Reflective Journal 1: A Deeper Dive Into Multiple Intelligences and Differentiated Instruction 

In this journal, I'm going to be taking a deeper look at the multiple intelligences and differentiated instruction that were discussed in Teaching English and Language Content.  Every student is an unique individual with their own needs and learning styles. Children are not "cookie cutters" that are exactly the same. There are multiple different intelligences that help students learn. Some of these include: linguistic, auditory, visual, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, etc. So, if we have so many different learning styles, which should we cater to? It seems like I'd be challenging to include all these in your classroom. In a typical school, we only have around 50 minutes a day with our students. In order to explore this topic deeper, I did some research about the most common types of learning styles. According to familylearning.org, about 20-30% of students are auditory learners, while 40% recalls things that are seen or read ( visual learners ). Because these two learning styles are the most common, we should be catering to both at all times. What I mean by this is that instead of simply having students read something and write about it, we could also present a power point with pictures, videos, and bullet points. That way, those who learn better by hearing things will have more success with the power point, while those who are more linguistic may have better success with the reading.

But what about the kids who are musical, naturalistic, or intrapersonal? These students may prove as more of a challenge to cater to, since they are not the majority. However, every student matters and we can't forget about them simply because they don't fit the "norm." We may not be able to cater to children with more diverse learning styles on a daily basis, but it's still important to do it sometimes. One thing that I'm going to do at the beginning of the school year is ask my students what they think their learning style is. This way, I'll have an idea of how my students best learn. Nonetheless, if a student is really struggling, I can create individual lessons for them to catch up. For example, let's say I have a student that learns best through music. If we're talking about pronouns and have done multiple power points, readings, and videos, and a student is still struggling, I could find a you tube video that puts the information into a song. This way, the student may be able to grasp the material better and hopefully not fall behind. This type of variety in teaching is known as "differentiated instruction." Differentiated instruction is very important in classrooms because, as we discussed earlier, students have a variety of learning styles. Something that is also important to note, which is not discussed in depth in the book, is the differentiation in the way children can display their knowledge. When I student taught 7th grade in high school, I loved the way my teacher allowed students to display their work. Of course, some projects had to be written- as writing is an extremely important skill. However, for multiple projects she allowed students to chose what they'd do; she let them choose between writing a paper, writing a song, performing a short play, making a video, painting a picture, etc.

Students will put more effort into things they are interested and care about. If students hate to write, they will oftentimes turn in sloppy work that they did in 30 minutes. However, if a student is an artist, they will spend more time analyzing the story, making connections to characters, recognizing the emotions, and connecting that to their artwork. Personally, I love to read and write. Sometimes, I feel like english teachers believe that everyone loves to read and write ( because how could you not?! ). However, that is very far from the truth. I know so many people who struggle with reading and writing. It is important to remember this and allow students to express their knowledge through different creative outlets. As I previously mentioned, I believe writing is a very important skill, and it's my hope that I can instill my love for writing in my students; but no matter what I do, some students won't like to write, and that's okay. Instead of being frustrated by this, I simply need to put myself in their shoes and allow multiple ways for them to display their knowledge. 



Reflective Journal #2: A Deeper Dive Into Equality Within Our Schools (Outside Source)
In my journal today I am going to take a deeper look at equality within our schools. This topic relates to something I read in my EAF 228 class that I found extremely important and interesting. It doesn't take someone in education to see the inequalities that exist. The main reason for this is because in the US, schools are funded at more of a local level than a federal level. That means that areas that are nicer and have a higher cost of living will have more funding compared to areas that are struggling and have a low cost of living. In my opinion, this is EXTREMELY unfair. In England, this is not the case. Schools are funded at a federal level, which translates into more equal schools and resources. I went York High School, which was ranked as the 18th best school in the state when I graduated in 2019. The difference between my school and the school I student taught at for Golden Apple was appalling. At my school, everyone had a Chromebook, there were smart boards in every room, we had a huge library with more advanced programs to code, we had a a fieldhouse, a main gym, and a south gym, and much more. Any resource we needed, it was available to us. At the school I student taught at, the students didn't have any access to technology. They had one little gym with no AC. They had windows that were boarded up. Most students didn't even have notebooks, pencils, and other basic supplies. I ended buying the kids a little pencil case with pens, pencils, and markers. When I gave it to them, the look on their face was priceless; it was like Christmas morning. Many people believe in the American Dream- they think that with hard work and determination students can work their way up and achieve their goals. Schools are supposed to serve as tools to help low income students work their way up and change their future; but in reality, they reinforce social classes instead of offering tools to change it. We tell students to pull themselves up by their boot straps and succeed, yet we don't give the resources they need to do this. In a survey done with students from adequately funded schools and students from under funded schools, it was shown that may students associate their self worth with the quality of their school. For example, students from good schools saw themselves as smart, talented, and motivated, while students from bad schools saw themselves as dumb, worthless, and a waste of space and resources. 

