Gurwinder Sandhu Elizabeth Hinnant ENGL 1102 4/4/14

Ethnography: Annotated Bibliography No Child Left Behind Act: Assistance from Education Could Help States Better Measure Progress of Students with Limited English Proficiency : Report to Congressional Requesters. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2006. Internet resource. 12 Mar.2014 In this article, they use a lot of statistics to support their topic on how students with limited English proficiency are scoring lower than average in almost all of America. This article goes on giving supporting details about this issue and what they can do to resolve the problem that is present. They describe certain methods that they could introduce to help enhance the classroom atmosphere and help young students excel in their work. Even though the class I observed had nothing to do with them being less proficient in English, it did show what type of teaching strategies can be adjusted in order to help enhance education in all aspects. One thing I could take from this article is that these secondary schools implemented peer reviews for their English class. Students should be able to work together to find mistakes and then be able to correct them. It sounds like a less formal way of learning but for young students, this seems to be effective since it helps them be able to read other students work and be able to see what works and what does not work. I liked the way they described techniques that teachers could possibly use to help construct their teaching methods. This article shows how little methods can help a student get so far to reach their goal. One thing I think teachers can do is be able to get some sort of training. I know that the teachers at the Sikh Sunday school were just adults who knew the language and were trying to do the best things for the children in their community, which doesn't make them certified. They
Comment [B3]: This summary is a bit vague. Remember that you should do all that you can (within a limited space) to give you reader a feel for the piece. Im not sure I get that here. Comment [B4]: Who is them? Be specific. Comment [B2]: Who? Comment [B1]: Is there no author? Further, did you get this article from the library website (in other words, is it scholarly?)? Also, please be sure that your sources are listed alphabetically according to authors last names (or in this case, if theres no author, the first letter of the title).

[Type text]

should learn some techniques in teaching so they can be able to teach the lessons more efficiently. I think that this would improve the students proficiency and they will be able to process that information much easier than before. This article also says they experimented with working with parents to support the academic progress of their children. This approach is effective, especially with younger students because parents can motivate their students to do better or have some sort of strategy to keep students active within the class.
Comment [B5]: Im not sure what the purpose of this paragraph is. In your first paragraph you put your research in conversation with the scholars. This just seems to be opinion based.

Fischbach, Antoine, et al. "PISA Proficiency Scores Predict Educational Outcomes." Learning & Individual Differences 24.(2013): 63-72.Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. The purpose of this journal is to show how they measure and predict a person's performance based on PISA proficiency tests. This test can measure how well you would do at your job, what your salary might be and much more. They also use research to backup their overarching goal statement by looking at educational systems such as the system in Luxembourg and in France. This journal entry backed up a lot of things I had said in my ethnography, but their method was different than mine. They used a test to evaluate students on their proficiency while I basically observed a small group of students and was able to physically see the difference. Each style has their pros and cons. The exam is able to reach a large group of students at one time, but being able to visually see the difference between students who care and students who lack interest in the class lets you get more out of the research you're trying to conduct. One thing I like about this journal was that they showed statistics to back up their theory on if "students with higher proficiency scores tended to obtain better grades"(6). Students who were showing more interest in their studies were being rewarded with better grades. This is the same within the class
Comment [B7]: Again, this summary is incredibly vague. I dont think I really understand the purpose of the article based solely on what youve written here. Comment [B6]: The database title should be in italics.

[Type text]

that I had observed. The students who were giving their best in their work would be given recognition within the class so that the other students could try to be like their peers. Even though this journal is not directly related to my ethnography, I was still able to get some type of information out of it and be able to support my ethnography. This journal talked about students with higher proficiency scores are usually going to be the ones that have a higher salary than the others. I could see how that is possible if I were to base it off of my ethnography. Even though the students I observed weren't getting paid yet, statistics have proven that students who pay more attention in class will be rewarded later on whether it be with higher salary, or some type of acknowledgment. I think the students who don't put as much effort in their work as much as others do, won't get as far in life as their peers.
Comment [B8]: Good. I think your analysis here is strong, and I like that youre consistently relating the article to your own research. However, the language does seem to get a bit informal at times, so thats something to watch out for in revision.

Farr, Steven. "LEADERSHIP, Not Magic." Educational Leadership 68.4 (2010): 28-33. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. This article talks about how students whose parents have a low income have a low chance of even graduating high school because of the educational system they are in. It goes on to talk about how a women named Gillette decided to do something about it with her students and make sure her students get the education they deserve. The article goes over her teaching methods, as well as other successful teachers, and talks about the success these methods have in improving their education system. I really enjoyed reading this article because it was something I tried to highlight in my ethnography. Even though the classroom at the Charlotte Sikh church do not have all the resources in the world, all you need is a teacher that truly cares and it can make such a huge difference."Highly effective teachers show what it takes to close achievement gaps"(1). This ethnography made me wish I had observed the teachers a little bit more carefully to understand

Comment [B9]: Can you give me some specific examples here?

Comment [B10]: Remember that quotes cant stand alonethey need to be introduced or concluded.

