Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Grammar, Grammar, And More Grammar: A Review Of Teaching English Grammar To Speakers Of Other Languages 1st Ed., Grace Irwin

MITESOL Journal: An Online Publication of MITESOL

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A Tesol Service Learning Program In Rural Michigan: An Innovative Approach To Preparing Pre-Service Teachers, April M. Burke, Sarah Case, Caitlin Hamstra

MITESOL Journal: An Online Publication of MITESOL

Central Michigan University offers a TESOL service learning course that provides pre-service teachers the opportunity to apply their understanding of course content while addressing the needs of school-aged and adult emergent multilinguals. An innovative aspect of the course is that it provides clinical experiences, prior to student teaching, at the university’s English Language Institute and at multiple sites within a rural K-12 school district. To contribute to an understanding of how to prepare pre-service teachers while supporting emergent multilinguals in rural communities, the authors describe the development and research basis of the course, discuss the benefits of the course and …

Social Studies Children’S Books Review, Ivana Espinet

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Book Review Of A Young Writer's World: Creating Early Childhood Classrooms Where Authors Abound., Hannah D. Szatkowski

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

A Young Writer’s World: Creating Early Childhood Classrooms Where Authors Abound (Giles, 2020) provides early childhood educators with the knowledge and resources in order to create an immersive learning environment conducive for developing pre-school and kindergarten’s writing development. This book review evaluates the layout and key components of the text in order to identify the potential implications it could provide within an early childhood classroom.

Process Drama, Play And Popstars: Integrating Expository Writing Rehearsal Opportunities Across The Day In A Fourth Grade Inclusive Classroom, Mary R. Coakley-Fields

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

With increased focus on informational writing and opinion writing in U.S. curriculum, Common Core State Standards, and state standardized tests, upper elementary school teachers need to teach their students to write expository paragraphs and the five-paragraph essay structure. This ethnographic study focused on how one fourth grade teacher of an inclusive classroom integrated playful talk-based activities across each day in support of her students learning to write in the expository genre. Qualitative data were collected, including field notes, interviews, and documents such as lesson plans and student writing. Classroom talk and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Findings indicate that the …

Changing Terms, Not Trends: A Critical Investigation Into Children’S & Young Adult Literature Publishing & Its Effect In Curriculum & Pedagogy, Keith Newvine, Sarah Fleming

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

The central argument proposed within this article is that while recent publishing trends in children’s and adolescent literature have changed for the better (Cooperative Children’s Book Center, 2019) and research about the importance of diverse reading experiences for students has become concentrated, centered, and validated (Bishop, 1990; Adichie, 2009; Tschida, Ryan, & Ticknor, 2014; Thomas, 2016; Parker, 2020: Ebarvia, German, Parker, & Torres, 2020), many schools are still struggling with (or hesitant to) changing the texts centered in classrooms with youth. Therefore, this article provides practical steps that practicing teachers can take in order to center the voices and narratives …

Think Aloud Modeling: Expert And Coping Models In Writing Instruction And Literacy Pedagogy, Zoi A. Traga Philippakos

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to review the utility of think alouds in writing instruction and highlight the function of think-aloud modeling in the development of cognitive and metacognitive strategies that support learners’ independence. For these purposes, modeling with coping is also explained. Coping models, in which teachers encounter challenges and show how to resolve them using specific strategies, are more effective than expert models according to which tasks are completed at a level of mastery. The paper reviews learning theories and focuses on specific practices that can support learners’ self-regulation through the use of models that verbalize …

Naomi: Learning For Future Possibilities, 21cleo Research Team

21CLEO Research Project Blog Posts

We've published 5 blog posts that present different personas of working learners. These personas are drawn from our interviews with frontline worker learners across the country who are participating in employer-supported learning opportunities. The personas characterize aspects of a set of real people - capturing and blending them in order to create one story that illustrates a broader representation of a participant in an employer-supported educational program or course.

Written Corrective Feedback In Efl: Combining Error Codes And Metalinguistic Explanation, Yoshimasa Ogawa

Journal of Response to Writing

The present study evaluated the effects of a combined form of written corrective feedback (WCF) on English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ writing accuracy. The combined WCF consisted of unfocused error-code WCF and focused metalinguistic explanation. Different forms of WCF were administered to two groups of Japanese EFL students in two consecutive years, and the effects of the feedback were compared based on the number of grammatical errors that the students made before and after receiving feedback. The original version (single combined WCF) provided metalinguistic explanation only once for each of eight target grammatical forms, whereas the intensive version …

Editorial Introduction, Betsy Gilliland, Katherine Daily O'Meara

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

How Padlet Encouraged Student Collaboration And Engagement In My Virtual Classroom, Annie Yon

New Jersey English Journal

With the growth of virtual classes, it is crucial for teachers to integrate strategies and resources that foster student engagement and build a sense of community in an online environment. One way to augment synchronous and asynchronous communication is to implement an online discussion board, which can provide rich opportunities for students to share insights, ask clarifying questions, collaborate, create multimodal projects, and have their voices heard. By incorporating an interactive discussion board, such as Padlet, as part of class resources, teachers can facilitate discourse among students that transcends the physical boundaries of the classroom, create a motivational environment, improve …

Training Adaptive Teachers, Emily Wender

New Jersey English Journal

This article discusses how to develop adaptability in teacher candidates. The author required teacher candidates to adapt a face to face lesson plan for a virtual setting and concludes that candidates need more opportunities in their coursework to identify reasons to change instruction and reflect on adaptability.

