Ray E. Etheridge
Western Washington University
Teacher Scholastic Website-Dirtmeister
http://teacher.scholastic.com/dirt/index.htm
Site Accessed: May 10, 2010
The Scholastic Website is an excellent resource for teachers and students. It has many different resources for the teacher and student alike from laboratory exercises to news, publishing resources, projects and links to additional websites. The website is easy to use and navigate and easy to adapt too many different classroom situations. The laboratory exercises are clearly spelled out and offer clear and obvious examples of the different ideas presented in the book. The resources are useful, approachable and easy to use. Using this website therefore allows for an easy and enjoyable introduction to the concepts of environmentalism, activism and community involvement that are embodied in the modern concept of education that I have been talking about in my previous posts. While a corporate website at heart it offers many free resources and opportunities, ignore the occasional corporate logo and access what you like, ignore the rest.
One of the main reasons I like this resource is that it allows for a ready-made access to many practical examples, ideas and project that can easily engage students in the study of the subject of Sustainability Literacy. Also I like this website because I feel that it offers many practical resources for teachers at many levels that augment the concepts and ideas embodied in the ideas of issues based education and environmentalism combined with good Science program that allows for a diversity of education techniques that I have discussed in my previous postings. While many ideas are of great importance they are often difficult to approach at a ground level and the website fills the gap between theory and practice that can otherwise be difficult to bridge, especially for beginning teachers and students with special needs or diverse backgrounds. After all what is more down to earth and common to every civilization that dirt.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Review of "The Physics Classroom"
The Physics Classroom
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/
Date Accessed: May 6, 2010
The Physics Classroom is a site developed by a High School Physics teacher and is intended to such as well as their students. The site is extremely easy to use, employs simple but effective graphics and the authors allows, nay encourages, the use of the site for other classes. It has much information, explanations, graphics and illustrations that could easily be used by a teacher for illustration or by students for learning, such as it’s numerous tutorials and sample homework questions. This could be of particular importance to young students with few resources other than a library’s Internet connection as a online tool, teacher and tutor to aid them when other help is not available. In addition to all this the developer provides many useful tools for the teacher so as to aid them in developing their own methods of instruction and classroom preparation, such as in descriptions of laboratory exercises with materials, concepts and quantities listed. These are not pre-printed labs as such but rather, infinitely more valuable, the tools to make such easily and quickly. In essence it is a free prepackaged box of tools and support materials that no new physics should be without! Go to this site, play around with it and figure out how you want to use it, it will make the first few years of teaching much easier.
Overall I find the site highly useful is somewhat devoid of the typical bells and whistles often associated with such sites. If you want basic good quality tools to help you set up a class this is the place to go for teachers. If you want some guidance and help as a student, this is a good place to go. As a starting point for web activities The Physics Classroom is basic, easy to use and fun. Go and check it out today!
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/
Date Accessed: May 6, 2010
The Physics Classroom is a site developed by a High School Physics teacher and is intended to such as well as their students. The site is extremely easy to use, employs simple but effective graphics and the authors allows, nay encourages, the use of the site for other classes. It has much information, explanations, graphics and illustrations that could easily be used by a teacher for illustration or by students for learning, such as it’s numerous tutorials and sample homework questions. This could be of particular importance to young students with few resources other than a library’s Internet connection as a online tool, teacher and tutor to aid them when other help is not available. In addition to all this the developer provides many useful tools for the teacher so as to aid them in developing their own methods of instruction and classroom preparation, such as in descriptions of laboratory exercises with materials, concepts and quantities listed. These are not pre-printed labs as such but rather, infinitely more valuable, the tools to make such easily and quickly. In essence it is a free prepackaged box of tools and support materials that no new physics should be without! Go to this site, play around with it and figure out how you want to use it, it will make the first few years of teaching much easier.
Overall I find the site highly useful is somewhat devoid of the typical bells and whistles often associated with such sites. If you want basic good quality tools to help you set up a class this is the place to go for teachers. If you want some guidance and help as a student, this is a good place to go. As a starting point for web activities The Physics Classroom is basic, easy to use and fun. Go and check it out today!
