Materials development idea

I really like the idea of the materials development. I think it is a great idea and will benefit the Yugtun programs precisely! What I was thinking was open a website like all those people that like to sell their products or an ad for them to see and get grasp of what is out there for them. We can develop technology type of interactive activities like any sort of language development. Having different level of Yugtun language development will be great! We can also train in districts during their staff developments who are teaching the Yugtun language the new materials developed, also present during conferences. If we can develop interactive CD's that will bring interest to the classroom teachers. And later it can be taught as a class to see how they are implementing the new materials developed. But first before this can begin get ideas of what type of materials the teachers want to see out in the districts and go from there.

Words As Big As The Screen

I thought the article was motivating! I really enjoyed reading the article. It really said what I have always thought about language loss, shift, and renewal. I thought language programs part was interesting because I had to pause and think of what we have been doing in our district. I totally agree with the authors illustration that linking the use of language to the realms of environment, culture, and history seems to locate the language as part history, as an archaeological artifact rather than as an everyday part of modern life. I strongly believe that even though our language is in a rage of shifting or loss, yes our goal should always be to make our traditions such as subsistence to stay alive by making it meaningful for our students or immersing them. Like our elders always say people learn only through participating and practicing, and even though it doesn't perfect the first time by keep trying and never giving up will make a person skillful in what they are trying to learn! I really love this phrase from elders.
I know that we will never go back to the past, but we need to try and make accommodations of utilizing what is comfortable to our students environment like for example using technology if we wanted to keep our language and culture alive. I agree with the author about this comment.

Sally's powerpoint and synthesises

I think Sally's powerpoint is very useful and very productive to use as a parent, teacher, or a community member. I find it very useful especially if I were a parent and willing to know what my child has been learning in her class. I think it is very user friendly and very positive. It encourages me to learn words and their meanings. If every teacher had access to use computer generated classroom it would be useful! This is my dream! Sally used great learning techniques or strategies for everyone to follow. I could tell that there is some TPR involved and learning how to pronounce or decode using syllabication in Yugtun.
Her synthesis paper was well informed of how she saw powerpoint and using other technology as a learning mechanism. Her paper was very precise explaining in detail how she planned on using her powerpoint with her project. I really liked her synthesis paper because she included research behind to make her points illustrated. Overall her paper was excellent!

My hopes/fears&connect/separate?

My hopes for technology in curriculum is huge! I would like to see technology integrated to the Yuuyaraq curriculum I am creating. I am trying my hardest to integrate technology in the upper grades especially junior high to high school. I think students will have fun interviewing elders and use i-movie and garage band to record and transfer their recordings. And being able to transcribe using computer will ease them to edit their papers. Plus to demonstrate using power points their other projects they had done. Another hope is that they will practice their Yugtun writing skills using blogging in a class with their teachers. It would be awesome if technology was Yup'ik-ized!
My fear for technology is that the students know more than the adults. Kids are not afraid of utilizing technology. They know more than the adults who are more afraid to create something that will apeal students. Plus I think developing curriculum using technology will be time consuming especially if you are a full time teacher with families. My deepest fear is not being able to monitor adequately.
I think technology both connect and separate us. For those who are technology bound it is very useful and easy. But for those who are not so techy it is time consuming and not so useful when it comes to effectiveness of a lesson. Technology can keep us connected with outlying villages. It is easier especially now a days that we email each other with immediate needs and it is so easy to send or receive our immediate needs. What separates us is when we feel that our rights will be violated, for example, if someone is invading by reading our own private emails or etc. Or when we are afraid to use technology as a learning tool for our students. Especially when we are not tech savy.

article reflection

Reading the article "Rethinking Schools", reminds me of individual laptops some sites have in LKSD. The students now spend most of their time in front of the computer and they seem to be not so afraid of trying new things like the adults. When I go visit sites, the student prefer to do work on the computer more than paper pencil work. I remember visiting a classroom where the high school LA teacher was encouraging students to write different forms of business letter using their computer. With interest I sat for 10 minutes with a student who was working on his letter. He seemed to enjoy what he was doing on a computer he even changed his format several times while I was sitting with him. I'd say the students now are more comfortable with computers than the adults. They tend to try new things without the fear of breaking the computers than us adults.
Reading Abdullah's blogging reminds me of our class. I agree with the writer, it helps students to freely state what they want without being told what to write. It helps me as a writer to jot down what I feel. As a second language learner myself, I tend to have writers blog when there is guidelines and rules to follow. But when I am asked to write without rules or guidelines I tend to have more open mind. I agree with the writer that blogging allows students to reflect on and criticize the texts they were reading in class. I think giving students a freedom to write especially giving them the chance to prove they can write, they will illuminate and illustrate what they can do. I strongly believe if we give different ways to have students express writing blogging should be part of the curriculum.

chapter 8

I skimmed through the chapter and thought about what I do here at the district office developing materials. When I develop materials, most of the time it is the request by language teachers from bilingual institute. The Yugtun language teachers usually maneuver the steering wheel of which materials they want to see in their classrooms. We do not develop text books, but authentic materials to use in classrooms. It is mostly teachers that make decisions of what to use in the classrooms.
Reading the articles made me think how students are into laptops out in the villages. Using Yup'ik blogging or etc. will benefit the students to practice the language. Students find it fun to work on the computer. There are more options for students to make language more meaningful with their innovative ideas. Emailing now is a big thing for students and if pen pals were organized to be done in Yup'ik they would utilize and make learning fun!

