the students in order to allow access for opportunities for learning English. 

• There is a need for non bilingual educators to develop methods in teaching ELL students.

I am concerned because I do not know the outcome of the findings for this particular article.

Blog 19

I’m not quite sure what the strengths and weaknesses of my project are. I am kind of nervous about how to incorporate the research that I have found into the data. I guess I’m just not sure how to start it. The article that I am using, I wasn't able to see the whole image; I had to pay to view the entire article. So I was only able to see the methods that were used, I couldn't view the findings. I tried searching for the article on other websites but was unsuccessful. I did however get ideas on how to start my research as in the intro. The article I looked at was based on only Latino students and based on a bilingual teacher. I want to conduct my research on a teacher who isn't bilingual. I have my consent form for the interview, but I still have to obtain a consent form for the child I will be observing. The mother of the child, who has already agreed for me to conduct the observation, was not available this past week, so hopefully I will be able to obtain her consent this coming week.

Blog 18

I will be using an article that talks about how effective English-speaking prekindergarten teacher develops strategies for communicating with and teaching young English language learners. This article talks about effective strategies for working with ELL students and I feel like this ties in to the interview that I will conduct. I plan on interviewing a kindergarten teacher about one particular ELL student’s experience. I hope to see how her strategies effect the student’s development. Here is the link for the article:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10643-007-0163-x?LI=true%23page-1   

Blog 17

I think I know the questions to ask in my interview but I’m finding it difficult coming up with those background questions. I don’t know how to ease into the actual question without giving it away completely.

 Think that I can

I.

-l  How long have you been teaching?

   What school did you get your Diploma?

   Did you receive any training on teaching ELL students?

How many ELL students are in your class?

  Do you approach ELL students differently from Native students/ if so how?

When was the first time you had an ELL students in your class?

Can you tell me about your first experience working with an ELL student or a moment working with an ELL students that is memorable to you?

II.

 How has the in-school ELL teacher affected L.T.’s overall experience?

What different strategies do you use in the classroom to get your teaching across?

   Have your teaching strategies changes over the years?

   Describe what it was like when L.T. first transferred to your class.

   What was L.T’s experience like when he first transferred into your class?

   What kind of changes have you noticed in L.T’s behavior? School work? Communication/interaction with students? Interaction with teacher?

  What language did he use when he first started

 How did he get introduced to friends

Blog 16

Suggested Questions

What kinds of social interactions with native speaking students help ELL students “fit in” to the classroom?

What kinds of interactions with native speaking students help ELL students “fit in” to the classroom?

o   How long have you been teaching?

o   What school did you get your Diploma?

o   Did you receive any training on teaching ELL students?

o   How many ELL students are in your class?

o   How has the in-school ELL teacher affected L.T.’s overall experience?

o   Do you approach ELL students differently from Native students/ if so how?

o   What different strategies do you use in the classroom to get your teaching across?

o   Have your teaching strategies changes over the years?

o   When was the first time you had an ELL students in your class?

o   Describe what it was like when L.T. first transferred to your class.

o   What was L.T’s experience like when he first transferred into your class?

o   What kind of changes have you noticed in L.T’s behavior? School work? Communication/interaction with students? Interaction with teacher?

o   What language did he use when he first started

o   How did he get introduced to friends

-Beginning

-Transitioning

-Now?

Blog 15

In preparation for our final project, we practiced interviewing each other. Krista and I interviewed each other and I used my phone to record the interview. Unfortunately I was unable to upload or email the interview. We started by stating the lead, we stated our names, the date and time, and what we were doing. This is somewhat how the interview went:

Suzy: How old were you when 9/11 happened?

Krista: I was 11, yea, yea, I was 11

Suzy: How did you find out about it?

Krista: Well I was in 6^th grade so they didn't want to tell us, the teachers didn't want to tell us. One girl, in my French class said that the twin towers were hit. But then the teachers tried to cover it up like, oh no why would anything like that happen. But then when I went home, it was just weird. My mom’s friend, she lived in Jersey City and saw the whole thing happen. And my mom’s friend in tears, so yea.

Suzy: What was your reaction like?

Krista: It was weird because I was still really young when it happened so I didn't understand the full grasp of it. I had to be let down gently because we had recently went on a trip to the twin towers and I was like wait but I don’t understand it was just up how can it be down. I mean I was still young so I didn't understand it fully, you know the deaths , but then we found out later in books and stuff.

Suzy: How did the school react?

Krista: it was really weird but I didn't think much of it, I thought it was like, you know, it must just be a busy day. And that was the time where the cell phones were new so you know

Suzy: Did you know anyone who was affected by it personally?

Krista: NO one in New York really affected me, but my mom’s friend, they worked in the Pentagon, so it was pretty scary. But no one got hurt thank God.