Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Amanda Newcomb
Vanguard University
EDUG 506
February 9, 2017
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In what ways can I take ownership of the subject matter content standards and make them
accessible and memorable for my students?
Learning is a beautiful process, but it can be challenging and downright boring if the
students cannot see the value of what they are being taught. As a prospective English teacher,
helping my students to understand the value and the relevance of the material they will be
studying is, perhaps, just as important as the content itself. The standards are certainly important;
they are the foundation upon which content and instruction are built. The Common Core State
Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS ELA) are broken up into five categories: Reading
Standards for Literature; Reading Standards for Informational Text; Writing; Speaking and
Listening; and Language. Each of these standards is a crucial piece in the development of our
students and must be made accessible to each student. It is my job, as a teacher, to make the
subject matter engaging so that they can see its value and relevance to their lives.
The CCSS ELA, Reading Standards for Literature provide the foundation for reading
and comprehending works of literature, including stories, drama, poetry, and novels. The
Standards also provide a list of suggested texts appropriate titles that fit the appropriate levels for
each grade. Many students will remember much of what they were assigned to read for class
with annoyance or dread. There are many titles that, while fulfilling standards and provoking
thought in some, do not have any relevance in the lives of today's students. When teachers are
choosing literature for their classes to study, they should first consider their students. Students'
interests, backgrounds, and cultures have an impact on their lives in a very real way. Since
literature is a framework through which people view the world, teachers should try to incorporate
literature with subjects and authors relevant to the lives of their students. If my class had students
who came from Mexican backgrounds, I could try to incorporate texts from Mexican authors or
characters of similar age ranges that would meet the standards I would be trying to reach. If I had
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a disabled student, I could try to incorporate texts featuring a protagonist with a disability or
written by an author with a disability. Not only would my students be more engaged in the
content, I would be conveying to my students that I care about them and value their culture. The
students who come from different backgrounds from these could also benefit from a new
perspective because reading about other cultures or people different from themselves could help
them to develop their world view. (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing [CTC],
2016. TPE 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 4.1). I also think that it is important to choose content that addresses
issues that will have a real impact on their lives, whether that be through literature (for example,
The CCSS ELA Standards for Reading Informational Text provides a list of suggested
informational texts, including literary nonfiction. Many of these texts are important to study,
especially those that offer different perspectives than what is presented in the history books.
Studying informational texts from people of color, for instance, might provide the students with a
different and more relevant perspective on historical events. The use of literary nonfiction
relevant to today's world could serve as a way to inform the students about current events, as
well as get them more interested in not only reading but also in the issues that affect them. I
could incorporate multimedia projects in which the students get to choose what is important to
them to research and present in a way that interests them such as in a video, musical, or other
artistic form. (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing [CTC], 2016. TPE 1.1, 1.3, 1.5,
Many students dislike writing because they lack the language skills or vocabulary skills
to express themselves. However, it is an important and necessary skill to learn, whether for
communication or for creative expression. The CCSS ELA Writing Standards address the many
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functions of writing and the ways in which our students must become proficient. I think the first
would like to start each lesson by having my students write in a journal about things that interest
them or by reflecting upon what they are reading in class. This way, they are practicing the
techniques they have learned and refining their skills. Using activities such as group storytelling,
where each person writes a sentence until they have a story is a way to ease the pressure of
writing and to get them to see the fun of it. For ELLs, this strategy could help to lower the
affective filter while helping them build upon their reading and writing skills, as well as
topics that interest them so that they are more motivated to succeed. (California Commission on
Teacher Credentialing [CTC], 2016. TPE 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 1.7, 4.1, 4.7)
Perhaps the most dreaded aspect of the CCSS ELA for many students is speaking. To get
students to become more comfortable with speaking in front of others, I would encourage them
to incorporate the performing arts into their presentations. If we were studying Shakespeare's
Macbeth, one assignment option could be for select students to role play as different characters
from the play and ask each other questions, answering in character. For ELLs, they could write
down their questions and read them if they chose. This is a way for the students to demonstrate
their understanding and evaluation of the content that plays to strengths that might not often be
displayed. When it comes to listening and evaluating speakers' arguments, the class could watch
TED talks and evaluate the speakers. The class could debate absurd topics, which would hit both
speaking and listening, while also providing a pressure-free and fun atmosphere in which to
develop and build upon their skills. The Language Standards would be touched upon with each
of the other standards because language is an integral part to every aspect of life. (California
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Commission on Teacher Credentialing [CTC], 2016. TPE 1.1, 1.3, 1.5, 1.7, 4.1, 4.7). It is
important to "provide multiple means of engagement to tap learners' interests, offer appropriate
challenges, and increase motivation. Students differ markedly in the ways in which they can be
Jean Piaget said, "Learning is possible only when there is active assimilation" (Piaget,
2003, p. S17). Students must take an active role in their education, and to do this, they must be
engaged and supported in a way that fits their needs. According to Lev Vygotsky, learning has an
"expanded role in development" (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 81). Both of these theories contribute to the
idea that students need differentiation and they need to be engaged in their learning. Students
need to see the value and relevance of the content in order to find the motivation to succeed.
Through the standards, teachers must provide complex and engaging content and activities to
References
Burden, P.R., & Byrd, D.M. (2016). Methods for Effective Teaching: Meeting the Needs of All Students
Expectations.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School
Officers. (2013). Common Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy in