Action Research

Here is the link to my blog entry on the required readings on Action Research.

Lesson Plan

In my clinical I taugh a TechStep on electricity to all the 5th grade classes. Click the link to see my lesson plan.

WebQuest

Here is the link to my finished WebQuest on electricity!

Struggling Student

I worked with students who needed to finish their science test from the previous day, one of which was a struggling student. The students were in a separate room from the other students because a few of them felt distracted being in the regular classroom while the instruction was taking place. While working with the students, I focused on the struggling student in particular. He fidgeted while taking the test and was constantly looking around the room. Sometimes, he looked as if he was in a daze. It took him two days to complete the test.

My teacher's strategy for working with all the struggling students in her classroom is to read the test to them. Their tests have fewer choices for them to choose from, it is open book, and has the page numbers located with each question. This test, in particular, was modified for all the struggling students in the classroom. They were ony required to answer 2 out of the 4 essay questions. All students were allowed to use the book during the test.

I was, also, given the opportunity to grade the students' tests. There were 2 problems that were missed by the majority of the students.While grading the tests, I noticed a struggling student achieved a C on her test. She was very excited.

Anchor Video

I am teaching a WebQuest to my 5th grade Science class on Electricity. I am using a youtube video on Electricity from School House Rock as my anchor video.

Here is my WebQuest so far.

Double Journal Entry #15

Link to article

1. Give an example of an authentic form of assessment the students engaged in a PBL performed well on?

In one study, students applied the concepts of geometry to architecture and submit designs for a new playhouse for a community center. 84% were judged to be accurate enough to build. Students were able to revise their designs after consulting resources. These students demonstrated a solid grasp of the concepts and were able to perform well on traditional tests.

2. How does project based learning promote intrinsic motivation?

Students will often reach higher and attempt to read more challenging material to find the information they are seeking. The differentiation allows students to develop their own interetss and pursue deeper learning. They are able to soar and learn at their own levels.

3. What do students who experience PBL do better than students who receive traditional direct instruction?

Students who are exposed to PBL have better problem solving skills,  are able to critically evaluate their peers, and have better 21st century skills.

4.  How does PBL align with John Dewey's philosophy of education?

Dewey proposed that learning by doing has great benefit in shaping students' learning. In PBL students are constructing knowledge and building on their background knowledge. They retain more information when they learn by doing.

5. Why do our assessment practices need to change if we are going to prepare students for the 21st century?

In the future, children must enter a workforce in which they will be judged on their performance. They will be evaluated on more than pencil/paper work. They will be evaluated not only on their outcomes, but also on their collaborative, negotiating, planning, and organizational skills, which can't be learned by the traditional education system. By implementing PBL, we are preparing our students to meet the twenty-first century with preparedness and a repertoire of skills they can use successfully.

Struggling Student

After obtaining the results of the learning style survey, I focused on the struggling students in the classroom. I observed how my host teacher meets their needs through learning activities. She modifies her instruction the best way she can to accommodate all the learning styles in her class. She gave her students a learning style survey at the beginning of the year. So, she already knew how her students learn best before I gave my survey. She has a few students with IEP's and SAT's, therefore she does what she needs to do to best differentiate the instruction so they can learn.

I wrote down some questions my teacher asked, as well as the students. The questions are as follows:

Teacher asked questions:
- Who is going to Boys and Girls club today?
- Who is cold lunch?
- Who has their permission slip and money to turn in?
- Did anyone sell pepperoni rolls?
- Where is your locker at?

Student asked questions:
- Can I call my mom? I forgot my book bag.
- Do we go to lunch after this?

Revised Reflection

Final Copy of Reflection

Double Entry Journal #14

Link to article

What are some challenges to inquiry approaches to learning?

One of the biggest challenges to the successful implementation of inquiry is the skills and knowledge of the teachers engaging in the inquiry form of teaching and learning. If teachers don't fully understand inquiry-based learning they may not be able to provide the proper scaffolding, assessment, and redirection techniques.