Despite these results, I was surprised to learn that these inequalities, although they can negatively affect a students thoughts and feelings about themselves, is not the real issue. The issue lies more in the socialization that children from low vs high income families receive before the age of 4. Children from educated, high income families hear an average of 30 million more words than children whose families are on welfare. People in middle or upper class households often have jobs where critical thinking is encouraged, while in the working class people are often conditioned to simply follow rules and do what they're told without question. In upper and middle class house holds, parents often are more talkative, express their feelings more frequently, ask their children more questions, read to their children, and encourage curiosity. Hearing a significantly higher amount of words before the age of 4 results in a better vocabulary for upper and middle class students in comparison to working class children. Additionally, students who grew up in middle and upper class households were taught to think critically and question authority, whereas lower class families are taught to simply comply. So, when upper and middle class children enter the school system, they are more inclined to ask questions, ask for help when needed, and think more critically. Consequently, this results in more attention from teachers and peers, which in turn takes away from other students. Although I still believe that unequal funding in our schools is an issue, I do not think it's the main issue. Not having access to technology is becoming more of a problem as society continues to progress and become more technology centered. In the reading, it said that teacher quality is more important than quality of resources. I was happy to hear that, as I want to work with low income students. This gave me hope that my teaching will actually have an impact of my students. Although changing the way our schools are funded would have positive affects, the real issue is what's going on before children even enter kindergarten. 

So, what do we do about this? The best solution: Head Start Programs. On their website, it states that Head Start Programs  "promote the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families. Services are provided in a variety of settings including centers, family child care, and children’s own home. Head Start programs also engage parents or other key family members in positive relationships, with a focus on family wellbeing. Parents participate in leadership roles, including having a say in program operations." These programs would help increase the amount of words children hear before the age of 4, encourage curiosity and critical thinking, and offer a variety of services that help with early learning and development, health, and family well being. Having low income children participate in these programs will help put them on a more equal playing field to their middle and upper class peers. It is not realistic that the US will change the way schools are funded, and research has suggested that it would not be as beneficial as implementing head start programs. There are Head Start programs that exist in the US, however barely any low income students have access to it. If we are going to make a change, we need exert effort, money, and time to ensure the success of these types of programs. 





Reflective Journal #3: AP Classes- Damaging or Beneficial? (Outside Source)

In my journal today, I'm going to talking about the impact of advanced, AP, and honors classes. This idea relates to something I read about in my EAF 228 class that I found super interesting. Differentiation of students based off academic ability and achievement starts as young as elementary school. Since I went to a catholic school, we didn't have many advanced classes until 6th grade. However, in my high school students were very divided based on academic achievement. Because we had more than adequate funding, we had a variety of resources and very educated teachers. We were offered a multitude of AP, dual credit, and honors classes. When I graduated, I had 18 credit hours completed. This was extremely beneficial to me, as I was able to add endorsements to my degree while still graduating in 4 years. I was in all honors and AP classes, besides for math. One thing I can say for sure is that my math class was a completely different environment than my other classes. I felt as though the teachers in my AP and honors classes respected me more, encouraged more critical thinking, and assigned more rigorous material. Because of this, I have been able to complete my college courses with more ease, as I feel my AP classes were more challenging. That being said, I am completely torn on weather or not this student division is beneficial to our education system. As someone who benefited greatly from this division, it’s hard for me to argue with it. However, as someone who wants to work in low income schools and encourages educational equality, I do not think this system is the best. At my school, if you didn’t take AP or honors classes, you were automatically labeled as “dumb.” As we learned about in chapter 3, students seem to associate the quality of their school with their overall self esteem. I believe that the same applies for AP and honors classes. I can recall a conversation I had with one of my friends in my math class freshman year: After  comparing schedules to see if we had any classes in common, she looked at me and said, "Why are you in this class. This class isn’t supposed to have kids like you, this is for the dumb kids.” Hearing that was extremely saddening, considering my friend was a very bright and smart individual. 

AP and honors classes offer an array of unique opportunities for high achieving student, but  it may be taking away from the learning that is occurring in normal classes. In the reading, we learned that although AP and honors classes may benefit more high achieving students, it can actually have a negative affect on the learning that is occurring in normal classes.  I do think that teachers use brighter student to help others learn. Being around higher achieving students can boost motivation, encourage critical thinking, and model a good work ethic. However, it doesn’t seem ethical to hold back higher achieving students simply to benefit those who may struggle. Although my math class was one of the easiest classes I took, I would often skip it, miss assignments, and work on other homework during class. The reason I did this? Because I could get away with it, and that's what everyone else was doing.  As a result, I feel like I developed a negative attitude towards math, and told myself it didn’t matter. I am a firm believe in the quote “you are your friends.” The same way that higher achieving  students can encourage lower achieving students to improve their critical thinking and work ethic, I do believe that normal classes can encourage negative behaviors and attitudes for those who would excel in more challenging courses. 
 
As previously mentioned, I am torn on weather or not this division is beneficial. If I had to pick a side, I’d say that I do support AP and honors classes. However, it is unacceptable for those classes to receive better teachers and resources. Additionally, I do not think we should be so rigorous about who can and cannot take these classes. At my school, you had to test into these classes, or have a teacher recommend you. In my opinion, if you receive an A in a normal class, that alone should grant you the permission to join the AP or honors option. I do not feel like normal classes provide students with the preparation to succeed in college. That being said, we cannot be so strict about who can and can’t take these classes. By not allowing students to step out of their comfort zones and challenge themselves, we are holding them back and
simply enforcing pre-existing social classes.

