Reflection #9 Not just Flashcards

Vocabulary is the building blocks of language. As a lower level German teacher, I teach a huge volume of new vocabulary to students in all levels of German. If one really considers how large a task this is, it can become overwhelming. We never know all the words in our native languages; particularly when it comes to specialized lexicons. How daunting to learn everything all over again in a new language!

That is why this chapter of Tierney & Readance is the subject of this week’s blog. They provide excellent activities for building vocabulary. It is important to have many tools at your disposal to provide differentiated learning to diverse students and it is important to have a variety so that students do not become bored with the same types of activities over and over. I really liked that their strategies included useful advice on how to implement the strategies in the classroom by providing pros and cons of the strategies.

I intend to use a version of the contextualized vocabulary activity in my classroom. I prefer types of activities in which students construct their own knowledge. In the past I  have struggled with ways to do this with vocabulary, particularly in the beginning stages. Of course it is better if students learn it in context! They will remember it much better than the traditional flashcard method because it provides real meaning, not just association.

Reflection #8 Millennial Generation

In their 2008 interview Bauerlein and Howe duke it out over the intelligence of the Millennial Generation. Bauerlein believes it to be the “Dumbest Generation,” which is evidenced by his book The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone under 30.) However this would need to be amended to don’t trust anyone under 33 since it is now October of 2012. He argues that digital overload, brought on by social networking and video gaming, results in a lack of serious reading that negatively impacts intellectual development during the most time in a student’s life. Millennials have no depth to their knowledge. He also argues that while many young people are reading Harry Potter type books, they are not becoming real readers. He paints Millennials as self-absorbed narcissists who use the internet as a “window to the self.”

On the other side of the argument it Howe, author of Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. He argues that Millennials are ambitious, confident, optimists who have a lot in common with their grandparents’ GI generation. He argues that they are more intelligent on the whole based on trends such as “reversal of self-destructive behaviors,” rising IQ scores, and the ability to learn through more elaborate classroom activities than the previous generation. However, many of the facts he lists do not necessarily result from higher intelligence, it could just be access to better or more information.

Both agreed that the Millennial Generation benefits from greater access to information, better access to resources, lower violent crime rates, and more ambitious life goals. However, an argument about whether they are more or less intelligent seems to miss the mark. Could it be that maybe they possess a different type of intelligence? Or maybe that they communicate and interact differently than any previous generation to an extent that renders previous measures void? Whatever the differences, one thing is made clear by this debate. Teachers can use Generational Theory as a guide in teaching students. Understanding the generation they are teaching is key to reaching those students  and making learning relevant to their lives.

Web Resource Review #2: Mindsnacks

Mindsnacks is a free web tool available through iTunes students can use to build vocabulary skills. It also exists in other languages so it can be used by other world language teachers as well. Mindsnacks is also available as an application on iPhones, Droids, and other Smart Phones. Beginning to intermediate level students will find the games are a fun and easy way to build vocabulary.

Students can practice the vocabulary in several different formats on Mindsnacks the free version includes one level of six different types of games to practice listening, reading, and writing. If one decides the app is useful, an upgrade can be purchased to access fifty different levels of all six of the games. Not all of the features are available on the free version. Each level contains up to 25 words or phrases, from beginner to intermediate skill levels. Also, all of the words and phrases have corresponding audio clips that are recorded by native speakers.

Each user gets a character or an avatar that grows in intelligence as the user progresses through the levels. The system of points and rewards keep users motivated to master each new level. Also, users can share information with each other and engage in friendly competition with classmates or see how they rank compared to other users.

The practice is individualized to each user because the mini-games create unique algorithms to tailor the practice to each user’s skill level and learning needs. It reinforces previous material while including more practice with words and skills that the user misses more frequently.

This application might be difficult to use in the classroom unless the school or the teacher can purchase a license to put it on more than five devices. Some schools have made it available on the Ipads that their students use and incorporate it into the classroom instructional activities.

Concept Mapping in the German Classroom

In his article "Teaching Learners to Think, Read, and Write More Effectively in Content Subjects" (2000), Richard Sinatra shows us to incorporate text structure and concept or cognitive mapping into teaching style. The article is aimed at secondary teaching so is presented in the context of expository text structure, but it can be adapted to any type of text.

Examining the text structure is important because it tells the reader what type of text it is by the format. Text structure arranges the important information into a certain format based on the type of text. Concept mapping helps readers to think about the information and to group it into categories that makes sense to them and hopefully builds connections between prior knowledge, information learned and teacher questioning. The teaching style should be student centered and allow students to construct their own knowledge. 

To implement this strategy, modeling must be done by the teacher. The teacher should ask questions and students will probably respond with a paraphrase or quote from the text. Teacher should remember to guide students toward answers but not provide the answers. 
After the teacher models a few different types of mapping the students move to guided practice. The author says it is helpful to group students at this point in the lesson so they can help each other construct knowledge and fill in the gaps in their individual learning. After they have constructed the map, students can be asked to then write an individual response based on the map.Once students master the mapping strategies they can apply them to the texts they read on their own.