If students don't have prior experience with inquiry-based learning, they may have difficulty generating meaningful "driving questions". Students may even lack the background knowledge needed to make sense of the inquiry. Students may have difficulty developing logical arguments and evidence to support their claims. Students often find it hard to determine how to work together, manage their time and the complexity of their work, and sustain motivation in the face of setbacks or confusion.

One of the main challenges for teachers is learning to juggle a host a new responsibilities and implementation issues such as, allotting the time needed for extended inquiry to develop new classroom-management techniques.

What are the benefits of group work?

Several experimental studies have shown that groups outperform individuals on learning tasks and individuals who work in groups do better on later individual assessments as well.

Cooperative group work benefits students in social and behavioral areas as well, including improvements in student self-concept, social interaction, time on task, and positive feelings towared peers.

Strategy to support group work:

I found a document online that consists of strategies to improve student reaction to group work. It shows the different ways to group students, etc. I had to save the document to Google docs then upload it. So, please excuse the format of it because Google docs had to automatically modify it. I just really wanted to share it.

Learning Style Survey & Teacher/Student Asked Questions

Today, I gave my students a Learning Style Survey.

The results are as follows:

Visual: 9
Auditory: 7
Kinesthetic: 2

I, also, took the survey. I was tied as a visual and kinesthetic learner.

Double Entry Journal #13

From: Teaching For Meaningful Learning

1. One of the most significant challenges to the successful implementation of inquiry approaches is the skills and knowledge of the teachers engaging in this alternative form of teaching and learning.

2.

- I. In a study done the results showed students who engaged in project-based learning have a significant increase in scores on critical-thinking tests, as well as increased confidence in their learning (1998).

- II. A comparative study done by Boaler found that students who participated in project-based learning did better on the conceptual problems presented in the National Exam. More students in the project-based school passed the National Exam, than those in a traditional school. (Boaler 1997).

- III. In a third study done on project-based learning, the students gained a broader knowledge of multi-media projects (Penuel, Means, & Simkins, 2000).

3.

- I. In studies done on medical students, the results showed those students scored higher on clinical problem solving measures and on actual ratings of clinical performance than those who are not enrolled in such programs (Vernon & Blake, 1993; Albanese & Mitchell, 1993).

- II. In studies done on students in business, law, and teacher education, the results found students were able to learn how to analyze complex, multifaceted situations, and to develop knowledge to guide decision making (Lundeberg, Levin, & Harrington, 1999; Savery & Duffy, 1996; Williams, 1992).

- III. Additional studies have demonstrated that students who participated in problem-based experiences are better able to generate accurate hypotheses and coherent explanations and are able to support their claims with well-reasoned arguments (Hmelo, 1998b; Schmidt et al., 1196; Stepien et al., 1993).

4.

- I. Design-based lessons are ideal for developing technical and subject matter knowledge (Newsletter, 2000).

- II. Design projects often lead to better learning outcomes than those of the traditional approach (Kolodner 2000).

- III. Researchers have also observed that design activities are good for helping students develop understanding of complex systems (Perkins 1986).

5. Project-based learning teaches students to explore real-world problems and challenges. Problem-based learning challenges students to "learn to learn" by working cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real world problems. Learning by Design emphasizes the value of learning through creating, programming, or participating in other forms of designing.

6. The most beneficial outcome of students participating in the three different types of learning is the ability they gain to learn better ways to solve real-world problems.

Double Entry Journal #12

From: Learning to ask Essential Questions

Social Significance of Questioning in Social Discourse

3 Things I learned:

- 1). The IRE means Initiation Response Evaluation. Basically, the teacher initiates by asking a question. The students respond. Then, the teacher evaluates.
- 2). IRE's pattern of questioning has very powerful implications in terms of both lesson content and classroom structure.
- 3). The questioning pattern of IRE does very little to verify if any real learning has taken place.

2 Things I found interesting:

- 1). Language communicates control.
- 2). IRE's pattern of questioning has very powerful implications in terms of both lesson content and classroom structure.

1 Question I have:

- 1). If the IRE question pattern does very little to verify any real learning has taken place, then why do many teachers continue to use it?