Reflective Journal #4: Older Language Learners (Teaching English Language and Content)

In the book, we learned about the various challenges that older English learners face. Learning a new language at any age is difficult, but it seems to get harder the older you get. I did some research and found that the reason why younger people learn language more efficiently is because children learn languages faster and easier. They have more time to learn, less to learn, fewer inhibitions, and a brain designed for language learning. Children's brains are designed to learn, and the thing is, they don't even know they're learning. Most of their learning is unconscious. Think of it like this: If you listen to a song over and over, no matter if you like it or not, you learn the lyrics. This is how it works when children learn language. Adults, on the other hand, need to consciously make themselves study, which makes it harder for the brain to absorb information. This is why you may hear a song 5 times and know all the words, but if you sit down and study for a test for hours, you may still fail.

In the book, it talked about some of the challenges older students face when learning a language. These included: the fact that the content is much more complex, secondary schools are often ill equipped to help these students, students struggle to learn academic language, tests are often nearly impossible to complete due to the level of comprehension needed, and the home environment can play a huge role. Now that we know some of the specific challenges, let's take a deeper look into each one and brainstorm some suggestions that may help aid English learners. Curriculum gets more challenging each grade level. Consequently, younger learners will not have to learn as hard or complex material as middle or high school students. One way I think we could help students conquer this issue is by modifying assignments and consistently and carefully assessing learners and giving them thoughtful feedback.  We need to give them realistic assignments that we know they can complete. If we don't, they won't have any confidence in themselves and will shut down. Because these students are older, dropping out is an option- and that's the last thing we want for our students. Secondary schools are often not properly equipped to teach English learners. I'm guessing this is because there are fewer English learners in middle and high school compared to elementary school. If our school is not offering us the tools we need, that simply means we have to take matters into our own hands. It will require extra time and effort, but every student is important and deserves a fair chance to succeed. We can work with these students before school, during lunch, or after school. This one on one time will not only help build your relationship with them, but help them succeed in their classes. Tests are often impossible for these students, and they struggle to learn academic language. Sometimes, students will master social language and be able to communicate with their peers, but reading and school work is hard since they haven't mastered academic language. One way we can help students with this is by offering alternative assessments or modification's. For example, it may help having someone read the test to them or including pictures. Finally, students home life plays a big role in their language development. If a student is living with a family that speaks English, they will pick it up faster. However, if they are surrounded by people speaking a different language, they won't have as much exposure. Although this is out of our control, we can take the time to get to know about their family and culture. We can express the importance of speaking English as much as possible. This will help us be able to understand our students and form strong relationships. 

Reflexive Journal #5: The Importance of Vocabulary (Teaching English Language and Content )

In chapter 7 we learned about the importance of vocabulary. Research shows that second language learners rely heavily on vocabulary knowledge. Lack of vocab knowledge can lead to a lack of reading comprehension skills. Vocabulary knowledge helps with all content areas. There are many different words and phrases when looking at vocabulary, so which should we teach? The three most important types of vocabulary to teach are: words that are used and encountered frequently in school, words that are used in academic text across different content areas, and words that help students become efficient learners in the classroom. I did some research on Reading Rockets, which stated that when children enter kindergarten, they know around 5,000 words on average. ESL students may know 5,000 words from their own language, but likely know very few English words. On their website, they mention the importance of pre-teaching vocabulary. This way, the student will not be shocked or confused when a common word appears and they don't know it. Some ways you can help teach students vocabulary is by role playing, using gestures, showing real objects, pointing to pictures, doing quick drawings on boards, and using the students native language and asking for the equivalent in English. Some of these strategies overlap with the books. For example, drawing pictures is a great way to teach ESL's vocabulary. By doing so, we're tapping into multiple intelligences. Students may not be as comfortable with words as they are pictures. This can help build their confidence, which is super important when teaching English learners. Another great strategy is semantic mapping. Semantic mapping involves writing the new world in the center and then asking questions such as: What is another word that has a similar meaning? What is an example of this word? What is the opposite of this word? What is the definition of this term in your own word? This can help students not only learn one word, but multiple other words. Word walls are also another great way to help students learn new vocabulary. A word wall is a systematically organized collection of words displayed in letters on a wall or another place in the classroom. This can be helpful because the students will constantly be seeing these words. The more they're exposed, the better. For older kids, the words can be tied to the content. For example, if we're learning about different types of words, we can have a section for nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, etc. When students are independently writing, they can easily refer to these words. One way that you could accommodate ESL learners is by making them their own vocab lists. These lists can include pictures of the word, along with the definition. This way the learner will be able to figure out what the word means without having to constantly ask for help. With learning vocabulary, it's important to remember not to give the student too much too soon. This can result in them feeling confused and overwhelmed, which will lower their confidence in themselves.  
 