[Type text]

how effective one person can be in affecting many lives in the classroom. "We define great teaching not by what teachers do but instead by those teachers' impact on students' lives"(3). Thinking back to my observations, what I mostly remember about the teachers at the Sikh church was that they would stand in front of the class and basically sound like a boring professor in college giving a lecture until the time ran out. This article shows how hard work and patience can help students get so much farther in the classroom. They want students to invest time in learning and motivating them, encouraging them, and telling them what they are learning is making a difference in their lives. This article talks about how every teacher should regard every mistake their students make, as a mistake of how they were teaching. Reading this article showed me how strong one older voice can change the way many think. This article wants every teacher to strive to improve their teaching techniques and make sure every child they are responsible gets the proper education they deserve. One teacher would videotaped her classes so she could watch them later on. She didn't record her classes just to see if students were not paying attention, she used them as a way to watch herself and find any flaws she made during her instructing time. This article can be a great guide to many teachers who want to help improve their students learning proficiency in the class.
Comment [B11]: While this information is interesting, Im not sure its relevant for your purposes here. Try not to include extra summary or opinionfocus on speaking specifically about how this information will benefit your own research.

Cahill, Susan M. Classroom Management For Kids Who Wont Sit Still and Other Bad Apples. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus 3.1 (2006):1. Education Research Complete.Web. 28 Mar. 2014 This article is about a teacher and therapist and how they find different techniques and methods to make the classroom more efficient and manageable. The article starts off with the teacher being described as very strict but was the best at what she does. They also talk about the

[Type text]

difference between the good and the bad apple in her classroom. Throughout the article, they work together to find solutions for students who have a hard time sitting still and paying attention and talk about certain programs that are specialized for this function. This article can be directly related to a person in my ethnography who had a hard time doing his work and paying attention in class. This article shows how to handle certain situations like those and help the teacher adjust to that persons tempo. One way was to get rid of the teachers good apple bad apple system and try a whole new system and see if the students can adjust to it. This new system made the students review how they were doing in the class themselves. I thought this was very unique but it was a good idea. The students could critique themselves and try to be the most optimal student they could possibly be. Of course the teacher would review every ones reflection and see if their reflection does fit the students ability at the time and then tell them if it was correct or not. This was a great move because now you can see where you have to start with each individual student and figure out what you needs to be worked on to help optimize the best classroom efficiency. Maybe if the teachers at the Sikh church could try this with their students, experiment with it, and see how this could help in figuring out how to help the kids that dont pay attention in class help themselve s. There are always students who cant sit still or who cant pay attention because they are distracted but I believe it is the teachers responsibility at that age level to help the students as much as possible to figure out what they need to do to stay on task and not disrupt others in the classroom. This way, students can get more out of their classes and make it much easier on the teachers head as well. Reading this article, they were able to make huge improvements for all of the students and was very effective to the overall classroom atmosphere the teacher wanted to have. I believe this could work in any classroom setting, including the one I observed. Students at a young age need a different way of
Comment [B12]: This doesnt directly pertain to your research. This is more of your opinion on how the church should run.

[Type text]

understanding when it's ok to have fun and when it's ok to sit down and focus on their work. This article was able to show what it takes to gain improvement in a class and make a classroom much more efficient.
Comment [B13]: Again, most of this paragraph is opinion.

Brown, Kirsty and Hilary Kennedy. "Learning Through Conversation: Exploring and Extending Teacher and Children's Involvement in Classroom Talk." School Psychology International. 32.4 (2011): 377-396. Print This article is about a group of teachers, who work with a specialized psychologist, getting together and formulating new methods of teaching that is geared more towards students that are having a tough time in class. Some of the students need help on focusing and staying on the task at hand and others just need new ways of studying so teachers try to think up some tips and ideas the students could use to help them become more efficient. They talk about the types of conversations they can have with their students individually and how they could use their conversations within the class and make it more interactive. This article was very helpful and I was able to make some links to my ethnography. One major point I liked about this article is that they had this one major question : "What kinds of conversations are good for learning"(4)? Conversations make everyone in the room participate in an orderly manner. They came up with the why questions to be the best way to start and ke ep a conversation going. The word why makes you deep digger and digger every time you think you gave a good answer. I saw some of this during my own observation in the class during the history lecture. The teacher would involved who didnt participate as much and never took a five-word sentence as an answer. He would ask why and you could see the students at least try to make an effort in trying to satisfy the teacher with an answer that meets his expectations. Teachers shouldnt just control their class completely but let the students have some time

[Type text]

to think and be able to create reasonable answers in their heads. This can help them later on in life where they could probably solve problems easier since they will dig deep to find good answers. These teachers also decided to do a project of their own. They all recorded their classes and brought them back to review and pick out strengths and weaknesses in their class. This is an amazing technique since teachers will hear from other teachers and be able to receive constructive criticism that they might not have ever thought about. All of this can help build on how efficient their classroom will be, especially if they help the students out first and make sure they are focused in their school work. The only thing you will receive out of this would be positive results.
Comment [B14]: Opinion based.

Gur, While I think that this draft certainly has its strengths, Im leaving it feeling a bit confused. To start, while some of your summaries are quite strong there are others that dont really give me, the reader, a feel for the article at hand. Remember tha t even though summaries do need to be short and concise, they also need to be detailed enough to give your audience the information that they need to understand an article/book that they (presumably) have never read before. Keep pushing yourself to really pinpoint the scholars overall ideas and arguments as you move forward in revision. Further, and more importantly, Im not sure how well your analyses are fu nctioning here. Some are very well developed, and I think you do a nice job of relating the information in the piece to your own research. However, that changes as your bibliography progresses. Some, to me, seem based firmly in your own personal opinions about teaching. While I dont have any issues with you having feelings about strong teaching practices (obviously), I dont think this is the place to showcase it. The point of an annotated bibliography is to discuss the strengths and weaknesses in a particular article and tell your reader how youre going to use such as you move forward in your own research. That requires the language to be very formal, direct, and objective. As you begin revising, you should really push yourself to take out any and all personal opinion and replace it with scholarly conversation.