Learning to ask Essential Questions

Essential questions provide the link between students' lives and the curriculum because they deal with issuses the students deal with every day. They make the unit’s intellectual challenge more clear, more coherent, and more engaging for students.

Double Entry Journal #11

From: Teacher Reflection about the Top Ten Project

Authenticity - The problem or question has meaning to the students.

The students were so fascinated by the topic chosen to the teacher. She noticed they were intrigued by her book The 10 Deadliest Predators in the Ocean. The project she chose connected to her students interests.

Applied Learning - Students use multiple high-perforformance work ogranization skills (e.g., working in teams; using technology appropriately; communicating ideas, collecting, organizing, and analyzing information).

The students used a vast amount of technology, such as the wiki and voki, to complete their project. They collected and organized the data they researched to compile the information together.

Active Exploration - Students conduct their own research.
The students were to apply their knowledge of nonfiction text organization as they share their data from their research through individual animal pages on the wiki.

CSO'S:

Language Arts:

RLA.O.4.1.14

select and use a variety of sources to gather information (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, newspapers, informational texts, electronic resources).

RLA.O.4.2.12

use strategies to gather and record information for research topics:

• note taking

• summarizing

• paraphrasing

• describing in narrative form

• gathering information from direct quotes, maps, charts, graphs and tables

RLA.O.4.2.13

select and use a variety of sources to gather information (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, newspapers, informational texts, electronic resources).

RLA.O.4.2.14

use strategies to compile information into written reports or summaries (e.g., incorporate notes into a finished product, include simple facts-details-explanations-examples, draw conclusions from relationships and patterns that emerge from data of different sources, use appropriate visual aids and media).

RLA.O.4.3.02

distinguish a variety of messages conveyed through visual media (e.g., internet, database, email, electronic resources, online research).

 Science:

SC.O.4.1.06

support statements with facts found through research from various sources, including technology.

SC.0.4.2.01

describe the different characteristics of plants and animals, which help them to survive in different niches and environments.

SC.0.4.2.02

associate the behaviors of living organisms to external and internal influences (e.g., hunger, climate, or seasons).

Technology Survey

1. How many computers are in the classroom?

2. Do they have internet access?

3. Can you access Google tools?

4. Do you have access to a laptop cart? Can they get on the Internet?

5. Is there a computer lab? Do the computers have Internet access? Can you access Google tools? How do you reserve it?

6. How many of your students have computers with Internet access at home?

7. Are there locations in the community where students can access the computers and the Internet?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. 6

2. 4

3. Yes.

4. There is no laptop cart, but teacher has laptop.

5. Yes ; Yes ; Yes ; Teacher puts name on calendar and gets the keys from the office.

6. 12

7. Public library

Double Entry Journal #10

Kidwatching allows teachers to learn about students while watching them learn. Teachers can plan their curriculum to best meet the needs of students’ by watching how they respond to various tasks, texts, and each other. For example, if a reader is struggling to make sense of text, a teacher can use kidwatching strategies to play close attention to how the reader is approaching the task, the level of enthusiasm for reading, the types of miscues or errors made, and what sorts of strategies the reader employs to make the text more comprehensible to help the student. Kidwatching is a way for teachers to closely observe and document the actions and behaviors that students exhibit in class.
Kidwatching is informed by the cultural difference theory because it allows teachers to be more observant of the difference in cultural among his or her students. I have a girl in my daycare from Saudi Arabia who knows absolutely no English. I use the kidwatching strategy with her every day. I am so interested in how she learns so I play close attention to her behaviors and how she interacts with her peers. I am learning by watching her learning.

Link to text.

Double Entry Journal #9

Link to article:

It is important for linguistically diverse students to use a language they feel most comfortable with. It aids in students remembering more of what they learned and become linguistically savvy. Primary language support is a reinforcement of the validity of students’ language, self-esteem booster, stress reducer, and sets the stage for a positive education experience.

 Students with an Appalachian dialect are also encouraged to speak in their dialect. Students should be encouraged to make meaningful connections between their lives and school experiences. Their academic performance is heightened and students are encouraged to use what they know to acquire new knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

 Below is a table that compares and contrasts Teacher vs. Learner-Centered Instruction. I found it on a website with no other information except the table. So, I have included the link.