Since so many different types of texts are used in the World Language classroom as illustrated by my previous post containing a text set, it is important to provide students with a way of making sense of material regardless of the format so that they can organize the material in a way to make later use of it for their own learning and producing artifacts such as writings about the readings.

Here is a text set I developed for studying the German Jewish Experience in Berlin. German Jews have influenced culture more than most students and even teachers realize. The number of intellectuals, writers, artists, political figures, and scientists within this community is impressive. Here is just a sampling of texts one could use in the classroom.

The Virtual Jewish History Tour Berlin

David Shyovitz

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/berlin.html

This interactive site gives a brief overview of German Jewish history from the middle ages to the present. It includes information about important locations and famous Berlin Jews.

This site would be a really great activity to introduce a thematic unit on German Jewish Culture in Berlin. It provides students with a framework to organize information they will learn from the other texts.

Reading Level: 7-12

Jewish Museum Berlin

http://www.jmberlin.de/main/EN/homepage-EN.php

The Jewish Museum Berlin contains permanent and special collections pertaining to the German Jewish experience. Even the architecture of the building evokes emotions associated with the Holocaust. The shape of the building reminds one of Kristallnacht and a broken star of David. The interior of the building even when filled with exhibits and visitors takes the abstract idea of void and makes it tangible.

I choose this as part of the text set because the architect Daniel Libeskind is of Jewish descent. His most famous accomplishment is winning the competition to be the lead architect on the World Trade Center in New York.

Reading Level: 7-12

Nathan the Wise (1779)

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

This play set in Jerusalem eloquently argues for religious tolerance through a fictitious meeting during the Third Crusade between a Jewish merchant, an enlightened Muslim sultan, and a Templar. The play was first performed in 1783 in Berlin and was later banned by the church.

I am including this text because the central character Nathan was modeled on the famous German Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn, a Berliner, was the first to translate the Pentateuch into German. The point of view in Lessing’s work reflects the belief in religious tolerance shared by most educated, upper-middle class, Berlin Jews.

Reading Level: 9-12

Gedichte (1821)

Heinrich Heine

This is Heine’s first published collection of poetry. This collection appeared while he was living in Berlin.

This collection is important to my text collection because Heine is one of the most well-known German poets of all time who also happens to be Jewish. Heine did not consider himself a Jew and converted to Christianity as a young man, however, he began to explore Judaism later in life. While in Berlin, Heine played a large role in the café culture of Berlin. He influenced and was influenced by other important writers and artists of the time.

Reading Level: 11-12

The Jewish State (1896)

Theodor Herzl

This work addresses the “Jewish question” and the anti-Semitism that permeated European society. It is a call to Jews around the world to create a Zionist state in Israel. It was highly controversial and widely read.

Even though Herzl was Austrian, I have included his work in this collection because it would have been widely read by Berlin Jews and influenced their thinking about the “Jewish question.”

Reading Level: 10-12

Man Equals Man (1926)

Bertolt Brecht

This play examines the role of war on the human condition. It belongs to the post-Expressionist movement, Neue Sachlichkeit, that developed in Berlin during the Weimar Republic.

I am including this text because it deals with identity and human nature and it was written by one of the most famous Jews in Berlin, although he did not consider himself Jewish, in the time leading up to World War Two.

Reading Level: 11-12

Mother Courage and Her Children (1939)

Bertolt Brecht

This is considered by many to be the greatest play of the 20^th century. It is in the genre of Exile literature. It was written by Brecht while in Switzerland and speaks out against fascism and Nazism.

I am including this work because I consider Brecht the best example of an intellectual Berlin Jew who used his craft to speak out against the Nazis and the ugly side of human nature in general. It helped bring the severity of life under the Nazi regime into the international consciousness.

Reading Level: 10-12

The Minutes of the Wannsee Conference (1942)

Translation by the US government

The Wannsee Conference is the meeting Nazi leaders held to determine the “Final Solution” to carry out the extermination of the Jews.

I am including this in my text set because no treatment of the Jewish experience is complete without it. The Wannsee House where the conference was held is located in a very upscale neighborhood on the outskirts of Berlin. The house originally belonged to a Jewish family and was confiscated the by Nazis. Today it is a center for historical education and contains a permanent exhibit documenting the experience of Berlin Jews during Nazi Germany.

Reading Level: 7-12

The Holocaust Education and Archive Research Team

http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/

H.E.A.R.T. is an organization that documents the events from the Holocaust from beginning to end. The site also provides survivor testimonies and transcripts from the Wannsee Confernce.

I am including this website in my collection because it is an excellent and comprehensive tool for students to learn about the social climate that allowed the Holocaust to happen, the experience during the Holocaust and the impact of the devastation of the Jewish population.

