University of Missouri–St. Louis
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Hi all! I’m a senior education major at the University of Missouri, St. Louis and am eager to take the next step toward becoming a great educator. Fortunately, I have been blessed with a strong community of family members, teachers, and mentors who have supported me and encouraged me to realize my potential inside and outside the world of academia. The amount of gratitude I hold for these people is never ending because they have made me who I am today and will continue to influence my life forever. This is important to reflect on because as a teacher I will have an opportunity to be an influence on someone’s life every day. I will continue to improve my teaching skills in order to awaken and challenge my students’ potential. I will work hard to instill pride in their work and confidence in their being, so that they will be able to look forward and envision their lives as they could be.
I have had a great experience at UMSL and feel very lucky to have shared part of that experience with the Spring Methods class. We have created a wonderful community of intelligent, driven, and inspirational individuals, and for this, I am truly thankful.
“[Teacher] presence comes from confidence, confidence comes from knowledge, and knowledge comes from study and practice.”—A. Buha
“Of all the frictional resistances, the one that most retards human movement is ignorance, what Buddha called 'the greatest evil in the world.' The friction which results from ignorance can be reduced only by the spread of knowledge and the unification of the heterogeneous elements of humanity. No effort could be better spent.” --
Nikola Tesla
“If I see the moon, but you do not, I will point at it. First you will watch my finger to see where it goes. Eventually, however, you must take your eyes off my finger and find the moon yourself.” –
Mark Salzman - The Laughing Sutra
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Reading or Literature Unit
Unit 1-“English” Literature
Alexis Buha
overview
February 9, 2010
Rationale:
Our students are expected to read and interpret English Literature throughout their entire high school career and then some, but rarely do they get educated on the actual history of the English language and how much meaning is behind just the words themselves. Teaching the unique history of our language is a great introductory unit to kindle the students’ appreciation of their linguistic heritage and give them background knowledge that they can eventually connect to literary works and vocabulary that they read in the future. It will expose them to the many changes that have taken place in our language and shock them that it has held strong since the 5th century! Hopefully, this unit will intrigue and engage them long after it is over.
Summary:
The unit will start off explaining the absolute basics of language groups, dialects and regions. There will be discussion about invasions and the involvement of political and cultural identities- basically, a “who, what, when, where, and why session. The class will then move forward, focusing on a certain transition period of the English language that took place during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The main idea to present to students about this time period is the extreme variation of our language due to the disruption of England’s political system. French was the dominant language throughout England, but because of political upheaval, English returned as the prevailing language. There were dialect, word, and syntax changes across the country, so people ran into some communication problems, even though they were speaking the same language.
Through lectures and discussion, they will be referencing and reading literary works from the time period, such as, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” They will recognize trends in language variation and hold short Q&A sessions with small groups, so they get in the habit of discussing and explaining ideas with others, but won’t have to worry about speaking in front of large groups or the whole class. They will be involved in this as well as having a wonderfully creative writing assignment and project to complete.
Length of Curriculum:
The unit will last 4 weeks. They have my class every day, so there will be plenty of time to learn the basics and then some. There will also be ample opportunity and room to think creatively about their writing assignments and their projects. The project will take up several days of the last week.
Materials Needed:
*various different language dictionaries
*a few copies of the urban slang dictionary
*situational announcement paragraphs
*a plethora of literary works for reference
Assessment:
Formative assessment will revolve around two set assignments
1) The project at the end of the unit is really about getting the students engaged and immersed in the subject. They will be graded on the collaboration of creativity and the discussion afterward. 20 points
2) The written assignment is really a showcasing of their ability to communicate in interesting, cogent, and evidence based ways about the history of English. This is worth 20 points.
Summative assessment will encompass all participation during discussion days, completion of journal entries, and active use of graphic organizers that will be handed out weekly.