Teacher vs. Learner-Centered Instruction

Teacher-Centered	Learner-Centered
Focus is on instructor	Focus is on both students and instructor
Focus is on language forms and structures (what the instructor knows about the language)	Focus is on language use in typical situations (how students will use the language)
Instructor talks; students listen	Instructor models; students interact with instructor and one another
Students work alone	Students work in pairs, in groups, or alone depending on the purpose of the activity
Instructor monitors and corrects every student utterance	Students talk without constant instructor monitoring; instructor provides feedback/correction when questions arise
Instructor answers students’ questions about language	Students answer each other’s questions, using instructor as an information resource
Instructor chooses topics	Students have some choice of topics
Instructor evaluates student learning	Students evaluate their own learning; instructor also evaluates
Classroom is quiet	Classroom is often noisy and busy

Related source:

I found a website with resources for K-12 from the Appalachian Studies Association. I never knew there was such a thing!

Source:

"A Resource Directory for Teaching Appalachian Topics." Appalachian Studies Association (2005): n. pag. Appalachian Studies Association. Web. 23 Sep 2011. <http://www.appalachianstudies.org/resources/K12/index.php>.

Double Entry Journal #8

The first reason I found that it is not a good idea to group English as Second Learners together is the students may or may not be proud of where they are from. Many students want to fit in with other students and grouping them with students from the same culture as them may make them feel left out. For example, in the reading, Bianca is a Mexican student in Mrs. Rosales class. Mrs. Rosales thought it would be a good idea to partner Bianca with another student from Mexico. They were the only two students in the class from the Hispanic culture. However, Bianca would not talk. Mrs. Rosales later found out Bianca did not think fondly of her Mexican Culture. Mrs. Rosales thought she was doing the girls a favor by seating them together, when in reality she was creating a problem.

Some English Language Learners are only able to speak their primary language. According to the text, teachers often group English as Second Learners together because they think they have similarities. However, sometimes, the only thing they have in common is learning to speak English. Therefore, if English as Second Learners are grouped together they may not get much accomplished because they are not very familiar with the English Language. Their Educational history plays an important role in grouping the students. Some may have little or no schooling due to the lack of teachers in the rural communities, family poverty, of frequent mobility. These factors must be taken into consideration when grouping students, especially ELL.

According to the text, it is also important to recognize that English Language Learners do not all have the same background when assigning groups. It is a tendency to group students together as though their experiences and knowledge are the same. This is often the case with English Language Learners. Students need to be grouped together with consideration of their previous experiences, such as the age in which a student is exposed to English, the quality and quantity of this exposure, their language and learning aptitude, and whether the primary language is Latin based.

A virtual school bag is a concept whereby a teacher considers the knowledge, skills and ways of being that children carry with them in a virtual back pack. Inside a virtual backpack, students carry with them a number of practices, resources, skills, knowledge, values and assumptions about learning, teaching, and life.

Link to text

Related Source:

Digital Story Response

Having students create a digital story is a great way for teachers who are guilty of being culturally deficit, grow to understand their students and the culture they come from, instead of placing judgment on them. According to the cultural deficit model, students of color and poor students often enter school with a lack of “cultural capital.” The cultural deficit model fails to address the instructional barriers that prohibit these students from learning, such as low-income, family issues, etc. Implementing the creation of a digital story is a great way to allow students, as well as the teacher, to see the diversity amongst the classroom.

As we discussed in class, a digital story can help build community in the classroom. Students, as well as the teacher, are given the opportunity to learn more about each other in an informally fun way. Students are able to learn about their peers and the different interests they may have, or they may even find they have something in common with one another. Students can learn about the different cultures and backgrounds their peers have, which can help them better understand each other. As I mentioned before, this activity could greatly benefit a teacher who is guilty of being culturally deficit. If many of them took the time to learn about their students’ cultures and backgrounds they would possibly become more inclined not to pass judgment on them.