Review of "Skymaps.com"
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
Sci. Ed. 481, 5/6/10
Web Resources Paper
Skymaps.com
http://skymaps.com/
Date Accessed: May 6, 2010
Skymaps.com is an excellent site for anyone interested in astronomy. While technically a site that sells a variety of Astronomical resources the heart and soul of the site are the free educational resources that the site has, in particular the user friendly easy to read, download and use Skymaps themselves. Printing out these maps, which is free for educational purposes, is a treasure that no astronomy class should be without. Provided each month and available in a variety of languages and for a variety of locations the maps are easy to use, fun and with a bit of practice very accurate. The Sky Calendar, also free, provides a list of the interesting astronomical events of the month and can be used to plan activities and group outings. While there is not much more free on the site than these two offerings there are plenty of maps, links to telescopes, calendars and other quality items available for purchase, if you are inclined.
Scientist and laymen alike can make use of this site for education purposes such as for guides in viewing the might sky for astronomy projects or just for fun. While there is not much free at this site the Skymaps and Sky Calendar are enough and for those interested in taking the next step the products they offer are good and reasonably priced. Skymaps.com is a simple resource, but an excellent one.
Western Washington University
Sci. Ed. 481, 5/6/10
Web Resources Paper
Skymaps.com
http://skymaps.com/
Date Accessed: May 6, 2010
Skymaps.com is an excellent site for anyone interested in astronomy. While technically a site that sells a variety of Astronomical resources the heart and soul of the site are the free educational resources that the site has, in particular the user friendly easy to read, download and use Skymaps themselves. Printing out these maps, which is free for educational purposes, is a treasure that no astronomy class should be without. Provided each month and available in a variety of languages and for a variety of locations the maps are easy to use, fun and with a bit of practice very accurate. The Sky Calendar, also free, provides a list of the interesting astronomical events of the month and can be used to plan activities and group outings. While there is not much more free on the site than these two offerings there are plenty of maps, links to telescopes, calendars and other quality items available for purchase, if you are inclined.
Scientist and laymen alike can make use of this site for education purposes such as for guides in viewing the might sky for astronomy projects or just for fun. While there is not much free at this site the Skymaps and Sky Calendar are enough and for those interested in taking the next step the products they offer are good and reasonably priced. Skymaps.com is a simple resource, but an excellent one.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Review of "“Improving Fluency Skills of Secondary Level Students from Diverse Backgrounds" by D. O'Shea, K. McQuiston, and M. McCollin
Journal Review of “Improving Fluency Skills of Secondary Level Students from Diverse Backgrounds”
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
O’Shea, D, McQuiston, K. and McCollin, M., (2009) Improving Fluency Skills of Secondary Level Students from Diverse Backgrounds. Preventing School Failure, 54(1), 77-80.
Review
After the introduction, and a short discussion of why all teachers need to concern themselves with English language learning, due to the prevalence of ELL (English Language Learners) at all levels of education the article begins with a discussion of how language skills develop from basic picture and words phonics to literary competency and finally fluency itself. It then launches into the bulk of the piece which introduces and variety of techniques and methods meant to aid the teacher in the teaching of fluency. Such techniques include Repeated Reading, Multicultural Readings, Oral Histories, Choral Readings, Echo and Antiphonal activities. Each is in tern defined, discusses in regards to its usefulness and an example given of how it can be implemented in class. Naturally a discussion of Culturally Diverse (CD) students and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds in included and the lists of books supporting such activities are provided. The article concludes with a discussion of follow up activities and ways to reinforce the lessons that should enable the student to engage in more self directed critical thinking exercises and how the teach can monitor such activities.
