December 11

Article #4 Small Versus Whole Group Reading Instruction in an Elementary Reading Classroom- EDEC 6099, 12/10/21

Analysis:

This article discusses a research project that was conducted to compare small-group reading instructional strategies and generalized, whole-group instruction to determine the most effective way to ensure students are learning and mastering all reading State Standards while receiving instruction at their individual reading levels. This research study will provide information on whether instruction is more effective when all students work in leveled small groups on the same skills, with differentiated reading materials, or if all students should work from the same instructor content with instruction occurring in a whole group setting. The research was carried out in two separate 2nd grade classrooms, each with readers ranging in ability from the beginning of first grade to the middle of third grade, as evaluated by the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System. For the purpose of this study, Classroom 1 received individualized, small group instruction, whereas Classroom 2 served as the control classroom and received standard, whole group instruction. This study’s findings shows that small group, differentiated instruction enabled more students in a blended classroom to succeed in learning and developing their reading comprehension skills than whole group instruction.

Reflection:

This article open my eyes to the difference between small group verses whole group. I do believe placing students in small or whole groups for reading depends on the childs reading level. Every child is different and develops at their own pace. I believe that small group teaching method with texts students’ instructional reading level is more effective than whole group, instructor-led instruction. This method allows for much more hands-on learning, more attention and concentrate on quiet and easily distracted students, and provide quick feedback on understanding of new skills from instructors.

Martinez, K., & Plevyak, L. (2020). Small Versus Whole Group Reading Instruction in an Elementary Reading Classroom. Humanising Language Teaching22(1), 36.

https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=14&sid=8ea8a1a7-45d6-4e65-bf33-cecbdbba5453%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNzbyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d#AN=141846718&db=eue

December 11

Article #3: Emergency remote teaching with technology during the COVID-19 pandemic: using the whole teacher lens to examine educator’s experiences and insights- EDEC 6099, 12/10/21

Analysis:

This article discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic required educators to change their practices and use technology to reach and teach remote students. The article states that educators had to learn new technologies, teaching approaches, and communication strategies during the shift to “emergency remote teaching” due to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).  They faced a number of challenges, including developing content for online spaces, learning new delivery techniques, comprehending online teaching methods, engaging parents, addressing student mental health issues, and experimenting with various and different strategies to address both synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning. This shift was implemented in urgency and pushed by an urgent need to adjust to rapid changes in delivery. In this study, present data was collected from 265 K-12 educators in 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak began. The researchers analyzed survey data from K-12 educators who were tasked with shifting their practice from in-person to emergency remote teaching. Teachers were able to share their firsthand experiences, insights, and lessons learned during the shift to emergency remote teaching due to the global pandemic through a series of survey questions. Research showed that educators relied on numerous areas of development, including cognitive, social, affective, and identity, to successfully navigate their new teaching situations while trying to teach online.

Reflection:

I really enjoyed reading this article, especially since this topic is fairly new. I like reading about how it was not only a struggle for student to adjust but for instructors as well. I didn’t really look at the instructors point of view until I read this article. Some instructors aren’t tech savvy to be able to just jump from in person teaching to teaching a whole group instruction through a screen. I like how the article stated that in order to prepare educators for an unpredictable future, we must provide integrated services and professional development opportunities that go beyond the development of professional knowledge and skills.

Trust, T., & Whalen, J. (2021). Emergency remote teaching with technology during the COVID-19 pandemic: using the whole teacher lens to examine educator’s experiences and insights. Educational Media International, 58(2), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2021.1930479

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523987.2021.1930479

December 11

Article #2 Using the Quality of Literacy Implementation Checklist to Improve Preschool Literacy Instruction-EDEC 6099, 12/10/21

Analysis:

The article discusses that despite significant progress in increasing the quality of preschool programs, the quality of instruction in early childhood settings remains unbalanced. They talk about one way that appear for improving preschool classroom effectiveness, including literacy instruction, is to provide practical, systematic, and long-term support and professional development (PD) for teachers. The article states that preschool teachers who want to concentrate on improving literacy instruction must have easy-to-use tools that can be implemented quickly and provide a way to assess progress toward the goal of improving literacy instruction. The Quality of Literacy Implementation Checklist assesses how well the educators incorporate purposeful literacy/oral language instruction. Quality of application focuses on the teacher’s delivery of key component  of evidence-based instruction, rather than focusing on a specific curriculum or intervention. It states that the quality of implementation checklist not only attempts to measure implementation but also serves as a guided roadmap for how instruction can be altered to highlight critical and essential skills throughout the preschool day.

Reflection:

As I begin to read this article I wasn’t too sure about it but as I gave it a chance its a great article. I never heard of a Quality of Literacy Implementation Checklist before reading this article. The article had a example of what the checklist would look like, which was helpful because as I was reading I didn’t have an idea of what the checklist could consist of. After reading this article I found that Evaluating the literacy environment in preschool classrooms and providing support to teachers based on observations could be a valid way of increasing children’s growth in appropriate literacy skills. One important thing to notice was that, instead of focusing on a specific curriculum, this is centered on the instructor’s delivery of evidence-based literacy instruction qualities.

Beecher, C., Abbott, M., Petersen, S., & Greenwood, C. (2017). Using the Quality of Literacy Implementation Checklist to Improve Preschool Literacy Instruction. Early Childhood Education Journal45(5), 595–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-016-0816-8

https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=5906d1dd-a2c2-4c11-bbb5-96e84b774e7a%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNzbyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d#db=a9h&AN=124253932

December 11

Article #1: Classroom Management Affects Literacy Development of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders-EDEC6099, 12/10/21

Analysis:

This article discuss how many children who have behavioral issues struggle academically and can disrupt traditional classroom instruction. Even though effective classroom management techniques can help children with behavioral issues, it is unclear if these children need consistent effective classroom management throughout the early elementary school years in hopes of improving their educational outcomes. The study investigated the effectiveness of classroom management experienced by children rated as having symptoms of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in the classroom from kindergarten to third grade in order to better understand the effects on third-grade reading skills. The finding where that increased classroom management in the first four years of school was related to higher scores on standardized tests of reading success in third grade for boys with EBD, but girls with EBD seemed to be unaffected by the quality of educators’ classroom management at the same time. The article states that the implications for professionals and future research needs are discussed.   

Reflection:

I enjoyed reading this article. The overall article was very insightful and related to the topic of classroom management. After reading this I came away with a new point of view on classroom management. I had been completely unaware that classroom management can affect literacy development of children with emotional and behavior disorders. This is something I never thought of.  This information will be beneficial in my future classroom because I believe that it is more common for children, especially in the early years, to have emotional and behavior disorders. So, its important to know multiple aspects of classroom management can affect those children. 

Garwood, J. D., & Vernon-Feagans, L. (2016). Classroom Management Affects Literacy Development of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Exceptional Children, 83(2), 123–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402916651846