Reflexive Journal 6: The Importance of Knowing Others Identities ( Pain and Privilege)
It is extremely important that we know our own identity, but it is also important that we take the time to understand other's identity. Pain and Privilege is all about exploring others identities. In chapter one, we learned about Dian Mitrayani's identity. She expressed how much pride her family associated with the Indonesian part of their history, especially her grandfather. This was eye opening to me because it helped me understand just how hard it is to move to a new country and be surrounded by a completely new culture. Of course, learning a new language is a very difficult task, but there is more that goes into it than just language. There's new food, new activities, new slang, new laws, new houses, new stores, and much more. For this journal, I'm going to explore some of the differences between Peranakan and America culture, and express some of the challenges people would face when moving from Indonesia to the United States. I'm going to be using information from a blog post written by Armaya Doremi, a Peranakan, who lived in Indonesia and moved to the United States. The first difference she noticed was the diversity in the US. The US is very diverse, as it's commonly known as the "melting pot." People from Indonesia are not as used to this diversity, which could prove as a challenge for them. It's already hard to meet knew people, but it may be even harder to meet people who look and act nothing like you. In her blog, she mentioned the different holidays between the two countries.  Thanksgiving, for example, is not celebrated in her homeland. However, it's a big deal in the US. She said this was strange at first, and she missed some of the old holidays, such as Chinese New Year and Isra Mi'raj, that she used to celebrate in Indonesia. I know how important Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Easter, and Christmas are to me, so I can only imagine how hard it'd be to give those up. Many Americans see black and white culture in the US as very different, but for Armaya she sees it all as one "American Culture." It's crazy how many Americans see a division between different groups and cultures, but to an outsider, it's all the same. Another thing she had to get used to was the prevalence of "individualism" in America. In Indonesia, families "stick together" longer than in America. She noted that most people live with their parents well past 18, and many even continue to live with their parents once they've had children. In the US, many people move out at 18, and it's very rare that children stay with their parents after having their own kids. Armaya says she believes this individualism comes from the root of our country: fighting for our freedom and the The Constitution stating that it preserves the liberty of each individual instead of the community or group. Now that I've highlighted some cultural differences, let's look at the differences within the education system. When comparing the two systems, Armaya sees the US education system as much more discipline and rigid. She mentions how weird it is that assignments are due at midnight, and says that in her country, almost all the assignments are completed in class. She also expresses the ways in which the relationships between students and professors are less impersonal than they are in Indonesia. Professors in America are willing to help students because they want them to be successful. They are eager to spend the time to help students whenever they encounter problems with their homework. Additionally, she expresses the ways in which the grading system is more strict. In Indonesia, the relationship the teacher has with the student is very important, and oftentimes teachers will raise students grades simply because they're a good kid. In the US, grades are based strictly on the work that's done. Now that we know some of the differences between Indonesian and American culture, we can begin to understand how hard assimilating would be. Not only do students need to learn a new language, but the structure of the school is very different. It is important to remember that students nationality is important to them. And although we want them to assimilate, we need to also acknowledge their cultures and identities. I'm sure that Dian's family is not the only family that associates a strong sense of pride with their homeland. We need to put in the effort to learn about our students cultures and acknowledge their values and importance while also teaching them about life in America. 
 
Reflective Journal #7: Analyzing American Foreign Policy in the Early 20th Century ( Case Study/Outside Source )
For this reflective journal, I watched a social studies lesson about American Foreign Policy Action. There was a lot of things I really liked about this video. To begin, the teacher had the students act like they were a member of congress. I think this is a great idea because it makes the task a lot more engaging. Having students role play is simply just a lot of fun. It allows students to take a more hands on approach and really think about what It'd be like to be in congress. This can help students understand that social studies is very important, and that the things they learn can be used in many different types of jobs. Another thing I liked was that she had the students work in groups. I think groupwork is really great, since it helps students practice their communication and collaboration skills. These skills are not just important in school, but in real life. Communication and collaboration skills are useful in just about every job. One thing I noticed is that right when the group started working, I heard someone say they were going to split up the work. This is a very common among students, and I've done it myself many times before. However, I think doing this sort of takes away from the idea of collaboration. The whole point of group work is that students work together, so separating work and doing it independently takes away from the idea of working as a group. Another thing I liked was that the teacher related something that happened years ago to a more current time period. Sometimes when learning about history it can seem boring and students may wonder why something that happened so long ago is important to know. By relating the lesson to current time, I think the teacher was able to confirm the importance of learning about our nation's history. I liked how the group members were asking each other questions. As a teacher, it's hard to sit down individually with each student and answer every question they have. Students learn a lot from each other, and this helps teach them the value of collaboration. Additionally, some students may be hesitant to ask a question to the teacher in front of the whole class, so being in a group gives them the opportunity to interact strictly with their peers. I also really liked how the involved the teacher was throughout the lesson. In the past, I've had teachers put us in groups and then just go and sit at their desk. I thought it was great that this teacher checked in on every group and made sure they were on the right track. This is super important because if a group of students are working together for the whole class without any feedback, they may not understand the assignment or being doing it wrong. As a result, they'll miss out on the lesson. I also liked how the teacher asked the one group if they could think of any examples of imperialism today. This helped redirect them to the objective of the assignment, and encouraged a deeper level of understanding and thinking. 