Objectives:
The point of this unit is not to train the students to become a linguist or a historian, but just to be simply knowledgeable about our Language and how and why it has evolved into what it is today. There is no interest in getting the students to memorize facts; we have reference sources for that sort of thing, hence, no testing during the unit, only the writing assignment and project. However, along this journey of English awesomeness, they will be exposed to many interesting things and will thus, apply it to future learning. They will be able to:
*Recognize English and its literature and link it to a time period and an author
*Understand the meaning of dialect, word order, and syntax along with recognizing change in them throughout the centuries
*Learn and use many new vocabulary words
*Understand root words and where they originated from
*Link world languages with their regions
Course Level Expectations met:
CA 4, 2.1
Compose text with:
a. strong controlling idea
b. relevant specific details
c. complex ideas
d. freshness of thought
CA 5, 6 1.5, 1.6, 1.10
Purpose for Listening
• for enjoyment
• for information
• for directions
• critically to summarize and evaluate communications that inform, persuade and entertain
• to evaluate own and others’ effectiveness in presentations and group discussions, using provided criteria
• to evaluate the validity and reliability of speaker's message
CA 1, 6 2.1, 2.3, 4.6
In discussions and presentations,
• create concise presentations on a variety of topics
• incorporate appropriate media or technology
• respond to feedback
• defend ideas
• demonstrate poise and self-control
CA 2, 3, 4, 1.2, 1.8, 2.1
Record relevant information from multiple primary and secondary sources using a self-selected note-taking or organizational strategy
Reading or Literature Unit
Let’s Hear It!
Alexis Buha
LP 1
February 14, 2010
Rationale: So many assignments created for students these days are only good enough to prove that they able to memorize and regurgitate facts from a book or specific opinions of a professor. Students complete assignments within guidelines set by the school or instructor and never really get a chance to be inventive with the way they produce their work or even stop to think about how they might use or apply their learned information in the future. This assignment is a great way for students to prove their knowledge the way they want to prove it.
Summary: The assignment is very simple. A scenario prompt will be given, and they will have to respond to it. Many of the lessons given in class will be situational, meaning that students, when prompted, will learn to respond (think critically and speak) appropriately to the given topic. This would be just like having a conversation with company at a coffee shop or reading something in a newspaper and writing back to the author of the article. I want the lessons to apply to real life as much as possible.
With that said, I will be giving the students a bit of dialogue spoken by a fictional character named Max. Max will be speaking, quite frankly, about his ill feelings towards the English Language and why he thinks it is so terrible. Max represents a random person from the general public whose knowledge of the English language, despite his beliefs, isn’t quite up to par. The assignment is to correct Max’s argument or guide his opinion in another direction. A couple examples will be given on how to go about this. The students can go off my examples, or they can do it any way they want.
Objectives:
Students should be able to ethically gather, understand, evaluate, and synthesize information from the variety of sources given during the lesson.
Students should be knowledgeable and have experience in writing in a variety of different writing styles.
Materials: this is pretty much free reign here. Anything that they would like to use for their assignment they can, but they will be using lecture notes, handouts, and literary examples to guide their response.
Assessment: 20 pts total, 5 points for each of these categories:
Clarity- persuasiveness-accuracy- flair (explained in detail on student handout)
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We have been talking a lot about the English language for the past couple weeks…
Do you think you will ever refer to this information again??
You Bet!
Everything in life is a learning experience; anything from talking with friends, reading the newspaper to watching TV, shopping, and traveling. Every day you are put in situations that you can either learn from or teach to. So, let’s practice, shall we?
Get into groups of 4 and devise a scenario in which you are somehow learning something from someone/something or teaching someone/something. The content of information will, of course, revolve around the English Language.
Just pick out a few things about the history of the English language from your notes or my lecture or our activities that stuck out to you.
You will present your group’s scenario to the class. KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET and keep it as real life as possible… Be sitting at a coffee shop, waiting in line at a movie, talking to your parents, etc.
This should be fairly easy and funny to watch! And, not to mention beneficial to your writing assignment, so perk up and take some notes!
Now that you got the feel of the direction we’re going with this assignment, let’s get to it!
Similarly to what we just did, I want you to create a scenario, but in response to a prompt I will give you. I won’t make you wait any longer, here it is:
Imagine a fictional character; let’s call him Max. Max will be speaking, quite frankly, about his ill feelings towards the English Language and why he thinks it is so terrible. Max represents a random person from the general public whose knowledge of the English language, despite his beliefs, isn’t quite up to par. BUT GUESS WHAT?...YOURS IS!
