Thursday, 30 June 2016

Interview with an Elementary School Teacher about Technology in the Classroom, and the Digital Age

Interview, Tom

How do students interact with each other in this digital age?  
A lot of the students that I’ve taught interact with each other over messaging services such as Kik, Snapchat, or other means setup by parents or teachers, such as blog sites in computer classes.

What motivates them to learn?
Building motivation… we have extrinsic motivations in our classroom, something like where the parents are tellings kids to learn and do well. They have monetary ways of getting kids motivated to learn. Then you have intrisinc learners that manifest some form of that and want to learn for learning’s sake, and reward themselves thus. That’s how they motivate themselves to learn.

What are their concerns?
Generally it’s safety. As responsible teachers we teach them how to be safe. There’s so many good things about it that not too many are concerned with the eroding of real socialization and real relationships, but a big thing is safety and how the kids are [displaying] themselves to the rest of the world. It can be safety for their future jobs such as the ‘digital tattoo,’ something that can last with you forever.

Do they have any needs that you did not have when you were a student?
So from that framework there are specific needs in the digital age like grandly socializing, and a lot of them don’t understand how to socialize or the means to socialize and how to behave around other kids. Obviously there are always behavior concerns but [also] massive differences in genders or age groups based off of who lives in the digital world and who don’t. I’m finding that male maturity in elementary school has dropped away; a lot of female maturity seems to have held and it's simply been the females in my class have continued to socialize despite living in a digitized situation, where the boys rely on internet memes and videos and humor to connect with their peers.

Do they have any specific interests?
A lot of them have more directed interests toward fields that weren’t previously taught or guided toward so a lot of kids are interested in coding and program design and website building and graphic design and we weren't really taught or pushed toward [that]. I had the odd computer class and stuff but very basic; these kids understand where the job market is and are moving toward it much stronger and more ready than any previous generation.

What conditions are affecting them, such as socioeconomic conditions?
The school district that I work in has some of the highest reported child poverty in Canada. What that means is that you have social isolation for these kids that are removed from their computers, but in a weird twist because of the lack of digitization they’re socializing with older students and building friendship groups and becoming more balanced individuals. I’m not prejudiced against higher or lower economic status but the high socioeconomic status has led to a reliance on computers and the tech assisting them through everything. Through socializing assignments I have students who can’t complete assignments [without] a computer or a tablet or something. As much as we want to embrace the bright age of the future, therese kids are debilitated if these things are removed, and it isn’t preparing them for the future.

Wednesday, 22 June 2016

14 Categories of Disability Mindmap

14 Categories of Disabilities via Mindmeister

This mindmap was designed to show assistive technologies and teaching strategies for each of the 14 categories of disabilities described by IDEA in the United States.

Saturday, 18 June 2016

Environmental Print

Environmental Print is the English that kids see in their daily lives, on signs and company logos, on billboards and toy packages. For my Japanese students, I found some environmental print they recognized and let them examine what English letters they could find in it!

Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Planning for English Language Learners

I am currently teaching a unit on recycling. Students use English to identify trash and recyclables, ways to safely use them or dispose of them, and their effect on the community and environment. We are learning new vocabulary and reviewing current vocabulary during this unit.

Jack is a 4-year-old Spanish boy in class with sister. He is currently starting Stage III: Speech emergence, after only one year of daily English immersion lessons. He takes the initiative in conversations and speaks English with all teachers and classmates during school hours.

Sarah, is a Japanese girl who just turned 5. She recently entered Stage II: Early production. Her home language is Japanese and she uses a mixture of Japanese and English in class. She has been studying English for one year. I no longer need to prompt her to use English, and she will try to speak on her own.

Irene is five-years-old, Jack’s older sister, and has been studying English for over two years. She is between Stage III and Stage IV: Intermediate fluency. She uses more complex grammar than classmates and simulates reading by herself during story time.

Ryan is a Japanese boy, aged 5, who has recently started Stage III: Speech emergence. He makes an effort to use English when he feels he can use it to communicate his feelings. If he lacks the vocabulary he will revert to Japanese.

Jack is a quick learner who shows interest in speaking English and develops new sentences and phrases using current vocabulary. At his present stage, acquiring more vocabulary allows him to make more complex or clear statements. During this unit I will be using more flashcards for review and games to help expand student vocabulary. I am also encouraging Jack to associate new vocab with written words, and to practice reading and writing skills with those words in class during his free time or during game time. I engage Jack in tiered questioning and conversations of 3-4 exchanges in an attempt to practice the rules of grammar and etiquette, such as eye contact and pausing when another speaker is talking.

Sarah now uses simple 3-4 word sentences to relate basic ideas. I ask her yes/no questions that can also be answered with short 1-3 word responses, such as ‘Do you like candy?’ ‘Yes, I like candy.’ She is being taught to define or identify people, places, and things, which has noticeably increased her participation in group discussions. I have introduced simple books that relate text to pictures, and she is practicing retelling the main events of stories, such as ‘pig house fall down.’ She has learned how to use the classroom eBook system by herself so she can choose and listen to books spoken in English by someone other than me.

