Responding to “When READING isn’t easy.”

I found a great article by HollyPevzner on the struggles of kids with dyslexia and how one mother didn’t give up on her suspicions that her son had a learning disorder.

Holly’s son Theo was a bright, sweet kid with a great memory; but she started noticing when he was in pre-school that he had no interest in learning words, saying rhymes, or reading. Holly brought this to Theo’s teacher attention, but she did not seem concerned; “Instead, they focused on my son’s frequent baby talk and got him speech therapy right away.” Then when it came to Theo going to kindergarten, all the children were learning their sounds, he was not all interested; he didn’t want to even try.

Holly’s husband was dyslexic, so she wondered if the same was true for Theo. Holly took her suspicions to the teacher; but the teacher insisted that Theo was “not reversing his letters.” She went on to tell holly to give it time and he will catch up.

When Theo went into first grade he was struggling to read, “My son stumbled over at and the.” It was especially hard at homework time; Theo would get mad and yell at himself; “I’m a failure!” “My brain doesn’t work!” Holly and Theo would be in tears every day. Still the teacher told her that he would be fine; even though the teacher ended up tutoring Theo twice a week. He felt better, but Holly didn’t see much of an improvement.

It wasn’t until the speech therapist overheard Holly talking to a friend about her concerns about Theo’s reading; the therapist spoke up and told Holly; “If you think your son might have dyslexia, we can test him this week.” The following day Theo was tested; “a reading specialist tested Theo’s ability to detect and discriminate differences in speech sounds.” She also looked at Theo’s medical history and his written work. The end result; Theo is indeed, dyslexic. I know I sound like that is a great thing, but growing up not knowing is way worse than finding out and learning how to work with it.

Dyslexia is the most common of the learning disorders; “It affects one in five kids.” There is on an average, four to six dyslexic students in a class. Unfortunately most of these children will fall through the cracks of the school system Dyslexia is very hard to detect because, “many kids are savvy at masking their struggles,” where “most adults meanwhile, aren’t equipped to spot the signs of dyslexia when it’s most critical,” and, according to the article, is third grade. Students must know how to read to keep up with all the learning they have ahead of them.

I went through school not knowing that I am dyslexic; I went through school thinking I was just plain dumb. I could not read well, and when I did read, I didn’t remember any of it. It was such a frustrating time in my life. I did not enjoy school at all, except for P.E., we didn’t have to read. Now that I know I am dyslexic, I try to find ways to help me read and remember better. One of my favorite ones is to buy, if available, the unabridged audio to the required reading. I came up with this idea on my own, and it got me an “A” in both English 250 and 260. I would have never made it through the book without reading along to the audio.

I am so glad for Theo that his mom cared enough about his education to pay attention and to recognize his struggles in the very beginning of his learning.

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6f4e7b3e-fc17-45d8-ab2e-9094ff95cdcc%40sessionmgr113&vid=4&hid=113

Reading Response #1 Adapting to Dyslexia Students

Being a tutor or SI means that you help students become better writers and better students. Sometimes you have students that are easy to connect with but then you have others who you have to take extra time and figure out what their difficulty is. When I say that, I mean that you need to read it over to them several of times, writing it down etc. All students learn in different ways and use certain tools in order to become better students. Having a learning disability can be challenging at times and can make you just want to give up.  Many people struggle with learning disabilities but the main one that I want to focus on is Dyslexia.  First off, Dyslexia is when you don’t see certain letter or may confuse them with another letter.  Dyslexia is a very common learning disability and a lot of people don’t even know that they have it.  But when a student knows that they have Dyslexia, it is our job to be able to help guide them into the right direction and help them become better writers.

In this particular article, Dyslexia : Surviving And Succeeding At College ,it talks about a college student that struggles with this learning disability and how she copes with it through her college career.  It talks about how she was able to find ways in order to adapt to her needs and she found tools so that other college students can use them if they have dyslexia. Being organized, having visuals, more auditory, and asking for help really does come along way. By doing these main key things, these students have a higher success rate and are able to become better students. She also states the importance of using the resources that you have at college like tutors, librarians, teachers etc. For example, the article says how some tutors might get frustrated but it is important for us to keep our composure and not add more stress to the student.  It states “any show of impatience is certain to make the situation worse, as it will make the student anxious and the anxiety will in turn increase the student’s difficulties” (Moody 97).  Showing that you are frustrated automatically reflects the student’s mood and can create a hostile environment for the student. That is why it is important for tutors and SI’s to stay calm and observe the student so that we can help them out and not add more stress to them.