According to the Funds of Knowledge article, it is important to use a qualitative approach to connect homes and the classroom. Having students create a digital story is the perfect activity to do so! Moll believes the secret to literacy instruction is for schools to investigate and tap into the "hidden" home and community resources of their students. The digital story will allow students to explore further into the history of themselves, their family, and their community. It will help themselves learn to appreciate where they come from, as well as the students’ peers and teacher.

The Purcell-Gates article is full of instances where judgment is being passed. For example, the teacher who claims she knew the mother of one of her students was “ignorant” as soon as she opened her mouth due to her “hillbilly” dialect. If the teacher would of taken time to get to know her students, for example by creating a digital story, the teacher could have learned about her students background and been more open to where he or she was from and learn to appreciate the mother’s accent. This is just one of the many instances where it proves that it is a very wise idea to take the time to get to know your students, as well as the people around you.

Throughout my time as a student at Fairmont State University, I have learned, not only in this class but others, it is truly a good idea to get to know your students. As a future teacher, I plan to not only get to know my students but learn about the community I am teaching in, as well. It is important to find out the community population, what historical landmarks are located nearby, socio-economic statuses, percentages of cultural diversity, etc. I hope to learn as much about my students as possible and plan to always be open-minded because you never know what someone is going through, even a student in your very own classroom.

Where I'm From

Here is the final draft of my Where I'm From video!! (O:

Double Entry Journal #6

I really enjoyed reading the Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching because I was able to think of so many examples that I have witnessed and experienced throughout my time as a student at Fairmont State University.

The example I am most able to relate to is the first principle: Positive Perspective on Parents and Families.

While attending Fairmont State, I work at a daycare, We recently we decided to take on a new classroom management plan. Every child is given a red, yellow, and green mouse. At the beginning of each day, each child begins with a green mouse. If they start misbehaving their mouse is moved to yellow, which means "Think about it." If they improve their behavior, they get their green mouse back. If they continue to misbehave, their yellow mouse turns to a red mouse. The children become very upset when their mouse has to change colors, as well as the parents. Every evening the parents ask their child "What color is your mouse?" One parent even created their own red, yellow, and green chart at home using frogs. It is truly a great classroom management plan that I will implement in my classroom.

According to the Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching, it is very important for parents to be partners with the students and teachers. I have witnessed that at my daycare and it is very pleasing to see parents who care and are involved and support our classroom management plan. I have learned it is very important to have the support of parents in many of the education courses I have taken, while being a student at Fairmont State University.

I have also learned, over my course as being a student at Fairmont State, that it is very important for teachers to have high expectations for their students. It is, also, the second principle for culturally responsive teaching. All students should receive the consistent message that they are expected to obtain high standards in their school work. I learned that in Dr. Smith's class and I have taken it with me every where I go, whether it be at daycare or the cheerleading team I coach.

Additional Resource:

The additional resource I found is a report done on 8 schools in Kanawha County, West Virginia who used culturally responsive teaching!

(You do not have to buy the report.)

References:

Principles for culturally responsive teaching. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml

Rough Draft_Take 2

Finally got my video to upload! No one judge me to harshly, I'm pretty much changing it all. I consider this to be an outline. I am going to change the font color and placement of the font, add effects, and music, etc. Also, how did you all add your music other than ITunes and the music that comes with the website?

Double Entry Journal #5

3 Things I learned:

1)      The teaching of writing should assume students will begin with the sort of language with which they are most at home and most fluent in their speech.  That language may be a dialect of English, or even a different language altogether.  The goal is not to leave students where they are, however, but to move them toward greater flexibility, so that they can write not just for their own intimates but for wider audiences.

2)      Writers often talk in order to rehearse the language and content that will go into what they write, and conversation often provides an impetus or occasion for writing.

3)      Writers have a definite idea of who will read their words, not just a generalized notion that their text will be available to the world.

2 Things I found interesting:

1)      Writing conferences, wherein student writers’ talk about their work with a teacher, who can make suggestions or re-orient what the writer, is doing, are also very helpful uses of talk in the writing process.

2)      Writers start in different places.  It makes a difference what kind of language a writer spoke while growing up, and what kind of languages they are being asked to take on later in their experience. It makes a difference, too, what kind of culture the writer comes from, the ways people use language in that culture, and the degree to which the culture is privileged in the larger society.