Overall the article is designed as a tool of instruction which is intended to list, discuss and guide an educator as to what type of activities they can engage their students in so as to increase their fluency in English. This article is clearly intended for educators. Aside from the overall theme the article is filled with jargon and terms that few outside of the education community would be familiar with, which this is more of a comment than a criticism it does limit the accessibility of the article somewhat. The overall flow of the article is good, presenting the situation the article is addressing, discussing the relevant research, defining goals and techniques that will be explained and then the explanations of the terms and techniques. A summary paragraph discussing how these techniques can aid students reiterating the importance of repetition and the basic fluency development methodology concludes the work. While useful as an introduction to these techniques and with a substantial bibliography the article does not provide or discuss the trade-offs, advantages or time considerations of the techniques it discusses. The initial discussion of how literacy develops into fluency is the strongest and most informative part of the article. It is well written and supported by the research and bibliography. As for the rest, the overall discussion is good, the techniques are introduced and defined well and while the various suggestions are good and useful without more specific details or strategies one is left with little more than a series of good ideas, all the hard work, or additional research one must do on one’s own. One is left wondering how much time, what results you can expect and how assessment and standards are addressed by these ideas in a timely manner. Perhaps it was not the author’s intent to include these in the discussion but without them the article merely serves and an introduction to the subject and little more. Worth reading, but ultimately one wishes for more from an article aimed at improving fluency.
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
O’Shea, D, McQuiston, K. and McCollin, M., (2009) Improving Fluency Skills of Secondary Level Students from Diverse Backgrounds. Preventing School Failure, 54(1), 77-80.
Review
After the introduction, and a short discussion of why all teachers need to concern themselves with English language learning, due to the prevalence of ELL (English Language Learners) at all levels of education the article begins with a discussion of how language skills develop from basic picture and words phonics to literary competency and finally fluency itself. It then launches into the bulk of the piece which introduces and variety of techniques and methods meant to aid the teacher in the teaching of fluency. Such techniques include Repeated Reading, Multicultural Readings, Oral Histories, Choral Readings, Echo and Antiphonal activities. Each is in tern defined, discusses in regards to its usefulness and an example given of how it can be implemented in class. Naturally a discussion of Culturally Diverse (CD) students and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds in included and the lists of books supporting such activities are provided. The article concludes with a discussion of follow up activities and ways to reinforce the lessons that should enable the student to engage in more self directed critical thinking exercises and how the teach can monitor such activities.
Overall the article is designed as a tool of instruction which is intended to list, discuss and guide an educator as to what type of activities they can engage their students in so as to increase their fluency in English. This article is clearly intended for educators. Aside from the overall theme the article is filled with jargon and terms that few outside of the education community would be familiar with, which this is more of a comment than a criticism it does limit the accessibility of the article somewhat. The overall flow of the article is good, presenting the situation the article is addressing, discussing the relevant research, defining goals and techniques that will be explained and then the explanations of the terms and techniques. A summary paragraph discussing how these techniques can aid students reiterating the importance of repetition and the basic fluency development methodology concludes the work. While useful as an introduction to these techniques and with a substantial bibliography the article does not provide or discuss the trade-offs, advantages or time considerations of the techniques it discusses. The initial discussion of how literacy develops into fluency is the strongest and most informative part of the article. It is well written and supported by the research and bibliography. As for the rest, the overall discussion is good, the techniques are introduced and defined well and while the various suggestions are good and useful without more specific details or strategies one is left with little more than a series of good ideas, all the hard work, or additional research one must do on one’s own. One is left wondering how much time, what results you can expect and how assessment and standards are addressed by these ideas in a timely manner. Perhaps it was not the author’s intent to include these in the discussion but without them the article merely serves and an introduction to the subject and little more. Worth reading, but ultimately one wishes for more from an article aimed at improving fluency.
Review of "Scholarpedia"
Web Review of “Scholarpedia”
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
Web Address: Scholarpedia (n.d.). Retrieved from the Scholarpedia Wiki: http://www.scholarpedia.org/
Name of Website: Scholarpedia, curator Dr. Eugene M. Izhikevich
Additional Information: ISSN 1941-6016 (online)
Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation
Review
The Scholarpedia website is clearly intended to mirror, as closely as possible, that of the “Wikipedia” website. However, it has one major change, in that it requires articles to be written by an accepted expert (publicly acknowledged or chosen by the Scholarpedia staff), peer reviewed and then submitted to an accepted curator before publication. While works-in-progress are accepted, they are clearly delineated from published articles that had been accepted and reviewed.
Although the level of scholarship is very high, the articles tend to be very limited to the fields of expert scholarship in astronomy, physics and mathematics. What works I reviewed are well written, easy to access-with the full set of Wikipedia search tools I would have expected nothing less-and convenient to use. While limited to a fairly select audience the Scholarpedia website is well organized and a good resource for a scholar interested in these subjects.