Reflective Journal #8: Analyzing Diverse Media to Clarify Text ( Case Study/ Outside Source )
For this reflective journal I watched groups work on a lesson about analyzing diverse media to clarify text. To begin, I think this lesson in and of itself is great. Students need to understand why authors, directors, publishers, etc. make the choices they do. I think this lesson teaches a lot about audience, which is a key aspect in ELA. I remember learning a lot about audience and how important it is. By comparing the book to the movie and other forms of media, students are able to understand the importance of audience, and how different forms of media can appeal to different people. I liked the way that the second group was not only picking out a lot of the similarities and differences, but they were explaining why these differences are important. They were able to pick out which forms appealed to which audiences and explain why. I also liked how the teacher came up to the second group and asked them not only which version they chose, but why. She continued to make them think critically by incorporating vocabulary into the lesson. As I talked about in a previous journal, vocabulary is very important. It helps students be able to add diversity into their writing and appeal to different audiences. This lesson was not specifically about vocab, but she still found a way to incorporate it. I also liked how she encouraged them to look up the words themselves instead of just telling them. In this day of age, being able to access information is extremely important. Another thing I liked that the teacher did was ask them to give more than one reason for their choice. Instead of just asking what they chose and moving on to the next one, she engaged with them and encouraged more critical thinking. Additionally, when one of the students asked a question she didn't immediately answer. As a result, one of the other kids in the group chimed in and was able to give an answer. I like that she did this because it gave the students a chance to think about what she was asking and try to formulate their own ideas and opinions. One thing I noticed is that the teacher responded to a lot of her students by simply saying "okay." Although this is not a bad response, I think it's also important to praise your students when they give you good answers. A lot of middle schoolers are looking for acceptance from peers and teachers, and I think that telling your students what a good job they're doing can be very beneficial to their self esteem and engagement. Instead of just saying "okay," she could say things like "great point" or "interesting idea." I liked how when she left the group, she told them that she'd check back in with them. As I mentioned in the other journal, it's really important that teachers are still engaged with students while they're working in groups. I think it was great that the teacher asked so many follow up questions. It seems like the main point of the conversation was to figure out which version is best for their age group. However, that would be pretty easy to figure out within a minute or two of talking. By asking so many follow up questions, it sparked new ideas and concepts to talk about that the students may not have thought about before. I also liked how she asked students to give evidence to support their reasoning. This is a very important part of ELA, especially when writing literary analyses.  

Reflective Journal #9: The Importance of Writing (English Language and Content) 
I really do think that writing is one of the most important skills a student can learn. Writing gives students the power to share and communicate their ideas and opinions. Writing may be a lot more difficult for ELL's because they are learning how to speak and comprehend the language alongside learning how to write. Using positive transference is extremely important because it celebrates students knowledge and skills in their first language. This can lead to interference errors, which occur when the rules of one language are applied incorrectly to another. In my opinion, these are good types of errors. It shows that the student is trying to make connections from prior knowledge and apply it. This is an extremely important aspect of the learning theory of connectivism. This learning theory stresses connections and combinational creative learning. It stresses the importance of making connections and using prior knowledge. It's not only important for students to use prior knowledge to help them write, but also as content to write about. Writing about their home lives and cultures can help them to make the classroom more culturally relevant. They can share their experiences with other students to help them learn more about different cultures. A lot of people think that just reading teaches comprehension, but writing is also very important. Writing builds comprehension because learners are able to better understand how texts are constructed. It also teaches them creativity, as they can form and construct their own thoughts and ideas. Writing in oftentimes the last skill for an ELL student to master. That being said, we have to be patient with these students and give them one on one help. We cannot be annoyed when they make errors- learning a new language is extremely difficult. There are a lot of ways to encourage interactive writing. Some of the ones I like the most are message boards/ mailboxes, interactive journals, and literary journals. I think that message boards are a great way to learn more about your students and to help your students learn more about each other. These are good for ELL'S because they're short informal messages, instead of long formalized essays. This can help ELL'S see writing as fun and not as too challenging. I like the idea of journals for a similar reason- they're more informal and they're not too challenging. It's also a good way for students to talk about their personal feelings and emotions. Shared writing is also a very good way for ELL's to improve their writing skills. Shared writing is a collaborative process in through which learners provide content for a text and the teacher provides scaffolding for the text's construction. Shared writing can help students see what is expected of them and how writing is done. As the teacher, we need to make sure that we're providing ELL's additional support. They may need more help than a traditional student because everything is so new for them. 