1 Question:

1)      In what grade should students begin learning the writing process?

Related Source:

Here is the actual link to the National Council of Teachers of English. It is jam packed with goodies that we, as future teachers, can benefit from.

Resources:

NCTE Beliefs About the Teaching of Writing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/document/d/1kBob4rwoBfMr5KibZlGhE7RopH9ZVrXij2XWhbNzeVk/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1#

Where I'm From Video

This is just a VERY ROUGH draft of my video. I consider it to be more of an outline. I want to change the font, add effects, and add music. I do not like the choices of music Photo Story has. However, I do not know how to add music from another place. So, if someone could fill me in I would greatly appreciate it.

I haven't had the opportunity to travel home to get the rest of the pictures I want to add to my project. So, I have added notes to kind of guide me for when I go home this weekend to get them.

I am aware the fonts don't match and are not all visible, but like I said, this is a very rough draft and it will look different when I'm finally fnished.

**I just uploaded my video and it says "There was an error in processing your video". So, I'm not sure if anyone can even view it. Please let me know.

Double Entry Journal #4

"He believes the secret to literacy instruction is for schools to investigate and tap into the "hidden" home and community resources of their students." (Moll, 1992)


I chose this quote because I couldn't agree more with it. One of the most important things I learned from Dr. Smith is to get to know your students. Research the community your school is in, find out the socio-economic statistics, students benchmark test scores, their background, parents jobs, if there is anything going on at home with your students that you should know about, etc. It is very important to get to know your students because not only are you able to develop a relationship with them, but you are able to understand the reasons for their behavior a little easier.

For example, if little Suzie sleeps in class every day the teacher may think she doesn't care about school. The teacher may become frustrated with her, treat her differently, and so on. What the teacher doesn't know is Suzie's mom is a single parent who works midnight and Suzie is left at home to take care of her little brother in sister every night. She has to feed, bathe, and put them to bed. She doesn't have time to do her homework. Had the teacher gotten to know Suzie she would of learned this from the beginning and been able to find solutions to help her.

Situations like these occur in the classroom all the time. As future teachers, it is our responsibility to get to know our students and prevent things like this from happening. This, also, goes for everday life. I was always taught.. "Smile, you never know what someone is going through." (:

Related Source:

I found an article on getting to know your students. It explains that getting to know your students is very crucial because it allows you to develop a relationship with them.

References:

Craven, Heather. "Getting to Know Your Students." Inspiring Teachers. Inspiring Teachers, Publishing Inc., 2011. Web. 5 Sep 2011. http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/articles/beginning_of_the_school_year/getting_to_know

Moll, L.C. (1992). Funds of knowledge. Theory into Practice, 31(2), Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/1476399

Where I'm From

WHERE I'M FROM

I am from the rocky banks of the ol’ Buffalo Creek from daddy’s famous vegetable dumplins’ and mommas fried green tomatoes.

I am from the very last house that sits on the left on Dancer Avenue filled with lots of love and animals who think their people.

I am from the rhododendrons, roses of Sharon, and pine trees that surround my whole yard.

I am from late nights at the Mannington Fair selling cotton candy and candy apples and crazy Italian women who talk with their hands.

From “Don’t make a face, it will get stuck that way” and “Where’s the other half of your pants? Ya waitin on a flood?”

I am from a loving Christian family who all attend the First Baptist Church in Mannington, where my momma plays the Organ. I am from a family whose blessing for meals always began with “Father, it is thankful we are”. Thanks grandaddy.

I'm from Mannington, West Virginia where we eat sugar on our mashed potatoes and take pride in our gardens.

From the family of the famous “Gabby” Wilson, who went to the moose for hours and left on his little blue moped with the rubber chicken tied to the front. Rest in Peace Grandaddy Long Legs. I miss you more than words can say.

I am from a family who keeps every voicemail you ever leave just to play at the next family dinner to make fun of you, a family of 5 boys who taught me how to spit, play pool, and climb trees, a family who calls me "Crash" thanks to my great driving record, a family who has supported me in every pageant I have ever done, and most importantly, molded me into the woman I am today.