Reading Level: 7-12

The World As I See It (1949)

Albert Einstein

This book is a collection of interviews, correspondence, and reflections. Einstein reveals his thoughts about everything from science, politics, and religion, to the meaning of life.

I am including this work in my collection because Einstein lived and worked in Berlin. He never considered himself Jewish by religion and had difficulty believing he was in danger during the Nazi regime. Finally, friends persuaded him to leave and come to the United States where he played a very important role in convincing our leaders of the advanced technology possessed by Nazi Germany. While Einstein detested war, he realized that the world could not afford for the Nazis to create the atom bomb first. His research and work here allowed us to create the atom bomb first and changed the course of history. Students in East Tennessee may relate particularly to this work due to our close proximity to Oak Ridge, a key location of the Manhattan Project.

Reading Level: 9-12

“Die Lösung” (1953)

Bertolt Brecht

This poem written by Brecht in East Germany after the uprising of 1953 is a searing commentary on government. The poem was not published at that time because Brecht was an official supporter of the Stalinist government.

I am including this in my text set as an example of the German Jewish in East Berlin. Brecht was one of the few public figures who had the courage to continue to thumb his nose at the political powers in spite of his earlier experiences.

Readig Level: 7-12

Rahel Varnhagen: The Life of a Jewess (1958)

Hannah Arendt

This biography examines the life of the most famous European salon hostess. She was good friends with the daughters of Moses Mendelsohn and hosted such notable figures such as Schlegel, Schelling, the Humboldts and countless others. She was also acquainted the most celebrated of all German authors, Goethe.

I am including the text because of Varnhagen’s prominent place in society and prolific correspondence with other intellectuals and political figures. She was born in Berlin to a very wealthy family and married a Christian. She converted to Christianity and never really considered herself to be Jewish. However she continued to work to better the position of her colleagues and acquaintances of her former religion and willed a large sum to the poor Jews of Berlin upon her death.

Reading Level: 7-12

The Invisible Wall: Germans and Jews: A personal exploration (1998)

W. Michael Blumenthal

The author shares his story of German-Jewish identity, what it means to be both German and Jewish, by tracing his family through the changes that shaped modern Germany. Blumenthal escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 via the Shanghai Ghettos.

I chose this text because Blumenthal became an extremely influential world renowned political figure. He was the 64^th Secretary of the United States Treasury under Jimmy Carter. He currently directs the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

Reading Level: 9-12

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (2005)

http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/en

The memorial opened in 2005, after 20 years of debate, discussion, planning, and construction. Peter Eisenman’s creation occupies a very prominent space in the government quarter of Berlin. The exhibit consists of a Field of Stelae and a subterranean information center. The exhibit documents the persecution and extermination of the Jews during the Third Reich.

I included this in the text selection because it continues to be a point of contention among Germans, Berliners in particular, still today.

Reading Level: 7-12

Jewish Community of Berlin

http://www.jg-berlin.org/en.html

This website is maintained by the Jewish community in Berlin. It contains information about events and articles that are relevant to Berlin daily life as well reflections on the past.

I have included this site in my text set because it provides students with an up-to-date context for the daily life and concerns of Jews living in Berlin today.

Reading Level: 9-12

Critical Reading

Critical reading is an important skill set for students to master. For successful learning through reading students need to be able to analyze, evaluate and to create with the information they learn through reading. The teacher needs to scaffold the reading and actively teach how to desconstruct and dissect texts in the content area. Chapter 8 in Bean, Baldwin, and Readance gives four strategies to teachers can implement to teach students these necessary skills: Polar Opposites, Opinion-proof, REAP, and Phony Document. It is also included a list of common fallacies that is particularly useful in reminding students what to look for when critiquing a text as well as  pitfalls to avoid when constructing their own arguments in relation to what they have read.

Polar Opposites appears to be a good exercise to use with a level 1 language class. Since these students have limited linguistic output abilities, an activity with a continuum between two emotions or adjectives is a way for them to organize and evaluate the material in a text. The Opinion-proof exercise is an excellent activity to get students to think about how an argument should be constructed and could be used in upper division classes for written responses to texts.  The REAP (read, encode, annotate, ponder) strategy is probably the most widely adaptable strategy and could be used at all language levels. And even though the Phony Document Strategy takes a lot of preparation time, it is a worthwhile activity to help students learn to evaluate and select reliable sources for research projects. 

As experts in content area fields, language teachers constantly employ these methods on informational texts to stay current in their fields. Since world language teachers often live outside of the culture they are teaching, they depend on websites, news articles, and academic journals to stay up-to-date. It is often second nature to an education professional to read critically, however it is not always apparent that these are skills teachers should model and teach to their students. Teachers sometimes assume that students are already capable of critical reading in the content area on their own because they are successful critical readers in their native language. These skills do not always spontaneously transfer; so language teachers need to be prepared to teach critical reading in the world language classroom.