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
Web Address: Scholarpedia (n.d.). Retrieved from the Scholarpedia Wiki: http://www.scholarpedia.org/
Name of Website: Scholarpedia, curator Dr. Eugene M. Izhikevich
Additional Information: ISSN 1941-6016 (online)
Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation
Review
The Scholarpedia website is clearly intended to mirror, as closely as possible, that of the “Wikipedia” website. However, it has one major change, in that it requires articles to be written by an accepted expert (publicly acknowledged or chosen by the Scholarpedia staff), peer reviewed and then submitted to an accepted curator before publication. While works-in-progress are accepted, they are clearly delineated from published articles that had been accepted and reviewed.
Although the level of scholarship is very high, the articles tend to be very limited to the fields of expert scholarship in astronomy, physics and mathematics. What works I reviewed are well written, easy to access-with the full set of Wikipedia search tools I would have expected nothing less-and convenient to use. While limited to a fairly select audience the Scholarpedia website is well organized and a good resource for a scholar interested in these subjects.
Review of "Grading and Reporting in a Standards Based Environment" by T. Guskey and L. Jung
Journal Review of “Grading and Reporting in a Standards Based Environment: Implications for Students with Special Needs”
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
Guskey, T. and Jung, L., (2009) Grading and Reporting in a Standards Based Environment: Implications for Students with Special Needs. Theory into Practice, 48(1), 53-62.
Review
The article is a fairly frank discussion about how we, as educators can deal with students special needs and yet also maintain proper records in regards to student’s abilities. The authors begin with a brief description of the current state of affairs in regards to students with special needs and the increasing trend of Standards based testing. Their review of the literature is short but detailed and serves as a good introduction into the heart of their subject, namely how do we deal with the legally required former and maintain the rigor and intent of the later? It is there contention that we need a more precise grading system than we currently use, in which all aspects of a student’s work is lumped together to produce a single letter grade. In such a system the actual achievement of required grade standards (product), the energy expended (effort or as they term it, process), and improvement in ability (progress) are lumped together and the difficulties and limitations of such a system as discussed. Should a student with special needs be failed if they do not reach standards for a grade, even if they tried as hard as they could and actually made significant progress toward their IEP goals, clearly not! Yet how can a single letter grade reflect this. It cannot. The solution is elegant in its simplicity. Record each grade separately. However this idea is not the main part of the article for they not only reach this conclusion, which, of course, has been reached before, but provide a five step plan for clearly implementing such a system for use by a school. The five steps are 1) Establish Clear Standards for Student Learning that differentiate between product, process and progress, 2) Ask if the Standard needs Modification for the student, 3) Ask what type of change is needed, a simple accommodation or modification in product standard, 4) If a Modification is needed what is it, and 5) Record such a change in the IEP noting in the student’s record that a modification was made. Which such tools the parents, special needs teacher, staff, general education teachers and administration are provided with far more exacting details and information that they need to ensure the student’s success than any simple letter grade could provide. Since the note that a modification was made does not violate IEP or confidentiality rules those that need to know have access to all appropriate information without violating confidentiality or federal law. The article then ends with an extensive bibliography.
The article is well written, and while some might call the writing style dry, it manages to convey its message in clear and distinct detail. This message is simple-our current grading system, in which a single grade is assigned for all coursework, is insufficient to properly address the educational needs of modern students, schools and teachers. By providing clear guidelines for an improved system, with a well thought out decision tree as the hallmark of the article I find this article extremely valuable as a new educator as it provides a clear tool for address the needs of those students most at risk in the current system. I am very interested in learning more about this idea as well as what the response to this idea might be from other educators, administrators and legal experts. To be honest I might even suggest that it is possible to go a step further, after all why limit “Modification” to just students with special needs? Why not include all types of modifications from AP classification or any course assignment that is not typical for the program. In this way the term and concept of modification can be used to maintain a student’s anonymity but allow for noting any sort of alteration, difference or variation in education for those that need, and have the right to know, what information they need to properly address any and all student’s educational needs, special or not.
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
Guskey, T. and Jung, L., (2009) Grading and Reporting in a Standards Based Environment: Implications for Students with Special Needs. Theory into Practice, 48(1), 53-62.