SO TELL HIM WHAT YOU KNOW!
The assignment is to correct Max’s argument or guide his opinion in another direction.
************************************************************************
Here is something that you might hear Max say at a party:
“People who use non-English words in their everyday speech should be beaten with sticks. If we keep doing that, then pretty soon there will be no English left at all. Why say ‘boulevard’ when ’street’ will do? Why say ’siesta’ instead of ‘nap?’ And don’t even get me started on ‘amigo.’ “
Here is something you might hear him say at a coffee shop:
“We have to stick close to our language’s Latin roots, because that’s one of the only things that’s going to halt our decline. That means we can’t go around using primitive language like “Who did you go to the party with?” or “I’d like you to really enjoy yourself,” because Latin speakers never ended their sentences with prepositions or split their infinitives.”
And finally, here is something that Max might write in the newspaper:
(See example)
Respond to Max and knock down his arguments in their totality. Make sure not to be too aggressive with your thoughts. Again, the assignment is to correct or guide his opinion into another direction. There is no length requirement.
How you will be graded:
The assignment is worth 20 points total. You will earn up to 5 points for the following categories:
Clarity: Would someone who doesn’t know you be able to understand what you’ve written?
Persuasiveness: Would what you’ve written convince a roomful of random people who do not already agree with you? Are you arguing from fact, not feeling?
Accuracy: Have you made your clear and persuasive points without misrepresenting the facts?
Flair: is what you’ve written engaging, funny, enthusiastic, and passionate? Think about using dialogue!
You can respond to this prompt ANY way that you want! Use your notes from class and sources from class. Think about a creative way to develop your writing. I’ll show you my example of a response to my “Miss Manners” article.
See below my example of what Max might write in a newspaper and how an educated person might respond.
Dear Miss Manners,
I have found myself at odds with a dear friend of mine. I will refer to him as Robert. Robert and I have been chums since our days at Whitmore day School in Boston. I value our friendship very much; however, despite his education, Robert insists on arguing against my, what I believe to be superior, knowledge of the English language. I am disappointed and slightly embarrassed of the direction that the English language has taken over the past several decades. I tell Robert time and time again that we need to stay true to our Latin roots because that is the only way we can keep our society from diluting what is already a diluted language. Also, everyone living in the states needs to go back to grammar school and learn how to speak English how it was originally spoken… correctly! And for heaven sakes, people need to stop using non-English words in their every day vocabulary. Everyone throws these words around in their cutesy, slang conversations, but I think it is completely inappropriate. Although I am fluent in French as well as in English, I keep my languages separate because I fear that someday there will be no English left to speak at all. Robert fights me on these ideas constantly. He claims that, “It’s just the natural progression of things, just let it go”. This is such a typical answer from Robert. He always was the liberal of the group, which is an entirely different, exhausting issue that I won’t get in to. So, Miss Manners, the problem is that I am not willing to just “let this go”. I need someone to back me up once and for all. I hope that you will take the time to read my letter, not just for wanted support on such a serious issue, but also because dinner for two at the four seasons lies on your response.
Sincerely,
Miffed Max
***************
Dear miffed Max,
I can certainly understand why you would be so bothered by such a disagreement. You undoubtedly have a strong sense of pride in the English language and you have every right to defend it, for it is your own. But I must admit Max, there are a few things about your argument that I need to bring some attention to; first being, your opinion of staying true to our language’s Latin roots. I must point out to you that these “roots” that many speak of were actually superimposed upon the English language (which originally started out as a dialect of German) due to centuries of invasions. Because of the Roman conquest we have a chunk of our vocabulary rooted in Latin, just like many other languages. The reason Latin had been prominent for so long is because it was the language of science and more importantly, the chosen language of the Catholic Church. Actually, “varieties of Latin evolved into what we now call the Romance languages, such as: French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian” (notes 1/26/12). So Max, I could see if you were upset about English losing its Latin roots, if indeed, it was a descendant of Latin, but it is not. So go make a visit to your French professor at Whitmore Day in Boston, and ask him/her why the French language is falling away from its Latin origin.