In conclusion, no one is perfect and everyone has a different ways of learning including Tutors/SI’s.  Everyone gets frustrated and most people can think of a time where they were in a challenging position.  But most of us overcame it and found a way to make it successful so that the next time it happened; we are able to adapt to the situation. It is not our job to be a teacher but it is our job to help students gain confidence and to help students find tools so that they can be able to pass every class and be better writers. We are a community and we need the students to know that they are not alone and they we are here to help them not judge them.  Showing them that they can become successful writers and awesome students so that they can use these tools throughout their college career. :-)

Works Cited

Moody, Sylvia. Dyslexia : Surviving And Succeeding At College. New York, NY: Routledge, 2007. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

Integrating Student Tutors into Courses

'Tutors within courses"

                  While researching an article to respond to I wanted to find something that was fresh and had a similar but different perspective on some writing center resources. I came across an article posted on The Rambler that was titled "Writing Center Integrates Tutors within Courses" this title spoke to me and made me think of our S.I. Program. Similar to our S.I. program student tutors from the university writing center are placed in a specific course. For our program tutors are placed in English, History, and Psychology courses. For Transylvania University the tutor was placed in a First Year Research program. The students are being utilized in a different approach; which I found to be very interesting.

              Our Writing Center uses our student tutors as a bridge between the student and teachers course. Our S.I.'s are used as student resource and a model student to help build and encourage good habits that can be applied to academic and everyday life. For Transylvania University the student tutor was slightly more proactive within the actual course. The student tutors for the university were being asked to give feedback and prospective on course syllabus and assignments. I thought this was great because who know's better about student life then an actual student! The professor said "Even things just like planning the syllabus, she understands student life demands way better than I ever will, specifically for Transy students." generally speaking I agree that sometimes professor's do forget that student life can be demanding so creating user friendly syllabuses are important for student understanding. I personally have gotten students that come in asking me to explain the assignment or syllabus; many times I look at them and get surprised myself at how dense they can be.

              Something I didn't actually agree with is that student tutors weren't actually required to attend the class unless pertinent. I find that students love having their S.I. in class with them and during the labs. A level of comfort and reliability is important to connect and relate to the students; I feel like having the S.I. present has a very positive effect on our peers. Within article an important point was brought up and that was "...The benefit is going to be having a student talk to other students about the process and being able to tell them firsthand like ‘hey this has really helped me out.” this statement alone speaks a lot about our approach. Another point that was made was having a student tutor in class can help give students a bit of a voice to address concerns that students may have but are shy or afraid to address. The  bridge concept is seen in the article but its definitely approached differently to fit their idea and demands.

             Ultimately it goes on to say that having student tutors work with professor's is not only beneficial to the students, but to both the professors and the tutors. I love that it circled back to learning from one another and creating an environment that facilitates learning from one another.

  

 Tutors integrated within courses

Guidelines for Blog Posts

Is this your first time doing academic blogging? If so, read on for tips to make your posts stand out.

1. Blog postings are not articles, but they may lead to articles, as Joe Essid, Writing Center Director at University of Richmond points out, so a good number of words to aim for is 1,000 or fewer.
2. Keep your writing clear, focused, and professional. But think khakis and polo rather than suit and tie.
3. Include images and hyperlinks where appropriate, but don't just dump them in anywhere.
4. Cite your sources! Include references either by hyperlinking to the original text or including a citation at the end of your posting. Blogs are the perfect medium for including URLs.
5. Blogs aren't papers, so MLA paper formatting guidelines don't apply: there's no need to double space, include a header, etc. You can look online for examples.

Happy academic blogging!

Working with ESL Writers

                                                   Response to "English as a Second Language"
    "Working with ESL (English as a second language) writers" discusses the process of working with students whose first language is not English, from the overall goal to the minutia of the task. Throughout this article the author makes it a point to debunk several myths or stereotypes that new tutors may have. It covers the first day jitters down to what exactly ESL writers are looking for when they come into the writing center. After reading this I was a calmed as it also goes over myths we tutors have created for ourselves.

    The first stereotype that is discussed is that non-native speakers have a weak command of the standard written English language. It is true that speaking a language is much easier than writing it, so even though there is an accent in the voice and verb tenses may be incorrect, what they are saying can still be understand because we get the speaker's intention. The issue comes when the "accent" is visible on paper. I do believe NNS that come into our writing center have a weak command of the English written language. My personal experience has always been that the NNS speakers struggle more with writing than speaking. Our demographic as a junior college is different than a four year university whereas unlike a four year we have much older students who have speaking incorrectly longer then lets say a university student.

    The article goes on to address the dreaded time when we fight becoming editors rather than tutors. Many students both NNS (and native speakers) have come in with a finished ten page essay asking you to look over their grammar. What this paper points out is that they may not be talking about their grammar every time and we should not limit ourselves at look at every single line.  When they ask this question it is really a way of asking for feedback. They want to know if their vocabulary is adequate and if their organizational skills are up to par. Simple checking their verb tenses will not make them better writers.

    Overall I do have a few issues with this paper. The piece takes for granted that we are a four year university and that most our students are up to par with the most basic of writing skills. In reality the students' abilities vary greatly, as does the average in age. I also do not think our school is setting a level of ability needed to pass a course rather relying on how much progress has made since the beginning of the semester. I was reminded however to look into what NNS were really asking when they come into the WC. In the end I am grateful for having read his article.