Review
The article is a fairly frank discussion about how we, as educators can deal with students special needs and yet also maintain proper records in regards to student’s abilities. The authors begin with a brief description of the current state of affairs in regards to students with special needs and the increasing trend of Standards based testing. Their review of the literature is short but detailed and serves as a good introduction into the heart of their subject, namely how do we deal with the legally required former and maintain the rigor and intent of the later? It is there contention that we need a more precise grading system than we currently use, in which all aspects of a student’s work is lumped together to produce a single letter grade. In such a system the actual achievement of required grade standards (product), the energy expended (effort or as they term it, process), and improvement in ability (progress) are lumped together and the difficulties and limitations of such a system as discussed. Should a student with special needs be failed if they do not reach standards for a grade, even if they tried as hard as they could and actually made significant progress toward their IEP goals, clearly not! Yet how can a single letter grade reflect this. It cannot. The solution is elegant in its simplicity. Record each grade separately. However this idea is not the main part of the article for they not only reach this conclusion, which, of course, has been reached before, but provide a five step plan for clearly implementing such a system for use by a school. The five steps are 1) Establish Clear Standards for Student Learning that differentiate between product, process and progress, 2) Ask if the Standard needs Modification for the student, 3) Ask what type of change is needed, a simple accommodation or modification in product standard, 4) If a Modification is needed what is it, and 5) Record such a change in the IEP noting in the student’s record that a modification was made. Which such tools the parents, special needs teacher, staff, general education teachers and administration are provided with far more exacting details and information that they need to ensure the student’s success than any simple letter grade could provide. Since the note that a modification was made does not violate IEP or confidentiality rules those that need to know have access to all appropriate information without violating confidentiality or federal law. The article then ends with an extensive bibliography.
The article is well written, and while some might call the writing style dry, it manages to convey its message in clear and distinct detail. This message is simple-our current grading system, in which a single grade is assigned for all coursework, is insufficient to properly address the educational needs of modern students, schools and teachers. By providing clear guidelines for an improved system, with a well thought out decision tree as the hallmark of the article I find this article extremely valuable as a new educator as it provides a clear tool for address the needs of those students most at risk in the current system. I am very interested in learning more about this idea as well as what the response to this idea might be from other educators, administrators and legal experts. To be honest I might even suggest that it is possible to go a step further, after all why limit “Modification” to just students with special needs? Why not include all types of modifications from AP classification or any course assignment that is not typical for the program. In this way the term and concept of modification can be used to maintain a student’s anonymity but allow for noting any sort of alteration, difference or variation in education for those that need, and have the right to know, what information they need to properly address any and all student’s educational needs, special or not.
Review of "Speaking English in Finnish content based classrooms." by T. Nikula
Journal Article Summary of “Speaking English in Finnish content based classrooms”
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
Nikula, T., (2007) Speaking English in Finnish content based classrooms. World Englishes, 26:2, 206-233.
Review
The article deals with the process known in Finland as CLIL, or Content and Language Integrated Instruction, a process in which the students are taught a non-language arts class in English rather than their native Finnish tongue. While I admit it may seem a strange choice for teaching in American classes I find that an outsiders view of a situation is often very helpful in understanding and clarifying problems and thoughts related to subjects or concepts that we may take for granted here. The authors’ main goal is to investigate the effective of CLIL and learn how students use or claim ownership of the language in these classes and how it affects the classroom as a learning environment. Research was carried out to understand how students utilized the language and what can be learned from it for teaching in general.
The grade level for the research was 13 to 15 year old students’, male and female students were involved in the study and ability levels varied considerably, although Finnish students typically score very high on standardized tests, the authors clearly point out that knowledge of English as a popular language is new in Finland, having only surpassed German as the most popular choice for a secondary language in the late 1990’s. The data were gathered during eight lessons of ninety minutes each in two classes with a total of 15 students involved in 53 different lessons involving students. Entire sessions were recorded so the study is an in-depth study of a small number of students, and while this is a weakness of the study, the total time under observation is 720 minutes times 15 students, or 180 hours of recorded audio and visual evidence that was involved in the study-a considerable period of time.
