Collaborative Learning

Recently I read this article in the Annual Edition Critical Reading in the content areas on improving young adolescent literacy through collaboration. The article dealt with how schools can use collaborative learning to get students to share their thinking, engage discussion and solve various types of problems. The writers’ also highlighted research done by Johnson and Johnson (1991) and Slavin (1995) which show that students involve in collaborative learning situations score higher on achievement test than other methods.
The article also dealt with ways in which collaborative learning benefits students such as improving self esteem, motivate students, built positive attitudes and a decrease dependence on students and many more benefits.
I decided to talk a bit about collaborative learning because I am not a strong individual in using the technology so I need the guidance of others to get me along the way. Sometimes it can be a bother to some when you need to constantly ask how to do something even if they may not say so. In the group assignment on creating a concept map I did understand the creation of the concept map better and even learn a little more from my peers who were a little more verse so I felt more at ease in doing the concept map and I felt that I benefited so much more in working with the group than if it was left up to me to create the concept map on my own. The level of accomplishment that I now feel would not have been possible if left to work on my own. I am a strong believer of collaborative learning in various subject areas not only reading so that our students will feel a bit of success.

Don't "fraid" it use it

Many of us as teachers are hesitant to engage in using technology because we are afraid that our kids are more knowledgeable than us in using technology.We shun away from using technology in our teaching so as to make our lessons more meaningful and enjoyable for our students. According to Gee and Levine (2009) teachers must transform their classroom and their teaching but, like the students they serve, they need scaffolding to change and grow.
The Ministry Of Education in the setting up of a number of training programs in Information Communication Technology (ICT) during the holidays have realized that teachers need the relevant training and scaffolding in order to fully implement ICT in the classroom. I do hope after the training that teachers will implement what was taught in the planning of lessons so that they will be some form of transformation in the setting of the classroom for teaching and learning.

The need to blog.

Blogs help students to interact with each other even outside the classroom thus creating opportunities for students to be self motivated and to engage in reading and writing tasks in new and innovative ways. It helps all students to be at ease in performing reading and writing activities as they are given opportunities to express themselves freely. It helps students who are learning new languages to communicate easier with their peers. Students also have time to collaborate with their peers and share their work with each other and such collaboration also leads in the development of positive self esteem and values. Students can be very creative,expressive and responsible in the use of blogs. Blogs also remove the technical issues so students have avenues to put more in the content in writing so as the material when read by the reader will be more meaningful.

Why I am a Reading Specialist?

My name is Lynette Bobb. I have been a primary school teacher for more than ten years. I enjoy working at my school. The atmosphere is welcoming and the children do encourage you to go out everyday to do your best I am also a mother which I feel is one of my greatest accomplishments.

I have been observing the students at my school are not performing as expected in literacy and the problem usually get worse as the children move up in the standards . Many of the teachers do try to assist these students but are unable to do so because they lack the advanced knowledge that will help them to effectively do so. Many of our students as a result of the problems they are facing in literacy are not performing as they should. I felt that I was not equip to help children in the way they needed and as a result I felt that I needed some form of training to do so effectively.

I was truly happy that the then Government of Trinidad and Tobago felt that there was a need to offer a master in reading so as to help teachers to be better able to assist all stakeholders in the advancement of literacy at both the primary and secondary schools. I was happy to be chosen on the programme because the knowledge that I will gain from the programme will not only benefit me in the future but all stakeholders that are involve in the school community as we work together in helping the students move from the level at which they at and advance to new levels in there performance at school.