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Questions

Yuuyaraq is now under pilot and evaluation. Although it is not done it is being piloted and evaluated at the same time by the language teachers. The types of procedures were employed are essential questions, contents integrated to curriculum, skills or objectives, instructional procedures, resources and types of assessments (formative and summative). The results of the curriculum have not been disseminated yet, but will after this year. The changes have not been disseminated and any changes as a result of implementation have not been changed.
As a teacher I would be interested in summative assessment. I would want to know the aspect of the worth of the curriculum. Maybe it is because I want to know about the validity of the curriculum I have created. For the administrator I think it would be the summative assessment. I assume it would be formative and summative assessment for the parents. But I am assuming. I don’t really know what the community would pick to evaluate the their program. I would assume.

Chapter 6 reflection

I thought chapter 6 talked about interesting labels for various types of curriculum development. I never use to think of curriculum as various types. Now I see that they had names for various reasons. After reading the chapter I thought about the curriculum for various subjects how they fit into some of the categories listed. I have noticed that most of the curriculum I have seen are integrated some are one kind than others. It various from curriculum to curriculum I guess whoever developed them had various reasons for various ones I guess. Come to think of it with the language change and shift now in the villages there has to be change all across the Yup'ik curriculum to fit the needs of students. Even Yup'ik proficiency test needs to be changed. I heard it was developed over 20-30 years and over those years our language has changed and it needs revision. I know some of items are not relevant of what we do now and some are.

Week 5 reflection

I thought this chapter was pretty interesting because it allowed me to think further of what I have been doing here at the district creating curriculum for classroom use for all teachers and students. The chapter stressed how goals are developed for educational programs and developers draw on their understanding of both present and long-term needs of learners. Developing Yuuyaraq curriculum has long been developed using Yup'ik values and beliefs as the basis of the curriculum. These values and beliefs were developed by elders and Yup'ik teachers during summer institutes back in 1980's which then the scope and sequence was developed to guide the Yup'ik values and beliefs to create lessons for students to learn about our language and culture. Each Unit or theme developed has rationale, values, and beliefs embedded. It is the same with the Upinguarluta thematic unit for K - 3rd grades. Both the Upinguarluta and Yuuyaraq Thematic Units are set in a heuristic spiral where they start from basic to more harder critical and analytical way of learning including the orthography and grammar. All this is connected to Yup'ik worldview where human, nature, and spiritual realms are connected. That is how both Upinguarluta and Thematic units are connected. When I read the chapter I saw some connections in each of the listed Academic rationalism where are Yup'ik philosophy is embedded(values and beliefs) where mental discipline is involved to respect our worldview. It is learner centeredness teaching from experience and prior knowledge.
I thought about people who developed Yuuyaraq and Upingaurluta thematic units what went on through their minds when they were developing the curriculum. I am so impressed with units they came up with and the importance of teaching them in class. We are very fortunate, I believe with what we have in our Yup'ik language here at the district. I know in the future it will keep changing with language change plus social changes.

Week 4 reflection

1. How is situation analysis different from needs analysis?

Situation analysis is checking the validity of the curriculum from factors that might affect the curriculum (students, teachers, community, organizations, institutions) while needs analysis is collecting information from stakeholders to create a curriculum using their input or ideas.
I thought situation analysis part in curriculum is important because this is the point where the curriculum developed is tested or piloted to get information about the developed curriculum so that the stakeholders, organizations, and institution would check to see if the curriculum is valid or reliable. It is better to revise the curriculum with the input from all involved, so that the needs of the children are met. Otherwise, there will be some that will not accept the change no matter what because there are some people that do not like change. But others who took part will accept the change for the better of our kids needs.
There were many example situations in the book that really highlighted some of the situations we go through here at the district. Our district is so large and it takes a while to finish our projects to adopt curriculum. We try to get majority input from the stakeholders and pilot the projected curriculum to assess the program. Piloting the curriculum helps us to decide with the input from other stakeholders.
I thought the reading was helpful for me to understand better in what I do at the district level. I agree with the others with most of the examples because I have experienced some of the situations.

Chapter three reflection

I thought putting into text was interesting way to see needs analysis and different procedures to conduct needs analysis was interesting. Seems to me we have been doing a lot of informal negotiations with the stakeholders: teachers, students, parents, community members, and academic specialists when administering the needs analysis. But I may have not noticed other ways. Also samples of student work, assessment data on student performance, reports by teachers encountered by students, and other examples are also parts I have seen here at the district level. They might have done other ways but I think I have not been too observable. As I was reading the chapter I was thinking how much we utilize the examples here and trying to make the best for every stakeholder.
But whenever someone in the curriculum seeks to see what works in classroom. Teachers, students, specialists, parents, school board, and community are informed and check for validity of the texts and etc. Plus the new text or idea is also piloted and then either adjusted or changed or thrown off for another one. I guess what I am saying is they are tested to see for the validity and reliability of using the text or program. I hope I am making sense here!

Week 2 reflections

Here are my two reflections I did not do the one that had to do with groups...

Rachel

Hi there!! waqaa!! Naspaagaqa una blog-arcuun!!!