The results of the study showed that the students clearly valued the opportunity to learn in English and that, contrary to expectations when language difficulties presented themselves, most students did not resort to using their native language for intellectual or scholastic reasons but rather for emotional or contextual ones. In other words, the students felt that having a biology course or physics course in a foreign language was a privilege or treat and one that they enjoyed and in which they voluntarily choose to continue speaking English, even when it would have been easier to revert to their mother tongue.
It is important to note that the students in the CLIL classes were not being evaluated on their language skills when they were not being graded on their mastery of English. In other words it, was a low-stake environment. They choose to speak English over their native tongue before the class started and engaged in small conversations in English among themselves as well as while speaking to the teacher. When there is no explicit focus on the language, the students chose to use it, to make the language their own, or claim ownership of it, a trait most notably shown when students who were quite fluent in both languages starting mixing the two languages together in order to express complex thoughts or ideas that seem to be better expressed in one or the other of the language. This activity, known as code switching, such as using the more exacting Finnish words for weather and atmosphere as part of an otherwise perfectly acceptable English sentence on wind, shows that the students had reached a level of understanding of and comfort with English even before reaching a level of complete fluency. The only other time students typical resorted to use of their mother tongue was when emotions were involved. If the student got frustrated or overly excited, or they wanted to express something in an emotively manner, as opposed to a rationally manner did they commonly resort to the use of their native language.
In summary the paper reports that students can “claim ownership” of a language best when they interact with the language not just directly as a language course, which the authors admit is important to build up the basic skills of the language, but are able to do so when the atmosphere of learning is informal, creative, interactive and playful, encouraging both official and off-the-record usage of the language outside of the formal class setting itself. Thus the teaching of the language at this point in the classroom is one of a complementary practice to the formal class instruction and it is during this time that the students are allowed and encouraged to use the language and seek mastery of it free from the pressures, fears and difficulties associated with formal lessons and exact plans, goals and evaluation criterion.
Now, as for the analysis of this study I feel that it has both many weaknesses and strengths. Clearly the sample size is a problem. I would like to see far more students studied and far more classes involved and obviously these studies need to occur in America somewhere. So the location of the study is a problem as well, while humans are human the world around nation and culture may mean that these lessons and ideas may not translate well to the American classroom. Still the study does offer some interesting ideas and challenges some of our notions of what it means to be a teacher and how content literacy can or should be taught. The students chose to use the language, they clearly valued the experience, it was something they were encouraged to make their own and something they could see that had value. Rather than creating ever more exact standards, guidelines, EARL’s, GLE’s and ever increasingly complex techniques for measuring, evaluating and testing students not only on the content but the mastery of the language itself, should we not encourage students to make the subjects their own, particularly in regards to instruction of ELL students, and to do so in a low stress and positive environment.
Finally, it is noteworthy is that teaching content language literacy should be seen as a positive and conscious opportunity or noteworthy advantage rather than a chore or onerous task by the student. We should not attempt to slip this in past them but rather embrace it and get them involved in the process of wanting it in order to make it effective as seen in the recent demand for English in such a far away nation as Finland. Clearly the students involved in this study perceive the value of fluency in English, a priority that many of our own native speakers seem not to share. As for the complexity of how to effectively integrate teaching and multilingual mastery and combine the rational and emotional or passionate sides to the teaching world, we can see from this study that attempts to separate them seem to be both impossible and even undesirable, but such a revelation only points us in a direction that we might have only been able to perceive if we allowed others to be the basis for a look in at teaching our own language.
Ray Etheridge
Western Washington University
Nikula, T., (2007) Speaking English in Finnish content based classrooms. World Englishes, 26:2, 206-233.
Review
The article deals with the process known in Finland as CLIL, or Content and Language Integrated Instruction, a process in which the students are taught a non-language arts class in English rather than their native Finnish tongue. While I admit it may seem a strange choice for teaching in American classes I find that an outsiders view of a situation is often very helpful in understanding and clarifying problems and thoughts related to subjects or concepts that we may take for granted here. The authors’ main goal is to investigate the effective of CLIL and learn how students use or claim ownership of the language in these classes and how it affects the classroom as a learning environment. Research was carried out to understand how students utilized the language and what can be learned from it for teaching in general.