Reflective Journal #10: The Importance of Reading (Teaching English Language and Content)
Just as writing is an important skill for all students to master, reading is also very important. There are three main approaches to teach reading, the top- down approach, the bottom-up approaches, and the integrated approaches. I am going to talk about all three of these approaches and name some of the pros and cons. To begin, the top-down approach focuses on what readers bring to the process, helping them use their world knowledge to bring meaning to text, then expanding it to develop decoding and comprehension skills in the context of meaning. This approach views children as beginning to develop written language knowledge for the moment they are first exposed to reading and writing. People who use the top down approach believe that learning happens gradually, with guidance, instruction, and feedback. Something that is good about this approach is that it places importance on discovering the meaning of the text. I think this is super important, because reading is so much more than just pronouncing the words on the paper. Reading is about grasping meaning, making connections, and picking out main ideas. One issue with this approach could be that children are not able to think independently, as the teacher is too directly involved. I do think it's important that students are allowed to think on their own and form their own ideas before being directly instructed by the teacher about what and how to do things. The bottom up approach helps solve this problem by emphasizing explicit development of component skills of literacy by including developing phonemic awareness, phonics, word study, fluency, and comprehension skills, and then putting these together to develop reading proficiency. In this approach, the student starts with a topic or a question, performs self-directed research or experimentation, and ultimately, arrives at explicit knowledge. The general rule of this approach is that students use inductive reasoning gained from observation to arrive at deeper understanding. One issue with this is that it does not take the needs of ELL's into consideration. It assumes that ELL's have acquired sound systems, vocabulary, structures, and patterns of the English language, and are able to use this knowledge to develop the skills of reading. There are pros and cons to both the top down and the bottom down approach. That being said, I think the integrated approach is the best because it incorporates aspects of the bottom up and top down approaches. Integrated approaches view reading as a construct of meaning. I believe this is very important because, as previously stated, reading is more than just pronouncing words. They teach the component skills of reading within the context of authentic, connected texts that are simple and repetitive at first and then become gradually more difficult. They use a guided reading approach in which teachers work with small, leveled groups, guiding students to read books at progressively more difficult levels and introducing new features of text and reading strategies along the way, all in context of a variety of rich literacy experiences. I think this is the best approach because it incorporates all the good things from the bottom up and top down approach and combines them into one learning strategy. 

Reflective Journal #11: Sika's Story (Pain and Privilege )
In this chapter, Sika talks about the pain and privilege associated with her mixed identity. She seems to highlight some of the same ideas that people in previous chapters about feeling like she identifies with multiple groups instead of one. It was interesting to learn about how some people saw her as "too white," because of her speech, music taste, and where she lived and grew up. On the flipside, some people insisted that her hair, passion, anger, enthusiasm, tone, temper, and or general expressions through clothes and music were black. She talks about how most people's assumptions of her are incorrect, and it influences the way that people treat her. I can only imagine how hard it would be for people to be constantly trying to tell you who you are. As a white person, I have never experienced this. She also talks about how when she was young, she wanted to look like her mom and saw her blackness as ugly. I would assume that this would be hard for children who are mixed. If they're closer with or identify more with one parent, but look like the other, it can cause feelings of shame and resentment. Sika credits her mom for her ongoing support towards her, which I think is important to talk about. Children are influenced a lot by their parents, and not every child has a supportive parent. That's why it's important for us as educators to learn about our students identities and cultures and make sure to celebrate them in our classroom. Some ways we could do this is by making sure not to assume anything and not to single out students. Sika recalls a presenter immediately calling her out and saying she's a native American. This is extremely wrong for someone to do. There was no reason to single someone out like that. When she explained her identity to the presenter, she responded by saying "oh well, same thing." This is an extremely arrogant thing to say. Your identity is composed of who you think you are- not anyone else. By saying they're the "same thing" she is completely discrediting her identity, which is very wrong. I read listened to a podcast about a teen who grew up mixed to see  if she felt some of the same ways Sika does. In the podcast, she said, "I'd never thought of my mixed skin tone like this before. My mom is white and my dad is black. Although I don’t pass for white at all, with an Afro and dark skin, I am definitely light-skinned compared to others, which has its advantages. But my mixed look has definitely been complicated for me. I was 4 years old the first time I realized that my mother's hair was nothing like mine and never would be. At age 12 I was referred to by the N-word for the first time and felt such rage and confusion that I didn’t know how to react. My white friend later explained to me that it wasn't a big deal, her friends said it all the time." This podcast was recently recorded, and it shows that our society has not made much progressive in terms of how we treat people with mixed identities. When she was called the N- word, her friend discredited her feelings of rage like it was nothing. This is similar to Sika's story, as her professor discredit her by saying "oh well, same thing." She goes on to say that, "Colorism, or discrimination based on skin complexion, plays a huge role in the ways that modern society operates and picks the minorities it wants to show. There is also truth to the fact that being mixed can be incredibly difficult and confusing at times. There have always been a thousand little things that make me feel disconnected from my single-race family and friends. I want parents to understand the complexities that come with raising a mixed child, so they can help their children navigate the "in-betweeness" that I have felt and that never really leaves." This also relates to how Sika feels, as she expresses being mixed as difficult and confusing at times. She expresses feeling disconnected from family friends, which can be extremely hard. When children are growing up, they are doing their best to fit in. For people who are mixed, this can be extremely difficult as Sika explains that she was "too black" to identify as white, but "too white" to identify as black. It is really messed up that we place so much importance on the color of someone's skin as opposed to all the unique features that make them who they are. 