The next point of your argument I would like to pick at, if you don’t mind, would be grammar. Geeesh, the topic of grammar gives me a headache. What do you believe is “correct grammar”? Are you sure you want everyone to speak how English was “originally spoken”? Because, let me tell ya, if you do, we’re all in for a trip. Sorry to break it to you, but “the last person who would have understood it, died over a thousand years ago” (notes 1/26/12). So, it’s slightly impossible to fully understand the grammatical structure of English in its original form.
The last part of your argument I would like to mention is my favorite. It should be yours as well, since you are fluent in French. You are deeply concerned with people using non-English words in their every day vocabulary. Well, “more than half of modern English consists of words imported from other languages in the past 1500 years, most significantly, Latin and FRENCH” (notes 1/26/12)! As I mention above already, this is because of the many invasions that happened starting back to the 8th century. The most prominent invasion was the French conquest of England during the 11th century that completely changed the course of our language. After the conquest, even though we, the English, out-numbered them in population, their language held superiority over ours because “they controlled the political, ecclesiastical, economic, and cultural life of the nation” (Milward 143). If you take any language and surround it by a different dominating language, over time different variations of that language will be produced and eventually it may become obsolete. The English language remained “English”, but it was very different compared to what it was. This is why we have many French, Latin, and Spanish words in our vocabulary today, because we inherited them over a thousand of years ago and they have been part of our language since then. So don’t be too worried. I don’t think English is dying any time soon.
Now Max, I certainly don’t think you should let this issue of language go, but I sure hope that you look at it from a different perspective and eventually form a new argument.
Sincerely,
Miss. Manners
P.S. Don’t forget to make those dinner reservations.
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|Clarity of insights and ideas - would someone you don’t know be |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |
|able to understand what you’ve written? | | | | | |
|Persuasiveness- Were you convincing? Did you argue from fact, not feeling? |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |
|Accuracy- Have you made your clear and persuasive points without misrepresenting the facts? |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |
|Flair- Is what you’ve written engaging, funny, enthusiastic, and passionate? |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |
|*Bonus points for little to no grammatical errors | |2 |3 | | |
|Comments: |
|Final Grade __/20 |
1=not present 2=needs extensive revision 3=satisfactory 4=strong 5=outstanding
Reading or Literature Unit
Take My Word for It
Alexis Buha
LP 2
February 14, 2010
Rationale: This assignment is a great way to get students immersed in the subject matter and have fun learning about the communication problem that developed across England due to the change in the English Language. This type of assignment is important to implement into a classroom because it puts a creative twist on traditional subject matter. This is an opportunity to witness different learning style strengths because it is gearing away from the obvious writing and testing assessment that is so often done in classrooms. Overall, it will help them understand this period in history and realize how much it affected the literature we read, and how we speak.
Summary: The class will be focusing on a certain transition period of the English language that took place during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. To show the students the effects that this change took upon the people of England, the class will participate in an activity concerning the time of communication confusion and will be creatively directed in a way that will be interesting and relevant to their lives. The class will be split up into three groups representing a different area of the country. Each group will be given a paragraph of information in present day English. Then each separate group must change ten words, of their choice, from the paragraph into words that they make up (representing their area’s personal dialect). Then they much choose eight other words and translate them into a different language i.e. French, German, and Latin (representing the many loan words English has acquired. Then finally, they must choose five other words or phrases that they can change into slang terminology (representing word order and usage). The plan is, that by the time each group is done changing their words around a little, the paragraph should then be unrecognizable. Each group must then share their paragraphs with the rest of the class while the others try to guess what information they are announcing. This is a slightly exaggerated example; however, it does a great job of stressing how difficult it was for the people in that time period and what a struggle it must have been to communicate with others. Not to mention, this is enjoyable activity that I’m sure will create a few laughs.
Objectives:
Students should be able to create communications that inform, persuade, and entertain.