I am from a family who is sweet like fudge and crazy with just a few nuts.

Double Entry Journal #3

Here is the link to my graphic organizer on the Cultural Deficit Theory.

Reference:
Bolima, D. (n.d.). Contexts for understanding:educational learning theories. Retrieved from http://staff.washington.edu/saki/strategies/101/new_page_5.htm

Double Entry Journal #2

As I began reading, the first paragraph caught my attention and made me become more interested in reading the article. The author begins by telling of a time when a teacher referred to her student’s mother as being ignorant due to her hillbilly accent. “I knew she was ignorant just as soon as she opened her mouth!” (Purcell-Gates, 2002) She considered her to be ignorant because of her southern mountain dialect.

I am ashamed to admit that I am somewhat guilty of stereotyping people in relation to how they speak BUT not because of their accent. My biggest pet peeve is poor grammar! I grew up in a family of teachers; therefore I was always corrected and shamed for using poor grammar. I do not have perfect grammar, nobody’s perfect, but I sure do not say “We was…”, “He done…” etc.

If a person has an accent, they can still have proper grammar. I would never judge a person based on their accent. So, the story the author referred to caused me to have the strongest reaction to the article. No one should be judged because of having an accent, but by how well they speak. For example, if someone is applying for a job and is from the southern part of West Virginia, he or she should not be judged because of their accent but by how well they speak and use their grammar when answering the questions they are given, etc.

Another story that caught my attention was, the child who didn’t understand the concept of “silent reading”. “A little girl about two years old was sitting with her mother in the parents/children room at church one Sunday. Bored with the actual church service, this little girl asked her mother to read to her. Her mother, trying to focus on the service, put her off for as long as she could. “Read!” commanded the child, “read!” Her mother, silently following along in her bible, said “I AM reading.” “No!” said the two-year old. Reaching up with her hand, she opened her mother’s mouth and began to move her lips up and down. (Purcell-Gates, 2002) The things children say and do are amazing.

References:

Purcell Gates, V. (2002). As soon as she opened her mouth. In L. Delpit & J.K Dowdy (Eds.), In The skin that we speak: An anthology of essays on language culture and power. (Print: Anthology)

Related Resource:

Great source that can be used to review documents to check for incorrect grammar. I played around with it for a little while. Very neat.

http://www.grammarly.com/?q=grammar&gclid=COLbzPHI86oCFQUUKgod3HhFOQ

Double Entry Journal #1

Quote:

"Reporters from the big cities wrote about ''white savages'' and ''West Virginia barbarians.''

(O'Brian)

Reaction:

I find the above quote to be very insulting to West Virginian's. When I first read the quote, I thought "We are being classified as being "uncivilized" and "untamed". Many people from other states, usually, seem to think we marry our cousins, have no teeth, and are poor because we are from West Virginia. We are called hillbillies and made fun of for our "accents". What about people from Tennessee? Do people not realize many great country singers come from Nashville? They have a similar "country" way of living, just like us West Virginian's. I am proud to be born and raised in the mountains and hills of West Virginia. At least we know how to hunt for our food, farm, and better yet survive in this terrible world we are living in today. Hank Williams says it best when he sings his famous song “A Country Boy Can Survive.”

Reference:

O'Brian, John. "Tall Tales Of Appalachia." New York Times. New York Times Company, May 10, 2003. Web. 24 Aug 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html?src=pm.

Related Resource:

After responding to the quote I chose, I began to wonder if people in West Virginia and Tennessee are ever compared to each other. I came across a hillbilly joke website. The site is directed to people from Tennessee. However, in the joke titled "Hillbilly Letter From Home" West Virginia is mentioned.

I didn't find anything of much worth that compares the two states. So, I decided to include the joke website. It's kind of humorous.

http://www.guy-sports.com/months/jokes_hillbilly_drunk.htm

Reference:

Baker, Will, and Guy Thomas. "Tennessee Hillbilly Jokes." N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Aug 2011. http://www.guy-sports.com/months/jokes_hillbilly_drunk.htm.