Reflective Journal #12: Gender vs Sex And The Importance of Social Emotional Learning Lessons (Class Discussion) 

In class we talked about the difference between gender and sex. According to Planned Parenthood, "Sex is a label — male or female — that you’re assigned by a doctor at birth based on the genitals you’re born with and the chromosomes you have. It goes on your birth certificate. Gender is much more complex: It’s a social and legal status, and set of expectations from society, about behaviors, characteristics, and thoughts. Each culture has standards about the way that people should behave based on their gender. This is also generally male or female. But instead of being about body parts, it’s more about how you’re expected to act, because of your sex." There are a lot of people that think sex and gender are the same thing. However, in my sociology class freshman year, I learned that gender is socially constructed. We don't play with barbies or hot wheels because of our genitalia, we play with on or the other because that's what society tells us to do. They say that if you're a boy you have to do things like play sports, be interested in cars and tools, and be assertive and dominant. If you're a girl, you're expected to love children, be more artistic, and be submissive. Since gender is socially constructed, I see know issue with people choosing which gender they want to associate with. Sadly, not everyone agrees with this point of view, and people who often identify with a gender that doesn't match their sex are bullied and outlasted.  Because of this, I think it's really important to have social emotional learning lessons in school that talk about many things such as mental health, bullying, sex and gender, and much more. In TCH 237, I did a project which required me to to ask people their opinions on social emotional learning lessons. After completing this challenge, I was able to see a variety of different opinions from a variety of different people. I assumed that, in this day in age, almost everyone would agree that they're important. However, I had two people that didn't think they should be incorporated at all. Although I still think they're important, it was interesting to hear them talk about how children may not be comfortable talking about these things in a group setting. This makes sense, but in reality we don't have the time to to teach students about these things one on one. However, this does help explain how important school counselors and social workers are because they can provide one on one help, which may help children feel more comfortable. They also brought up that openly sharing their feelings could lead to bullying. This is a good point, and I'll definitively think about ways to avoid this when I'm a teacher. Although I had a couple people that thought they shouldn't be implemented at all, the majority of people did think they'd be beneficial. A lot of people's reasoning aligned with mine, and it was nice to hear that people care about our children's emotional well-being. One  big discovery I made is that a lot of people aren't fully educated on the topic, which makes it harder for them to have a sound opinion. This helps me recognize just how important. This lack of education directly relates to why we need social and emotional learning lessons. In relation to sex and gender, a lot of children don't know the difference between the two. This can cause children to have low self esteem and feel like they're doing something wrong by associating with a gender that doesn't align with their sex. Additionally, children who have a similar sex and gender may realize that not everyone is like them, and that's okay. That's one of the reasons I think social emotional learning lessons should be for everyone, not just children who are struggling. 

Reflective Journal #13: Susan Leonard's Story (Pain and Privilege) 
I found Susan's story very interesting. Susan is Korean, but she was adopted by a white family. On the outside, she's Korean, but on the inside, she feels like she's white. Susan grew up in a white family in a predominantly white town. I think Susan's story is interesting because she explains the way that her identity on the outside doesn't match her identity on the inside. She stated that she only really ever felt Asian when she looked in the mirror. This feeling can also relate to our class discussion on gender. People who are biologically male, but feel more like female (and vise versa) often struggle with identity and have a lot of resentment about who they are. I can only imagine how hard it'd be to look one way and feel another. I feel like a lot of people think that discrimination and racism primarily effects African Americans. However, that is not true. In the chapter, Susan talked about some of the pain that was associated with being Asian in her town. She talked about one of her friends making a racist comment and how embarrassed she was, not because of the comment, but because everyone knew it effected her. The person who made the comment apologized, but his apology stated that he was sorry he made that joke to her and that he was sorry she felt that way, not that he's sorry he made that type of comment in general and he's sorry that he made her feel that way. In my opinion, this reflects the way that some white  people blame minorities for feeling offended when they act racist, instead of blaming themselves for being racist. This is a huge issue because we are trying to justify acting racist by saying that it's the persons fault for getting offended and that they were "just joking." Susan talks about why she feels white, saying that she grew up in a white family and was always surrounded by white people. She talks about the struggles of having a transracial identity. She didn't ever associate herself  with being Korean unless she looked in the mirror. In my opinion, if race is socially constructed, then Susan should have no problem with identifying as white. After all, she was socialized in a white family and a white neighborhood. That's not to say I don't think race is socially constructed, I do. However, there is a flaw in that theory. Race is a social construct, but in Susan's case it feels like it's a more of based off the color of her skin. It's still hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that people care so much about the color of a person's skin. Does the color of their skin change who they are as a person? Does the color of their skin make them less smart? Less talented? The answer to all these questions is no. If Susan wants to identify with white people, she should be able to without any backlash. After reading pain and privilege, I have learned to never make an assumption about someone's identity. A person's identity can be whatever they want, and making assumptions does nothing but hurt them and make them feel bad about where they come from and who they are. 
 
