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Dropping the Preposition...Sound Illiterate or Sound Sweet?

6/5/2016

1 Comment

 

I struggle with this Modern, Techno-Driven Phenomenon every time I correct a student who drops a preposition, and I subsequently hear a parent or teacher do the same.  HELP!

 "I'm done my work!"  (with???)

​ "Are you finished your project?"   (with???)


"He walked out the classroom."  (of???)

The concept is very confusing to me, and I cannot find any solid resources on the internet regarding the subject, simply blogs with opinions and often foul language.  So,  I  am posting my observations and thoughts here, hoping for some intellectual and creative input.  I am wide open thoughts and suggestions. (for???)

There is a part of me that wants to jump the band wagon (on???) as I would have, quite quickly no doubt, when I was an ever-s0-"with it" teenager who loved new language fads.  However, my adult good sense and teaching commitment tell me that communicating this way in both speech and writing (be it text, email, blog, tweet, or publication manuscript) may lead to speaking and writing in this manner in situations where sounding as though I did make it through 7th grade English class may be important.   

Now, now, mind you, I intend to insult no one here.  I am a Native New Yawka, and there was a time where I played bawl and drank wata and soder.  After spending a few years in a professional business position in California, where every letter sound is articulated quite clearly and some exaggerated to prove you live in the Valley, I learned to hear the illiterate sound of New Yawk Tawk.  Needless to say, due to communication difficulties in business in different parts of the country, my accent has faded.  I find the prep drop to ring as illiterate to the ear as the New York accent does outside of the five boroughs and surrounding burbs.

However, when I analyze the use, I first (in all fairness) note that I have always dropped "of" when walking out the door or climbing out the window.  Walking out of the door? Climbing out of the window?  They surely sound awkward to me.  So then I comment to self, " Self,  you do this, too.  There is just more of it, and it is popping up in places you never imagined it could fit."  My research has also led me to the completely unimaginable Because Preposition.  

"What is the Because Preposition?"  you ask.  Well, maybe it's an attempt to add a new one, making up for all of those dropped prepositions that are no longer in use.  Apparently it is another new phenomenon in technology talk that has permeated our spoken language.  I get that we take shortcuts and use faddish, ever-so-cool lingo in WiFi situations, but this groovy new shortcut utilizes the ellipsis without the three dots to indicate that the pause and thought are there.  Hence, the pause is eliminated.  Basically, we are just dropping words deemed by the speaker/writer to be an unnecessary waste of his or her time in order to have the receiving party understand the thought being expressed. Because catchy.  It's advertising in speech: because billboard.  This phenomenon is a sad one in my mind, because the ellipsis and the pause in both spoken and written language add so much to the context in which we are expressing ourselves.  I suppose I could say, " This phenomenon is a sad one in my mind, because expression. " I am a HUGE fan of the ellipsis, and I know it must be used correctly to be effective.  It is a component of the art of language use; pauses are dramatic and ear-catching, even deeply engaging!  The ellipsis is a privilege, not trash to throw out!

Are we compromising the art of language for teen fads?  I am shocked every time I hear an adult drop with or for in a spoken sentence.  Will they soon utilize the because preposition, because sweet?  Are they trying to be cool for their children and students?  Have they fallen victim to the permeation of shortcut, technology language in our culture? Are they from a part of the country where their accent causes them to sound illiterate by dropping prepositions, similar to my NYC dropped R's and inserted R's making me sound illiterate?  


Again, I plead...HELP!!!  
Fight it or Get with it?



1 Comment

Thinking about Thinking...

11/25/2015

1 Comment

 
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1 Comment

Keys to Motivation: Ownership

11/25/2015

 
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Teach the children the framework within which they can "own" the classroom.  My kindergarten children run our entire morning and afternoon meetings by the beginning of November.  They know their jobs and they know the routine.  I sit back and watch, enjoying the new ways they learn by working with each other and not depending on me to guide every detail, answer every question or solve every problem.  Independence, critical thinking, coooperation and collaboration, excitement!  LEARNING!!!  My morning students asked me this week for the keys to the building and offered for me to sleep in while they run the class!  I'm considering it. LOL - JK

Along the same empowering lines of thinking, let them "own" the work.  Teach the concept, not the details.  Demonstrate and explain when it is absolutely necessary to stay within the lines, but let them "color outside the lines" or "think out of the box" on their own, putting their own spin on the work, based on their own prior knowledge or curiosity.  It's never wrong if they are learning something...even when it's not what we expected them to be learning.  The thinking is what really matters!  Provoke the inquisitive nature and the desire to create that children are blessed with!  They naturally come equipped to learn...let them go for it.  Don't get hung up on "doing it right" and stop giving them the answers!  Let them read their writing to you, let them explain their process to you...allow them to share what is going on in their minds as they explore, and allow them to change it to fit how they perceive it should be - you may learn something new!
​                                                                  It's their process and their outcome...Let Them Feel It!

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation - What Educators MUST Know

11/9/2015

 

Be A Responsible Educator:  Know the Difference and Choose the One that is In The Best Interest of Your Students, Long-Term

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Still using:
  • Marble Jars?
  • Prize Words?
  • Traffic Light Charts?
  • Clip Charts?
It's Time To Throw Them in the Trash!
(IF you are serious about supporting
positive changes for your students.)

What is an Extrinsic Motivator?

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If Jimmy gets a good report card, Dad gives Jimmy $20.
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When Kevin has a great week at school, as indicated by more than three stickers on his good behavior chart, Mom takes him out for ice cream.
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Anyone who stays on green every day this week gets a ticket to go to the teacher's prize box on Friday.