Irene has begun thinking creatively and answering more questions with reasons, like ‘because.’ She reads by herself, recalling text she has heard in class and emulating it through imagined language. This is tied into content reading during the unit, and she is encouraged to revisit texts we have read as a class during free time. I am having her focus more on self-correction of grammatical errors, and speaking to her using response stems to encourage free-thinking and problem-solving during conversations. Her writing is being expanded to include environmental print from her daily life and from her homeland.

Ryan is now using English to make original sentences, such as ‘Can I now take home this?’ Whereas before I answered his questions in English, I now request he speaks to me in English as well. He tries to make sentences by himself, and I teach him the words he is missing so he can incorporate them into his speech patterns. I ask him open-ended questions to encourage free-thinking and problem-solving skills. We are working together on spelling and syllables so that he can easily recognize and pronounce words by sounding them out.


Haynes, J. (n.d.). Stages of Second Language Acquisition. Retrieved June 15, 2016, from

Bilingual/ESLEducation. (n.d.). Retrieved June 15, 2016, from

Saturday, 11 June 2016

Interview with a Special Educator, June 2016

Interview with a Special Educator, June 2016

I corresponded with a reading specialist in the states about ‘Response to Intervention.’ She shared with me some of her insights involving how the system works and what it takes to get students the help they need. Although RTI was originally a special education term, it has broadened to include all educational framework and generally monitoring student progress.


The first step of the RTI process is identifying a student in need of assistance. Typically, the classroom teacher will notice a student is ‘[failing] to complete their work, even with teacher help. They might be complaining that it is too hard or they may act out in order to avoid the work. Sometimes they rush through it.’ But that presumption requires data in addition to the teacher’s recommendation. Referred to as ‘Tier One’ by the RTI Action Network, that data is obtained through the results of standardized testing and periodical screenings. More data is obtained as needed, such as through curriculum-based measurement and progress monitoring, and then interviews are scheduled with the student’s legal guardians (What is RTI). There are different models for identifying students needing support. The specialist’s district used ‘a discrepancy model [to] look for strengths and weaknesses in testing.’ However, other models exist such as problem-solving models, functional assessment models, and blended models that cobble aspects of each model together (Approaches to RTI).

A number of educators and peers are involved in the process. These advocates for special needs include the ‘[classroom] teacher, [special education] teacher, school psychologist, speech teacher, and testing coordinator.’ In addition, the principal and vice principal oversee the entire process. Although the teacher remains firmly in the center of the circle of support, it is ever-expanding to include other educators such as speech-language pathologists, counselors, other teachers, other administrators, volunteers, and paraprofessionals (Frequently Asked Questions). There are layers of redundancy and collaboration to ensure the student receives the best possible support available. The parents or legal guardians must grant permission for the process to begin and have the power to stop it at any time; they also have input in the construction of Individualized Education Plans for their child.

The students selected for further review move into Tier Two and Tier Three as the need grows, and a variety of provisions are made for their success. They receive individualized instruction based on the identified nature of their disability, taking into account teacher and parent input. Only about 15% of students identified through RTI ever require supplemental education through Tier Two, and less than 5% through Tier Three (Response To Intervention). It seems that RTI’s initial tier is capable of meeting the needs of most special needs students, suggesting that teacher and parent intervention plays a strong role in the performance of a child and their educational growth. Students who move to Tier Three have the option to return to Tier Two if higher tier intervention techniques are successful and escalation is no longer required.

As I mentioned in my reflection for activity one, the future of special education is inclusion of special needs students into the general student body, allowing them to experience average school life. Advancements in technology like online translators, speech-to-text, and video conferencing with specialists make accomplishing this easier for children with disabilities. There are now smartphone apps for the blind, smart readers to convert digital files into audio files, and environmental control systems. Not all school districts have funding for the most advanced assistive technologies, but it appears that there is a demand for these products, since even underfunded schools have things like promethean boards, microphone systems, and chromebooks for text-to-speech. As RTI becomes more widespread, usage of assistive technologies will only increase, prompting greater innovation and wider accessibility for students and educators.

Response to Intervention seems to be a successful program that relies on a tried-and-tested process accessible to all levels of those people invested in a student’s welfare. It avails itself of multiple means and methods and is tailored to respond to the student’s individual and immediate needs. Its very existence will continue to increase awareness of disability and special needs in the classroom. In the future I predict it will be adopted outside of the states and become even more useful as it is integrated globally, or it will lead to innovation and spur the development of a better program. In either case, students everywhere will benefit.


What is RTI? (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2016, from

Approaches to RTI. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2016, from

Response To Intervention Explained | Special Education Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2016, from

Response to Intervention Frequently Asked Questions - About RTI - Response To Intervention (RTI) - A Rhode Island Technical Assistance Project (RITAP) Site. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2016, from

Saturday, 4 June 2016

Math Worksheets for Preschoolers

I have found that my students really like TMNT and Frozen. The girls tend to stick to the Frozen page, but sometimes I see them doing TMNT too.

Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Flying Fish Spinners

My students really like anything that can float or fly. This was a very simple activity to prep and execute. Kids 3-5 had varying levels of success fitting the ends together, but enjoyed coloring them and dropping them from the second floor balcony, watching them spin down. The tail length determines the spin!

Flying Fish Paper Spinners