Students should be able to prove collaboration and creativity skills
Assessment: This assignment is really about getting the students involved and engaged with the material, but also the assessment will weigh heavily on how they cooperate with others because one of the discussion days will be used to explain communication and cooperation is an important skill to acquire.20 pts total
“Take My Word for It”
ENG4120
February 8, 2010
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The point of this assignment is for you not to approach learning from the standpoint of merely extracting information. I want you all to be able to engage in higher-level thinking and actively construct an understanding of the material that we cover in class. If you guys are not given the chance to fully commit your minds to a lesson then you’re not going to retain any of the information, and this is pretty important stuff that you need to know! And, it’s my job to help you all understand it. So, keep an open mind throughout this lesson it will be fun, I promise!
Let’s Get Started…
Last week we talked about what the English language was like before the Norman invasion, and now we are going to talk about what it was like afterward. We are moving from “Old English” on to “Middle English”.
REMEMBER :
That the Norman invasion made French the dominant language in England. French became the language of the “elite”, meaning that all the government officials, clergymen, and politicians all spoke French. And most importantly, it was the written language of the time, so all the newspapers, magazines, and advertisements were in French as well.
So you ask; “where the heck was English during this time?”
Well, English was still spoken throughout England; however, it was never written down so it quickly began to lose its uniformity. There was no control over the rate of change and soon speakers from different regions were developing and acquiring their own dialect of the English language.
So now we were faced with a slightly large problem. All the different regions and their dialects collided and created mass communication confusion. There were so many word and syntax changes that people had a hard time understanding each other even though they were speaking the same language!
Remember last week when we were discussing the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight??
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This is a great example because when it was written in middle English there was no standardized spelling. If you look at the original text you will see that King Arthur’s name is written down 7 different ways. (Arthure, Arthour, Arthor etc.) And Gawain’s name was written a whopping 11 different ways! (Gawayne, Geuayn, Wowayn, Wawen)
Source: amandahopkins.co.uk/beowulf.gif
This is where our assignment comes in.
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See example below
Take a look at my example:
Here is an announcement I wrote:
Attention Students! Just a reminder that prom is coming up very soon! We have tallied up the votes for the theme of this year’s dance and it was a unanimous decision. The theme for the school prom 2009 is…famous Hollywood couples! So for all you future Tom Cruises out there find your best shades and for all you Angelina Jolie admirers, go purchase your black wigs and join us for an academy award winning night! Please buy your tickets Friday after school in the guidance office.
The Yellow words are the ones I will change into “my made up language”.
The Green words I will translate into another language
The blue phrases and words I will change to slang
Aufmerksamkeit Stokas! Just a pop up that zogo is creepin’up on us! We have fookled up the gupees for the sujet of this year’s schwof and it was a hands down beschluss. The sujet for the budala zogo 2009 is…tre connu Hollywood shakers! So for all you future Tom Cruises out there pull out tvoj best gleepers and for all you Angelina Jolie wannabes, go purchase your noir plakats and come kick it with us for an academy award winning noc! Please ankamfen tvoj plivers Vendredi after budala in the guidance office.
Obviously the paragraph has changed radically and is difficult to understand what announcement I am trying to make. This should show you how frustrating communication would have been with the people in England in during the transition from old English to Middle English.
OK! LET’S SEE WHAT YOUR GROUPS COME UP WITH!!!