Works Cited

Learning Requires Memory

Learning Requires Memory

A Response to Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
 

            It’s the night before your final exam in your Algebra 2 class.  You haven’t memorized all the templates and rules that you’ll need to know in order to solve all the problems that may be on the exam.  You’re nervous about the exam and begin to panic.   You open your notes to start reviewing and you come across a theorem that you haven’t practiced enough.  What do you do?  Do you go to your textbook and start doing the problems for that theorem?  How many problems does it take to have that theorem memorized?  Will you have to do 5, 10, or more?  How much time will it take to practice that one theorem and will there be time to finish studying for other types of problems?  Maybe cramming and repetition are not the best ways to memorize new skills so you’ll be able to recall them during a test.

According to some relatively new research done by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel over a three-year period and published in 2014 in their book, Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, memory plays a central role in our ability to carry out complex cognitive tasks, such as applying knowledge to problems never before encountered and drawing inferences from facts already known.  In fact, it is specifically how we apply new information, knowledge and skills to our memory that determines how well we will be able to recall that information at a future time when needed.  There are many methods used by students to learn new information, but not all methods used to plant new information into their memory banks work with success.

The authors point out that many common study habits and practice routines turn out to be counterproductive.   I agree with their claim that learning is an acquired skill i.e., we need to learn how to learn.  We aren’t born with the skills to learn effectively.  In Make it Stick, the authors suggest learning methods that can be used to more effectively learn and plant new knowledge and skills into the memory.  These methods are referred to as retrieval practice, interleaved and varied practice, and the practice of elaboration.

Recalling information from memory is a more effective learning method than review by rereading.  Flashcards or simple quizzes after reading or hearing a lecture will generate better learning and remembering than rereading texts or reviewing notes.  Retrieval and practice strengthens the neural pathways that make up our ability to learn and remember.  This periodic practice is essential for memory to retain the newly gained knowledge. 

Differentiating types of problems and picking the right solution is a skill acquired more effectively by interleaving or varying your practice.  For instance, you can spend a few minutes practicing algebraic theorems, then practice lessons for another class, and then go back to the algebra.  This method improves both our recall and our ability to categorize and differentiate between solutions of new knowledge.

When we’re engaging in mechanical repetition, as in a massed practice, or practicing over and over the same type of problem or information, we tend to get tired and burn-out.  But, if you practice by elaboration you can learn more.  Elaboration is the process expressing newly gained knowledge in your own words and connecting it to knowledge you already possess. Attempting to teach someone else what you’ve just learned is a form of elaborating on the new knowledge and will help to make the information stick in your memory.

We have believed for a long time that the best ways to learn are through repetition.  I think it’s time to consider other methods of learning and retaining new knowledge.  Many of us don’t have time that can be wasted on using methods that aren’t going to help us be successful.  Therefore, I’m going to put this book to the test.  I’m starting to mix up my homework so I’m learning and practicing something different each hour that I have to do my work.   “The responsibility for learning rests with every individual” and I intend to challenge myself to learn all I can while I have time on this earth (252).

Reading Response 1

David Crowther

Megan Wong

English 12B T 300-405

February 11, 2016

Reading Response #1: Working with ESL Writers

            It is a challenge to be a tutor, having to look over paper after paper from different classes, some requiring more work than others.  The most challenging part of being a tutor, from my experience, is when I try to help ESL (English Second Language) students.  It is not because they are unwilling to learn, or even that they don’t fully understand the material that was assigned to them.  The difficulty comes from me, specifically if I am giving them the help they need in the proper manner, not just feeding them the answers.  I have met many ESL students that know exactly what it is they want to write, but they just like to be sure they’re writing in a way that meets their professor’s standards. 

            This particular article, Working with ESL Writers gives some helpful tips that I feel gives me a new perspective on tutoring those that have English as their second language.  One of the parts that stuck with me right away was how grammar isn’t always the main concern they have with their paper; sometimes they have come in to have the structure or main points examined to be sure they followed the guidelines properly.  Normally with papers brought in by students, I look right for any grammar errors, going back to other potential errors from the beginning.  I need to improve on that by making sure to verify what it is they wanted help with in the first place.  A simple solution to this issue, but definitely important to practice in the near future. 

            Despite the important reminder it created for me, the overall theme of the paper seemed to be based on a main point: have patience and be willing to give the extra help wherever it may be needed.  I’ve worked with many ESL students since I started working in the Writing Center last semester, and every time I do feel like I need to take more time to ensure they can see the errors they made in the assignment.  That way they can begin to spot the same errors by themselves in the future and make corrections.  In that way, they have learned what to look for without having to feel the need to rely on writing tutors all of the time.  It’s a job I’m more than willing to do until they no longer need me; that’s how I know I did my job right. 

            This particular article is helpful in the suggestions it gives, even though I didn’t list them all in this response.  For new writing tutors in particular, this is a good way to gain knowledge and preparation for what may be asked of them as tutors.  ESL students are just as important as any other that come into the Writing Center, and should be given the best that we can give them in order for them to learn to succeed on their own knowledge.  We are students just like them, so it’s not unthinkable that we can expand on our own methods in order to ensure they get our best.