FINAL REFLECTION

I noticed that I would tend to pick words that were from my course readings in the beginning but as the class went on and I read other students' posts they inspired me to look outside of my course readings to find words that I would come across everyday.  Initially and throughout the course when I would pick the course related terms they would be words that I knew but that I wanted to clarify to this specific reading or ideas that were in the article.  I think words that have many meanings interest me.  Even though it may mean one thing in a sentence within an article or story, it has multiple meanings across contexts. 

In regard to my routine literacy practices, outside of Nazareth College and outside of my daytime job, I like to read multicultural American Literature but I also enjoy reading novels from other countries and I often use the Booker Prize finalists lists to find interesting novels to read when I am not in school.  When I am in school the only literacy events that I would take place in would be watching television shows on PBS, mostly documentaries and I mostly listen to them rather than watch them as I am usually doing something else such as cooking, doing laundry, getting my clothes ready for the week or cleaning my apartment.  I try to schedule these tasks during times that I can listen to a favorite show such as American Masters or Downton Abbey. 

Though it is not reflected in my blog I often read online news or watch online news videos with my students and my students and I use those vocabulary words that we find and put them on a word wall.  Words that are tier 2 words I will encourage them to learn, tier 1 they mostly know already and tier 3 I will define and let them know if it is content specific.  I keep words on a word wall—for example words that were related to the presidential election.  My students also added words for the word wall as they found them and every day we would check the word wall and review words that we had already gone over and discuss them.  We would also discuss new words that were posted. They also posted questions about that topic.

Since I am keeping a vocabulary blog in two other classes as well as several in my job, I am not sure which vocabulary “blog” or journal was the most influential.  Though I think the most influential is the one that I keep along with my students and second would be the one for my TSL class.  I am already very word conscious and when I see a word that I am not sure about its use in the context I am reading I look it up immediately and try to write it in the margins of the reading and explore it right there for example, how the word is being used in this particular context.  This is why it is difficult for me to transfer the skill of writing in the margins, which I have started doing in the past several years because I was trained in school not to write in books period to writing on a blog online.  For this class to transfer that skill to immediately going online and posting it seems plastic to me right now.   I also did not care for the blogger website that was used and have had difficulty with the GOOGLE sites as a result of the NAZ GOOGLE account.  

Posting on the vocabulary blog was somewhat beneficial to me through writing to learn, though I would prefer to keep a written vocabulary journal or to highlight words and write them in the margins of what I am reading rather than write on a blog.  I am not 100% sold on the diigolet either because it does not exist outside of the program.   I already have too many usernames and passwords to keep straight. I also have difficulty with online texts and being able to edit my written work on the computer-I need to see it in print and interact with it with pen and paper.

My view of vocabulary tests has changed because previously I did not think of having students self select vocabulary for themselves and how that would be possible.  I think it is interesting and I have tried it in my classroom with some success with certain students and with others it is a work in progress.  Overall my students have used the words more frequently and will identify these words in new readings that they do or when they hear them they say, “Hey that word was on my vocabulary list last week.”  For me personally, I was more amazed to see the words that my classmates picked than by words that I picked.  I will continue to learn new words in the same way that I have always learned them.  I will immediately or soon after I read, look them up and I will keep looking the same word up until I feel comfortable with it in the context it is being used in.  I will eventually learn all the definitions and through reading the word in various contexts I get an internal dictionary of the word and its many uses.  I already know where I know this word if I do and I do all of these things unconsciously already as a process since I had very good elementary teachers that taught us to do these as a process, as we read.  

12.1 itinerary

12. 1 itinerary

: the route of a journey or tour or the proposed outline of one

2

: a travel diary

3

: a traveler's guidebook 

 

from Merriam Websters online dictionary

 

 

Etymology

From Late Latin itinerarius (“pertaining to a journey”), neuter itinerarium (“an account of a journey, a road-book”), from iter (“a way, journey”); see itinerate.

This word peaked my curiousity to find out its origin since I ma familiar with the word already. I came across this word as I was looking at an itinerary that I have for a trip to NYC at Christmas time.  I kept wondering where the word comes from, it sounds similar to itinerate. At my job I am labeled as an itinerate worker even though I do not travel but I am not considered full time.  

itinerate:  (esp. of a church minister or a judge) Travel from place to place to perform one's professional duty.

11.3 ashram

 http://youtu.be/2R0pRl18js8

11.3 ashram

I love this word.  It reminds me of ashes.  Ashram: a secluded building, often the residence of a guru, used for religious retreat or instruction in Hinduism.  I saw this word once again in the book Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea.  I first learned this word when I watched the movie Water directed by Deepa Mehta.  It is one of my favorite movies.  Besides the story, the cinematography is breathtaking.  In the movie Eat Pray Love she stays at an ashram.