Reflective Journal #14: Paloma's Story (Pain and Privilege)
I decided to do my 14th reflective journal on Paloma's story about the struggles of being an undocumented immigrant.  I was very shocked to hear about all the problems she faced while trying to get an education in the US. I have realized that I am not as educated on this topic as I should be, so in this journal I'm going to talk about some of the current issues with immigration in America. Although it is difficult to get an accurate picture of the immigrant population in the United States, researchers estimate that 1.09 million undocumented children and youth are now living in the country. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court found in Plyer vs. Doe that because undocumented children are illegally in the United States through no fault of their own, they are entitled to the same K–12 educational opportunities that states provide to children who are citizens or legal residents. For this reason, U.S. public schools may not deny or discourage enrollment to any school-age children, regardless of their immigration status. In addition, such students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals, special education services, and school-sponsored events and activities. Federal law does not require school districts or their employees to report undocumented students to immigration authorities. It is refreshing to know that students in K-12 grade cannot be discriminated against and are eligible to receive accommodations based off their financial status. I believe this is the most fair way to do things, since it's not up to the child where they live. However, if all these services are provided in K-12th grade, I'm wondering why they stop being available when students go to college. This seems unfair, as one of the main goals of school is to provide students the opportunity to seek out whatever career path they see fit. If they have gone to school in the US for most of their lives, it only makes sense that they should be allowed to go to college here, with the same benefits citizens would have. I decided to do some more research on undocumented students going to college and found that, "According to the Migration Policy Institute’s most recent data, only 25 percent of undocumented citizens 25 years or older have received a high school equivalent degree. Those youth frequently encounter challenges when applying for college or employment. The College Board estimates that only 5 to 10 percent of undocumented students actually attend college. Although federal law does not prohibit undocumented students from attending U.S. colleges or universities, most states do not allow them to pay in-state tuition and they are not eligible for most federal loans, financial aid, and scholarships. In my opinion, by not providing undocumented students financial aid, in state tuition, and scholarships, they are basically preventing students from attending college. College is expensive for everyone, and a lot of undocumented student's families are living in poverty. With no help from the school or your family, it seems nearly impossible for undocumented immigrants to attend college. We make it look like we care by not prohibiting them, however we are making in extremely difficult and near impossible for them to do so.  It would only make sense that students who have studied in the US their whole life are able to continue on with their education while being given the same benefits as everyone else. 

Reflective Journal #15: Analyzing Historical Fiction Texts And Making Connections in Literature Circles (Outside Case Study)

For this journal I watched a lesson on analyzing fiction texts and making connections in literature circles. I liked how the teacher started off by making the directions and everyone's roles in the discussion very clear. This is important because of the students are confused on what they're supposed to be doing, it will take away from the content they're talking about. I like that the lesson incorporated their own personal connections. This is very important because it makes the lesson a lot more engaging and helps the students to get to know each other. The teacher does a good job at making sure the connections have to do with the content. I like how the students were able to get really personal about their connections. The students who talked about their mom seemed to be really engaged in what they were doing, and it was genuine. This is really important because it allows students to make connections from the text to their own life. A big part of reading is being able to make connections from the text and relate them to your own life experiences. It was also nice that the students were able to open up about more serious topics, like their parents getting divorced. This shows that the teacher did a good job at making her classroom be a safe space. It is super important that we create a safe space not just with us, but with other students as well. Making sure that students are able to openly share about their real life struggles helps make the class more genuine and engaging. I also liked how the teacher came to do a check in. It's important that we walk around and monitor group discussions instead of just sitting at our desks and letting them work. I liked how the teacher didn't dominate the discussion, instead she came in and listened and offered some questions that could help the students deepen their discussion. It's important that we provide body language that encourages our students, such as nodding our head. This helps the students feel more confident about what they're saying. She also has a positive attitude by having a smile on her face and really listening to what students have to say. I like how she didn't stay with the group for too long, instead she just made sure they were on the right track and moved on. When students are working in groups, it's important to let them lead the discussion and act only as a facilitator. When teachers come in and dominate the group, it doesn't encourage students to take a leadership role or form their own ideas and opinions. 

Reflective Journal #16: Tollefson Critical Race Theory (Classroom Discussion)
In class we talked about the importance of embracing and celebrating language learners. It is very important that everyone feels safe and valued in the classroom. The chapter opened by talking about a teacher who had her students learn a little of another child's home language so they could communicate with him. I think this is a great idea because even if the children can only remember as few words, it will still help the ELL student feel welcomed and celebrated. In many of my journals I talk about how ELL students may struggle with confidence in the classroom. Learning a new language is very hard, and it can really make someone feel bad if they're constantly behind and confused about what's going on. One thing that is important to remember is that knowing another language is a great asset. I always hear from people that it really helps to know another language when looking for a job. That being said, we need to work to teach English learners English, while also embracing and nourishing their home language. Having the student teach the other kids some of the home language is a great way to do this. It can help spike other students interests in becoming bilingual, and it has a multitude of effects for the ELL students. One person who was particularity concerned with making sure students embrace their native languages is James Tollefson. He talked about 2 ways to study language, descriptive and evaluative.  Descriptive language  is focused around "the relationship between language behavior and social participation" and evaluative language is a more standardized way to examine language. Descriptive language. When referring to descriptive language, it talks about diglossia, which is why low standard and high standard is used in various situations. According to the dictionary, a formal definition of diglossia is, "a situation in which two languages (or two varieties of the same language) are used under different conditions within a community, often by the same speakers. The term is usually applied to languages with distinct “high” and “low” (colloquial) varieties, such as Arabic." I think what Toffelson means by descriptive language is how much one language can vary depending on the situation and context. A good example of this is social and academic language. Social language has much less "rules," and is a lot more relaxed, casual, and informal. This would include daily conversations you have with family or friends. Academic language would be langauge that is more formal and structured, like the type of language you'd use while giving a school presentation or writing a paper. While descriptive language focuses on how language is actually used,  evaluative language focuses on shaping 





 










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