Recap on Week 2: Randy’s Input
Week 2 Reading: Zwiers Chapters 2 and 3
Key Points: Language for Academic Thinking
Zwiers Definition of Academic Learning= the set of words, grammar, and organizational strategies used to describe complex ideas, higher-order thinking processes and abstract concepts.
General and Specialized Language= students learn new levels of understanding language & vocab through what they already know.
Bricks and Mortar= (Brick: technical words that are specific to a discipline)(Mortar: words that are used to create smooth-flowing and logical sentences and paragraphs.)
Functions of Academic Language: 1) To describe complexity 2) To describe higher order thinking 3) To describe abstraction.
Features of Academic Language: 1) Using Figurative Expressions 2) Being Explicit for “Distant Audiences” 3) Remaining “detached” from the Message 4) Supporting Points with Evidence. 5) Conveying Nuances of Meaning with Modals. 6) Softening the Message with Qualifiers. 7) Using Prosody for Emphasis.
Features of Academic Grammar: 1) Long sentences 2) Passive voice 3) Nominalization 4) Condensed complex messages 5) Clarity.
Reflection: This chapter was extremely hard to get through in my opinion. Trying to keep the key points short as possible because there were way too much notes I took on this chapter. My favourite part was the features of academic grammar section because it really defines what older students are submitting through their writing assignments. I also believe these characteristics are what demotivates students from learning when they are required to do research on a scholarly article or having to read through dry material in a textbook. It really emphasizes the importance on why teachers need to be engaging during class time and also teach via allowing students to critically come up with an answer themselves.
Key Points: Cultivating Academic Language Acquisition–> Based on 3 principles: Language acquisition Basics, Building Habits of Connection, and Building Habits of Communication.
1) Language Acquisition Basics: a) Receiving Input. b) Producing Language. c) Negotiating meaning. d) Modelling Academic Language. e) Modeling with Think Alouds. f) Scaffolding Thinking and Learning. g) Gestures and facial expressions. h) Linguistic enabling.
2) Building Habits of Connection: a) Connect with Metaphors. b) Connect with Examples. c) Personify. d) Use language to authentically do and think.
3) Building Habits of Communication: a) Use controversial or provocative statements. b) Co-shape conversations. c) Repeat student responses. d) Rephrase student responses. e) Have students paraphrase. f) Use comments to enrich classroom talk (i.e. prompts) g) Conduct meta-discussions. h) Stop to think how we think. i) Focus on deeper levels of talk.
Reflection: Very useful ways to allow teachers to understand how to facilitate a discussion properly that promotes student learning. The most important part I found in this chapter was the talk about linguistic enabling. Firstly, the chapter really overlaps well some of the content in my other education classes. Talks and examples of scaffolding really intrigues me when learning through this course. In linguistic enabling, it talks about how it is bad to overuse scaffolding and how teachers accept oral and written responses that are not sufficiently at the academic level it should be at.