11.2 physiognomy

11.2 physiognomy- 

the art of discovering temperament and character from outward appearance

2

: the facial features held to show qualities of mind or character by their configuration or expression

3

: external aspect; also : inner character or quality revealed outwardly

I found this word on page 90 of The Cairo Diary by Maxim Chattam.  I have been trying to get through this book for over a year.  I keep it in my car and read it whenever I am waiting somewhere but I have not had my car for awhile so I have not been reading it at all.  But I just got my car back and I started reading it again while waiting at the Dr.'s office for my x-ray results.  "Azim searched his English vocabulary before saying, 'The killer's physiognomy.  Perhaps he is as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside.'" (Chattam, Page 90). I find this interesting because I have heard in the past that criminals often have faces that are too symmetrical  and that beautiful people have a slight anti-symmetry to their faces.  It is interesting but I am not convinced that it is accurate.  Though I do believe there are people that can read faces and body language and tell if someone is lying or telling the truth. The more they hone those skills the better they get at it.

11.1 affricates

11.1 affricates

This is a word that I rediscovered when I was reviewing my notes for another class.  It refers to 

 "Affricates are consonants that are formed by stopping the flow of air somewhere in the vocal apparatus, and then releasing the air relatively slowly so that a friction-sound is produced. Present-Day English has only two affricates, one of which is voiced (vocal cords vibrating during the articulation of the affricate) and one of which is voiceless (vocal cords not vibrating during the articulation of the affricate)."http://eweb.furman.edu/~wrogers/phonemes/phono/affric.htm

 This is an interesting word and though it is not essential to memorize it is essential to be aware of it and somewhat familiar with it especially when you are teaching ESL.

10.3 innate

10.3 innate

Again I found this word in my reading for another class and I was curious as I am familiar with it but again not as clear as I would like to be of all of its meanings.  In the context that I found it is used for innate/ unconscious processes.  

From Merriam Webster online

existing in, belonging to, or determined by factors present in an individual from birth : native, inborn <innate behavior>

2

: belonging to the essential nature of something : inherent

3

: originating in or derived from the mind or the constitution of the intellect rather than from experience

 

10.2 connectionism

10.2 connectionism

I found this word in the reading for another class that I am taking.  It is defined there as "learning the words that are necessary for the environment that you are in."  It is referring to first language acquisition.  I find this interesting as it has the word connection in it and the suffix -ism in it.

10.1 wistful

10.1 wistful

I found this word in the book A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, that I am reviewing to see if I want my students to read it.

1. Full of wishful yearning.

2. Pensively sad; melancholy.

 

It is an interesting word that is not often used and it has a descriptive meaning.  You can envision the expression of a person who is wistful. 

9.3 acquisition

9.3  ACQUISITON-

From Merriam webster online

 

the act of acquiring

2

: something or someone acquired or gained <the team announced two new acquisitions>

 

I found this word in my textbook for another class.  I thought deeply about what is the difference between acquiring something and learning it.   

9.2 Holocaust

9.2 Holocaust

from Wikipedia

Etymology and use of the term

Main article: Names of the Holocaust

The term holocaust comes from the Greek word holókauston, an animal sacrifice offered to a god in which the whole (olos) animal is completely burnt (kaustos).^[15] For hundreds of years, the word "holocaust" was used in English to denote great massacres, but since the 1960s, the term has come to be used by scholars and popular writers to refer to the genocide of Jews.^[16] The mini-series Holocaust is credited with introducing the term into common parlance after 1978.^[17]
The biblical word Shoah (שואה) (also spelled Sho'ah and Shoa), meaning "calamity", became the standard Hebrew term for the Holocaust as early as the 1940s, especially in Europe and Israel.^[18] Shoah is preferred by many Jews for a number of reasons, including the theologically offensive nature of the word "holocaust", which they take to refer to the Greek pagan custom.^[19]
The Nazis used a euphemistic phrase, the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" (German: Endlösung der Judenfrage), and the phrase "Final Solution" has been widely used as a term for the genocide of the Jews. Nazis used the phrase "lebensunwertes Leben" (Life unworthy of life) in an attempt to justify the killings.

In our CALTO group we are using this word to denote a time in history.  I wanted to know more about where the word came from and if it was originally used for  something else.   I thnk it is an interesting word and I was not aware that it came from a Greek word.  I thought that it was a German or Yiddish work but I was aware of the word shoah that refers to the same thing in modern times. 

9.1 comorbidity

9.1 Comorbidity-two or more coexisting medical conditions or disease processes that are additional to an initial diagnosis. 

I found this word when I was attending a two day conference on ADHD and ADD.  It discussed how women/ girls often have  comorbidity with depression and ADHD or ADD.   I found it very interesting and they said that it is higher than in men,  The theory they put forth was that young women feel the social stigma more and feel the stress created by being disorganized ( a common symptom of ADHD). 