The grade level for the research was 13 to 15 year old students’, male and female students were involved in the study and ability levels varied considerably, although Finnish students typically score very high on standardized tests, the authors clearly point out that knowledge of English as a popular language is new in Finland, having only surpassed German as the most popular choice for a secondary language in the late 1990’s. The data were gathered during eight lessons of ninety minutes each in two classes with a total of 15 students involved in 53 different lessons involving students. Entire sessions were recorded so the study is an in-depth study of a small number of students, and while this is a weakness of the study, the total time under observation is 720 minutes times 15 students, or 180 hours of recorded audio and visual evidence that was involved in the study-a considerable period of time.
The results of the study showed that the students clearly valued the opportunity to learn in English and that, contrary to expectations when language difficulties presented themselves, most students did not resort to using their native language for intellectual or scholastic reasons but rather for emotional or contextual ones. In other words, the students felt that having a biology course or physics course in a foreign language was a privilege or treat and one that they enjoyed and in which they voluntarily choose to continue speaking English, even when it would have been easier to revert to their mother tongue.
It is important to note that the students in the CLIL classes were not being evaluated on their language skills when they were not being graded on their mastery of English. In other words it, was a low-stake environment. They choose to speak English over their native tongue before the class started and engaged in small conversations in English among themselves as well as while speaking to the teacher. When there is no explicit focus on the language, the students chose to use it, to make the language their own, or claim ownership of it, a trait most notably shown when students who were quite fluent in both languages starting mixing the two languages together in order to express complex thoughts or ideas that seem to be better expressed in one or the other of the language. This activity, known as code switching, such as using the more exacting Finnish words for weather and atmosphere as part of an otherwise perfectly acceptable English sentence on wind, shows that the students had reached a level of understanding of and comfort with English even before reaching a level of complete fluency. The only other time students typical resorted to use of their mother tongue was when emotions were involved. If the student got frustrated or overly excited, or they wanted to express something in an emotively manner, as opposed to a rationally manner did they commonly resort to the use of their native language.
In summary the paper reports that students can “claim ownership” of a language best when they interact with the language not just directly as a language course, which the authors admit is important to build up the basic skills of the language, but are able to do so when the atmosphere of learning is informal, creative, interactive and playful, encouraging both official and off-the-record usage of the language outside of the formal class setting itself. Thus the teaching of the language at this point in the classroom is one of a complementary practice to the formal class instruction and it is during this time that the students are allowed and encouraged to use the language and seek mastery of it free from the pressures, fears and difficulties associated with formal lessons and exact plans, goals and evaluation criterion.
Now, as for the analysis of this study I feel that it has both many weaknesses and strengths. Clearly the sample size is a problem. I would like to see far more students studied and far more classes involved and obviously these studies need to occur in America somewhere. So the location of the study is a problem as well, while humans are human the world around nation and culture may mean that these lessons and ideas may not translate well to the American classroom. Still the study does offer some interesting ideas and challenges some of our notions of what it means to be a teacher and how content literacy can or should be taught. The students chose to use the language, they clearly valued the experience, it was something they were encouraged to make their own and something they could see that had value. Rather than creating ever more exact standards, guidelines, EARL’s, GLE’s and ever increasingly complex techniques for measuring, evaluating and testing students not only on the content but the mastery of the language itself, should we not encourage students to make the subjects their own, particularly in regards to instruction of ELL students, and to do so in a low stress and positive environment.
Finally, it is noteworthy is that teaching content language literacy should be seen as a positive and conscious opportunity or noteworthy advantage rather than a chore or onerous task by the student. We should not attempt to slip this in past them but rather embrace it and get them involved in the process of wanting it in order to make it effective as seen in the recent demand for English in such a far away nation as Finland. Clearly the students involved in this study perceive the value of fluency in English, a priority that many of our own native speakers seem not to share. As for the complexity of how to effectively integrate teaching and multilingual mastery and combine the rational and emotional or passionate sides to the teaching world, we can see from this study that attempts to separate them seem to be both impossible and even undesirable, but such a revelation only points us in a direction that we might have only been able to perceive if we allowed others to be the basis for a look in at teaching our own language.
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