My name is Linda Lindsey, and I am a member of
the Reading C.A.G.S. cohort 5. I hold a bachelor's degree in
Elementary Education K-8 from Westfield State College and a
master's degree in Special Education N -9 from Framingham State
College. I am married and have five children. I
presently teach fourth grade at the Memorial Elementary School
and have previously taught grades 1,7 & 8. One of my goals is to
help children access word study strategies at their
developmental level..
I try to remain active in the
school by serving on various committees such
as Literacy Committee, Report Card Committee, and the
Superintendent's Curriculum Development Committee.
I am also
an active member of the Massachusetts Department of Education
(DOE) Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
Assessment Development Committee (ADC).
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Literacy Vision
Reading is a developmental process. Russian Psychologist Lev S.
Vygotsky posed a theory (1978) of the zone of proximal development (zpd).
This zone is “the distance
between a child’s actual developmental level as determined
through independent problem solving and [his or her] potential
developmental [level] as determined through problem solving
under adult guidance or a collaboration with more capable peers”
(Harris & Hodges, 1995). Vygotsky (1978) acknowledged that
people are social beings and it is said that all knowledge that
is constructed “begins in social interactions”. This further
supported the importance of social interaction in learning,
which was central to the era of sociocultural learning
(Alexander & Fox, 2004). So why are a majority of educators
ignoring the research? There are a majority of educators
encouraging students to sit in a classroom all day and fill in
worksheets in order to internalize a skill. Noam Chomsky
(1957, 1965), a leading theorist in the linguistic perspective,
established the field of generative grammar. This proposed the belief
that language development was innate and should be
developed through “meaningful use, not practiced to the point of
mindless reaction” (as cited in Alexander & Fox, pg. 38).
The children need to interact with their peers in order to grow
socially and academically. As I think of myself as a learner, I
know that I am a visual learner, and if I interact and become
involved, the information is retained. I want my students to
have meaningful experiences while in my classroom.
Teachers need to engage students in cooperative learning
activities that are at the students’ levels of ability, interest,
and readiness. In addition, the teacher needs to consider
cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds as well as
prior knowledge of the students. When students work
cooperatively, and collaboratively great accomplishments can be
made. Peer collaboration requires a work environment that does
not reflect the traditional learning classroom. Peer
collaboration is a mutual task. Partners work together to
complete an assignment that neither could have done alone. A
fourth grade teacher stated, “There should be a strong focus on
cross-class grouping; if this is done, then all children can be
taught at their readiness level" (Marshall,2007). They can also have time to
share with peers a learning experience that they all
understand”. We can reach this goal if as a community of
educators, we all realize that not all children are ready to
learn the same skill at the same time. One size does not fit
all. A parent voiced a similar opinion, “Children should be
switching classes with peers that are on the same skill level.
This way the students can have book discussions, complete
assignments that are meaningful to them, and get the support
they need to be successful” (Gross, 2007). This opens up a wide range of
teaching opportunities; hence, a chance for differentiated
instruction to be implemented. By implementing differentiated
instruction, teachers can engage all the students in critical
literacy experiences at their readiness level. The activities
will enhance thinking skills and allow the students to evaluate
the reading material and broaden the scope of material that they
comprehend. Thus, students develop an appreciation for a vast
amount of fiction and informational text, have opportunities to
participate in literature circles, and create meaningful
discussions with their peers. A Principal advocates for peer
tutoring. She states, “Student motivation is linked to how
successful they feel”. The need to communicate to a less
knowledgeable other, such as a peer, motivates the process
(Forman & Cazden, 2004). Lastly, the teacher should tap the
multiple intelligences of the students. There have been many
great accomplishments made in my classroom when a student could
write a song or create a visual instead of writing a report to
exhibit their knowledge of the material.
When stakeholders have an opportunity to brainstorm ideas and
create a common goal for the school or for the entire district,
possibilities could become endless. All should share literacy.
Some students may need more time than others to attain the goal
that is before them. However, once the teacher plants the seed,
wait and a flower will boom. Teachers can help by building on
the students’ strengths and supporting their weaknesses. My
ultimate vision is for all learners to be successful, no matter
the road they must take to get there.
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Literacy Professional Beliefs
My goal as an educator is to prepare my students to
become successful in their life endeavors. As each of my
students leaves my class, he/she is one-step closer to becoming a
contributing member of society. I feel it is my job to make
sure that they are on the road to fulfilling their potential.
Students need many opportunities and much exposure through a
variety of experiences to reach this goal. The first and most
important experience the students should have is success.
Every student can learn and be successful; it is my job as an
educator to determine how each student is able to acquire such
knowledge and then provide varied opportunities for each child
to learn.
I am a kind and caring individual. My classroom is a
warm and inviting environment. I happily give my time and
talents to help my students become successful. I am fair and
reasonable with my expectations of students. By using teaching
techniques that will give the students the feeling of success, I
am encouraging them to become self motivated. I emphasize to the
student that each one of us is an individual. We each learn in
a different way. We all need to learn how we learn. Once we
know our individual learning style, we can be successful in all
that we so.
I use the interest and prior knowledge of my students in
determining the direction of many of my instructional units. I
believe that students can be self-directed and responsible for
their own learning; however, I want to foster cooperation
between students as well. To do this, I incorporate cooperative
learning groups and class meetings. It is my responsibility as
the classroom teacher to make a learning environment where each
student can succeed at a mastery level and show academic growth.
I want to have an opportunity to help my students become
independent learners. I want them to grow to be healthy and
successful individuals so they can feel confident and content in
their learning. My intent is for students to leave my classroom
in June as individuals that feel good about learning.
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Favorite Links
Reading A-Z
Discovery School
Enchanted Learning
International Reading Association
National Council of Teachers of
English
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