8.3 Palomino

8.3 Palomino  a horse with a tan coat and a white mane from the scholastic website also see chart below...

I found this word when I researching vocabulary for the book Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.  Some of my students that will be reading this book are from Spanish speaking backgrounds but they said this word has a different meaning in some countries than that of a horse.  I also found this chart on the scholastic website for this book and thought it was interesting.  I knew that a Palomino was a specific kind of horse but I did not know what it looked like.  I used to ride horses in high school but I was not familiar with what a palamino looked like.

Activity/Before and After

Have students draw a chart like the one shown and write each of the words they don't know in the word column. In the Before Reading column they should write what they think the word means. Then when they come to the word in the story, they should check to see if the meaning they wrote makes sense. If not, can they figure out a better meaning? Have students write that in the During Reading column. Finally, have students use a dictionary to check their word meanings and complete the chart.

Word	Before Reading	During Reading	Dictionary
palomino	a horse	a handsome horse	horse with a tan coat and a white mane

8.2 Celadon

8.2  Celadon pottery-Celadon is a term for ceramics denoting both a type of glaze and a ware of celadon (color). from Wikipedia

I found this word in a book by Linda Sue Parks (A Single Shard)  that one of my students' reading groups will be reading soon.  In doing some preliminary research on vocabulary in the book, I found this word.  It brought to my mind the jade green color that I was familiar with (like Martha Stewart often talks about her collection of dishes).  I hope that my students will like this book, even though it is set in Korea in the past, I hope that all the students reading it will find something in this book to relate to.  I really like this word because it sounds exotic yet some of the things made with this style or color are very utilitarian yet this color makes it seem ethereal. 

8-1 Divergent

8-1 Divergent

Noun

1.

divergent thinking - thinking that moves away in diverging directions so as to involve a variety of aspects and which sometimes lead to novel ideas and solutions; associated with creativity out-of-the-box thinking creative thinking, creativeness, creativity - the ability to create cerebration, intellection, mentation, thinking, thought process, thought - the process of using your mind to consider something carefully; "thinking always made him frown"; "she paused for thought" convergent thinking - thinking that brings together information focused on solving a problem (especially solving problems that have a single correct solution)

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

 

I found this word in our readings and though again I am familiar with this word, I always doubt if I truly know the meaning of it in a particular situation.  I think that the picture diagrams really helped me see its meaning. It also helped me to see its opposite meaning (antonym) convergent.    

7.3 proficient

7.3 Proficient-competent or skilled in doing or using something.
I found this word in an email about training classes for the Smart Board advertising that they would help you to be a proficient user.  I already knew what this word meant but I wondered what the advertisers for this class meant or what their idea was of being a proficient user.  everyone can have a different view of what proficient is in any situation.  Then I thought of how as teachers we need to know not only what we think of as proficient but what NYS common core standards and the NYS Board of Regents says is proficient.  

7.2 hootenanny

7.2 Hootenanny- from Appalachian Mountain Region Dialect

gadget or gathering at which folksingers entertain often with the audience joining in.  from Merriam Webster online

I have heard this word all my life as my parents are folk music fans and I have always attended hootenannies with them from an early age.  Though I no longer attend these, I do have eclectic taste in music and still like the music.  I heard this word as I was listening to a documentary about Woody Guthrie, a very famous folk singer and political activist.  He was a favorite of my parents, so I know many of his songs and of course my favorite is "This Land is your Land, This Land is my Land."  It talked about how a group of folk artists living in NYC used to have hootenannies or rent parties where they charged admission to their apartment and played music and had drinks to raise money to pay their rent.  Hootenannies are fun and lots of people dance and sing along and get up and play instruments along with the bands.  The music is usually a cross between country music and folk music often with political messages embedded but not always.  I asked some classmates if they knew this word and they said they did not so I thought it would be a good word to know and you should also attend a hootenanny too they are fun if you go to the right kind.  The people are very friendly.

7.1 Disparate

Disparate-

Adjective:	Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
Noun:	Things so unlike that there is no basis for comparison.
Synonyms:	different - dissimilar - unlike This word was found while I was reading for this week's assignment.  It is a word that I am familiar with but I am always questioning myself about.  I always think about the synonym of it which is different.  But it really means more than that.

6.3 intersect

intersect

definiton from dictionary.com
 

to cut or divide by passing through or across: The highway intersects the town.

..

verb (used without object)

2.

to cross, as lines or wires.

3.

Geometry . to have one or more points in common: intersecting lines.

taken form the Fry Readability graph handout

This is an interesting word because it is a tier 2 word that is applicable in many content areas.  In my English Literature classes we often wrote about how the different literary theories intersected.  I like this word and it reminds me of the word crossroads and I think of my students who are at many crossroads or intersections on many different levels in their lives.  I have many intersections in my life as well.  I see intersections with this class and with my other classes in this class.