Cooperative Group Rubric
Your Name ________________ Group Member's Name _______________
| |1 |2 |3 |4 |Score |
| |Unsatisfactory |Needs Improvement |Satisfactory |Excellent | |
|Research |Does not collect any |Collects very little |Collects some |Collects a great | |
| |information that |information--some |basic |deal of | |
| |relates to the topic |relates to the topic |information--most |information--all | |
| | | |relates to the |relates to the | |
| | | |topic |topic | |
|Share Information |Does not share any |Shares very little |Shares some basic |Shares a great | |
| |information with group|information |information |deal of | |
| |members | | |information | |
|Fulfill Duties of Role |Does not perform any |Performs very little |Performs nearly |Performs all | |
| |duties of role |duties |all duties |duties of assigned| |
| | | | |roles | |
|Share Responsibilities |Always relies on |Rarely does the |Usually does the |Always does the | |
| |others to do the work |assigned work |assigned |assigned work | |
| | | |work--rarely needs|without being | |
| | | |reminding |reminded | |
|Cooperate with Group |Usually argues with |Sometimes argues |Rarely argues |Never argues with | |
|Members |group members | | |group members | |
| | | | |Total | |
Unit Calendar
Teacher: Miss Buha
Unit: ”English” Lit
| |Monday |Tuesday |Wednesday |Thursday |Friday |
|1 | | | | | |
| |Introduction |The absolute basics |Small group discussion day |Language groups and regions |In class journal |
| | | | |[pic] |entry |
| |[pic] |[pic] | | | |
|2 | | | | | |
| |Language invasions |“Our “Roots” |Small group discussion day |Intro to writing assignment |Independent work |
| |[pic] |[pic] | |[pic] |day |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| |Independent work day |*Assignment I due |Lit references and time | |Intro to project |
|3 | |* Old English to Middle English |periods |Small group discussion day |assignment II |
| | |[pic] |[pic] | | |
|4 | | | | | |
| |Group work day ( |( |( |*Assignment II due *Present group|Class reflection |
| | | | |announcements |and discussion |
| | | | |[pic] |period |
| | |[pic] | | | |
Calendar
Teacher: Miss Buha
Unit: History of English Language
| |Monday |Tuesday |Wednesday |Thursday |Friday |
|Week One |Inroduction |Handout graphic organizer |Discussion Day |Language groups and regions |Journal Day |
| |Explain the importance of |and explain | | | |
| |knowing the History of | |Explain importance of |Review a map to get students|Have students take their |
| |English Language |Power point recapping |discussion and hoe |acquainted with the regions |graphic organizer ideas |
| |Orient students with |Monday’s material and |communication is a great |geographically |and write a paragraph |
| |sources they will be using|continuing on to the |skill to master | |about them. |
| |during the unit |“when, where, whys” | |Power Point | |
| | | |Assign groups | | |
| |Start explaining the | | | | |
| |“whos” and whats” | | | | |
| | | | | | |
|Week Two |Language Invasions |Our Roots |Discussion Day |Introduce writing assignment|Independent work day |
| |Give examples of invasions|Have everyone explain | |Reiterate the importance of |Make sure to clear up any |
| |and a situation they can |their heritage and where | |communication and |questions/concerns |
| |relate to |their roots come from | |give situation examples | |
| | | | | |Make sure sources/library |
| |Power Point |Power Point | |Explain Mrs. Manners article|is available |
|Week Three |Work day |Old English to middle |Lit references and time |Discussion Day |Intro to group assignment |
| | |English |periods | | |
| |Will accept writing | | | |Explain the difference in |
| |assignments at the end of |Explain the language |Give them examples in | |the two assignments and |
| |the period or at the |change and give situations|chronological order with | |what skills this |
| |beginning of tomorrow’s |they can relate to |literature works that go | |assignment will prove |
| |class |Pave the way for the group|along with them | |knowledge of, as opposed |
| | |assignment | | |to the other. |
| | | |Sir Gawain | | |
| | | |Caeden’s Hymn | |Assign groups |
|Week Four | | | |Assignment 2 due |Class reflection and |
| |Work Day |Work Day |Work Day |Present group announcements |discussion period about |
| | | | | |unit |
NOTES/REMINDERS
For your own good
Organize your thoughts on this handout. Just jot down eight main ideas from the lectures and activities we have participated in over the week. Do it however you like! Keep them! It will help you, I promise.
*It would work out best to keep these on your desk during lectures and write as you go along.
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“Take My Word for It”
*I will separate you into three separate groups. Each of you are representing a different region of England.
*I will give each group a paragraph that I wrote in present day English that explains a particular announcement.
Please do NOT share your announcement with the other groups!
*I need you to as a group do the following to each paragraph:
~change 10 words, of your choice, to made up words. (this represents your region’s dialect)
~translate 8 words from English into another language. (this represents the large portion of loan words we acquired)
~change 5 phrases or words into slang terminology.
(this represents different word order and usage)
*after you all are done, each group will read their paragraph aloud and the other groups will have to guess what that information they are announcing.
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