A Global Pandemic: The Ultimate Test Of Teacher Adaptation, Erika Watts

New Jersey English Journal

The article focuses on the ways teachers adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and changed the way they assisted students to adjust to new learning styles.

In Praise Of Poetry: Using Poems To Promote Joy, Community, And Social Emotional Learning During The Pandemic, Jordan Virgil, Katie Gallagher

New Jersey English Journal

No abstract provided.

Refuge For Teachers (And Learners) In A Turbulent Public Education Landscape, Amanda Stearns-Pfeiffer, Kristin A.K. Sovis

New Jersey English Journal

This piece provides context for the K-12 teacher recruitment and sustainability crisis we face in the United States. The harmful effects of this crisis situate the authors’ assertion that the ELA classroom is the space in which both teachers and students can find solace and inspiration during turbulent times in public education. The authors propose three overarching categories of classroom practices, along with specific strategies per category that can be implemented in sustaining the teacher and learner: 1) routines for the beginning of class, 2) routines for reading and writing, and 3) routines for the end of class.

Two Poems: Connected, Open Minds, Kathryn Sadakierski

New Jersey English Journal

No abstract provided.

School Dreams: The Runaway Class, Jeffrey Pflaum

New Jersey English Journal

"School Dreams: The Runaway Class" describes the fears of teachers, from elementary/middle to high school, especially the loss of control of their students. In this dream piece, a class breaks away from "the cage" and escapes to the "wild blue yonder" for peace as the teacher sits "frozen" and "bewildered," eventually making the leap as well to search for the students--and himself.

K–12 Teacher Reflective Practice In (Pandemic) Context, Gary Pankiewicz

New Jersey English Journal

The author argues for a clear definition of teacher reflective practice that synthesizes newer theoretical perspectives. Social context and teacher practice are discussed to build a definitive benchmark that seems useful to support a more collaborative approach to teacher reflective practice today, including in the context of the pandemic.

Slow Conversations: Facilitating Empathy And Nuance In Communication, Sanyogita S. Padhye

New Jersey English Journal

No abstract provided.

Learning To Adapt: Redesigning Ela Instruction While Student Teaching During Covid-19, Elizabeth A. Morphis

New Jersey English Journal

Preservice teachers who were student teaching in the Spring of 2020 were faced with unprecedented challenges, however, they were also presented with many learning opportunities. This article considers the perspectives of the newest members of the teaching profession and how they adapted ELA instruction during COVID-19.

There’S Nothing Novel About Our Disdain For Education: Teaching In The Midst Of Covid-19, Kristen A. Marakoff

New Jersey English Journal

Teachers are inundated with messaging about the “failure” of the education system in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But problems with the education system are not novel, and dismissal of the accomplishments of teachers in the midst of those obstacles also predates COVID-19.

A Local Historic Village Goes Online: Transforming English And Social Studies Methods Courses For A Virtual Setting, Helen Michelle Kreamer, Toby Daspit

New Jersey English Journal

In this article, two teacher-educators share their experience of navigating the shift of a service learning project from being an in-person project to an entirely remote learning experience caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss instructional adjustments, provide student samples, and consider lessons learned.

An Argument For Affective Inquiry, Brian Kelley

New Jersey English Journal

This article presents an argument for integrating affective inquiry into the curriculum. Affective inquiry is envisioned as a methodology through which students a) interrogate their emotional responses to social/textual phenomena and b) analyze emotions as social constructs. Practical examples demonstrating how affective inquiry supports students’ literary reading are provided.

Learning To Teach In A Pandemic: Qualities Contributing To Success, Elizabeth Leer

New Jersey English Journal

Despite facing challenges, my pre-service teachers successfully navigated student teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three qualities stood out that seemed to contribute to their success in the distance learning context: care for students, flexibility, and passion for the profession.

Uniting In A Reading Education Course To Support Mental Health Awareness During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Latasha Holt, Teesha Finkbeiner

New Jersey English Journal

This article discusses a unique attempt to support pre-service teachers in a reading course as they grappled with abrupt changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A partnership raised awareness of mental health impacting pre-service teachers in the present and serving students in the future improving academic success.

Flip Your Way Into The Future Of Learning, Maria Geiger

New Jersey English Journal

No abstract provided.

Learning From Our Limits: Lessons To Hold Tight, Kara B. Douma

New Jersey English Journal

United to prioritize our humanity, we clear the plate to more comfortably make space for what matters most. Educators achieve this by focusing on priority Standards, partnering with students for content, and reframing our needs to use assessment as learning.

Maybe Elsa's Right: We Need To Let Some Things Go, Sheila Benson

New Jersey English Journal

This article explores unexpected benefits of shifting to an entirely online, asynchronous format last March as the COVID-19 pandemic began. A previously non-communicative group of students opened up on discussion posts, forging a much-needed sense of community.

Covid And The Death Of Paper, Beth Ann Bates

New Jersey English Journal

An personal essay on the topic of adapting to the Covid-related changes to the classroom procedures.

Reading: The Key To Addressing Students’ Social Emotional Needs In The Time Of Covid-19, Kathleen A. Adler

New Jersey English Journal

This article examines students engaging in purposeful independent reading and its effects on students’ social emotional well-being. The areas of focus include: creating a culture of reading, the physical and social benefits of reading, and how we can support our students by having empathy in the time of Covid-19.