Yes, Even the Grade is an Extrinsic Motivator!

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Suzie is working hard to get an A+ on her book report.
What does all of this mean?  Well, we have been using extrinsic motivators in the classroom (and at work and at home) for many, many years...ever since behavior theories in education were based on animal behaviors in the lab - without the more current knowledge of human behavior and neurological functions.   This is the motivation that we are used to and have been comfortable with..."dangle the carrot;" "offer a reward;" "give a bonus;" "incent them"...
This is also the behavior that creates the response, "What will you give me if I get an A on my report card?"

It starts at a very young age, when, like a puppy in the house-training stage, we incentivize our children with a reward for all of those kind person/good citizen behaviors we expect them to strive for.  "Sit puppy!  Good girl, have a dog biscuit!"  Similar to:  "Your teacher told me that you are so polite in school and that your behavior clip never moves down.  Let's go out for pizza and celebrate!"

What is an Intrinsic Motivator?

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Jenny can't wait to practice riding without her training wheels.
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Shawn reads the pictures in the giraffe book with great enthusiasm.
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Leslie was beaming with pride after shopping with Mom and using the shopping list she wrote all by herself.
Intrinsic Motivation is the simple one!  What is it?  
  • Curiosity
  • Interest
  • Desire
  • Passion
  • Achievement
  • Fulfillment
  • Pride
Intrinsic Motivation is the motivator that comes from within.  It's the "feel good about myself" motivator.  Remember the song, "It's the Climb"?  Intrinsic motivation involves enjoying the process, the experience, and not waiting for an outcome in order to be happy about what we are doing.  This is performing acts of kindness, this is doing a job or a school assignment because you are interested in it and excited to be participating in it; this is finding something that captures you about a content area you aren't generally interested in and embracing the work for the enjoyment of pursuing that  interest.

The Rub:  Extrinsic Motivators Extinguish Intrinsic Motivation
​

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Like using a Fire Extinguisher to Put It Out
or ​Being Squished by an Elephant!

Providing external motivators stops the internal motivation.  The sticker given to a child for a kind act teaches the child to use the positive behavior as a means to get a reward.  The good feeling the child experiences comes from someone else recognizing the act and providing proof of such with a prize.  The child is not aware of feeling good inside for being a good friend or a good citizen... or for learning! 

Doing the work for the purpose of getting the A takes all of the excitement out of the learning it takes to get to the A and creates a mindset of pushing through the work to get to the desired outcome.  It's about the A, not about the learning  that could be happening.  I wonder how many different ways students may find to get to the A if they are  not embracing the learning process?  ...food for thought.

​The positive emotions that we experience, which build self-esteem and confidence, are not recognized with extrinsic motivators.  A pat on the back and a comment such as, "Wow!  You must feel so good about yourself having done something so nice for a friend!  I'll bet you are really proud of yourself," is the best choice for encouraging positive behaviors and building a solid foundation of confidence.    This encourages the child to recognize the intrinsic motivator; the response directs them to recognize the feeling within and eventually eliminates the need to find the reward on the outside.  Self-Regulation in the Works.

And if you are reluctant to give up the reward system, couple the sticker or prize with a comment such as the Wow statement above.  Provide the child with guidance to find and recognize the internal feelings while recognizing the child with a reward.  This is not optimal, but full resistance to the concept is more harmful.

What about the Publicly Shared Behavior Chart?

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How damaging to a child's self-esteem do you think it could be to have her name clipped to this public announcement that she engaged in a behavior at school that warrants a discussion with her parents to remedy?  


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Would you want your name clipped to a sign in the Faculty Room that indicates you  will need additional training for an expectation that you are struggling to meet?  Hmmm...

How Do We Make The Change to Motivate Appropriately?

Check in periodically for evidence-based Keys to Motivation!
Comments on this posting are encouraged in the interim. :)

Letter Identification, Engage and Excite Them!

11/8/2015

0 Comments

 
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Don't Let Those 3s and 4s Get Bored or Lost...

Change it up for the little ones!  Letter ID skills can be fun and exciting.  It doesn't have to be all charts, posters, and magenetic letters.  

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Book Search
Send pairs of children/letter detectives to the classroom library to each find a book. Have the pairs sit down and find the desired letter in the words within the book and instruct them to show each other what they find. They can then tell each other (or help each other recall) if it is an upper- or lowercase version of the letter.  Once pairs have helped each other to confirm that they both found the correct letter, and they think they know which case it is, they can bring the book to the teacher or the assistant to show they found it.  Trust me when I say they will want to go back and find lots more!  You will be amazed at the excitement (and sometimes organized chaos in learning) that goes on with this activity.  The more buzz among the children about what they are learning, the more learning you will find happening. You are also teaching that words are made up of letters. :)

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Letter Swat
Hang a wide piece of poster or bulletin board paper on the wall.  Write in wide marker or tape prefabricated large upper and lower case letters on the paper randomly.  Provide a child with a fly swatter and set him or her off to the poster to swat the uppercase letter "k".  Have children take turns swatting letters they've learned, or have a "Letter Swatter" job for a student at your morning meeting!
Create side-by-side posters and have a letter-swatting relay race!  Children can swat-spell their names, their friends' and pets' names, etc.  This activity can also be done with letter sounds or sight words.

A Few More Interactive, Tactile Activities...
Go to PreKinders.com to find Letter Basketball, Candy  Letter Match, and Alpha-Band! These are can't miss activities to engage those little ones in recognizing the letters of the alphabet!


Share Your Favorite Interactive Letter Identification Activities with Us! :)

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    Author

    Colleen T. Mantell, M.S., Ed.
    Founder, President

    Beyond The Standards Inc.
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