User:Daniboy1988/review

My second article review
Review of Paul Sander & Lalage Sanders’ “Students presentations: Does the experience change their views?”

Using alternative teaching methods such as small group teaching, laboratory work, or research projects may stimulate students for presenting certain topic. In addition, teachers consider that for an effective teaching of this increasingly problem that students feel afraid of presenting in front of the class, the learning and teaching strategies used must engage all students in order to achieve acceptable retention rates and to realize their potential. As a result, students’ presentations that require students to be active and involved are considered an effective aim of making students autonomous and independent learners. These kinds of presentations promote students to increase their confidence in their ability to perform a range of academic behaviors and on second thoughts value the experience of learning through presentations.

Two groups were evaluated regarding this study: The first one followed student’s non-assessed presentations, and the second followed students’ assessed presentations. The independent variables used for this method section were certain measures taken at the beginning of the semester and around 10 weeks later and pre- or post presentations. In contrast, dependent variables used were academic behavioral confidence and the students’ views of presentations. After these two studies, students completed both measures of the views on teaching, learning and assessment. In addition, it involves two groups of students that primarily were females from 20 to 22 years old. On the other hand, the results are presented in three sections. First, the impact of presentations on academic confidence is considered, followed by a quantitative summary of students’ views on presentations. Finally, the categorized students’ views on presentations are presented.

This document contains information that could be relevant for future studies due to it focuses on students’ oral presentations imparted by teachers in order for students to get experience on this area. For instance, how students feel in the moment they need or have to present a topic. Téllez and Waxman (2010) state the importance of the family in the development of a child’s intellect and morality is indispensable for the students’ active learning. In addition, this document presents information step by step because it includes an introduction (or also called theory), a method (in which the document describes the design, subject, materials, and procedures), results (the data collection method and graphics), and finally a discussion (the impact of the methodology process on the students). Finally, this research causes others in the field to revise these ideas because according to Sander & Sanders (2005), “The research framework in which this study was carried out is one of action research which places teachers in a position where they can be the researcher, enabling them to understand and guide their teaching practice” (p.25).

To sum up, this study could be significant for second language teachers because it involves teaching strategies for trying to promote students’ presentations in the target language. For that reason, English teachers could have a guide to plan their own classes when they attempt to apply a speaking activity. In addition, it can support teachers to consider some aspects regarding psychology like students’ feelings and emotions. And finally, it considers promoting students’ confidence when presenting a topic.

References

Sander, P., & Sanders, L. (2005). Students’ presentations: Does the experience change their views?: Psychology teaching review, 11(1), 25-41

Téllez, K., & Waxman, H. (2010). A review of research on effective community programs for english language learners: School community journal, 20 (1), 103-119

My first article review
Review of Zandra K. Marulanda’s “Social and Emotional Learning Strategies to Support Students in Challenging Schools”

This thesis contains the results of Marulanda’s research paper focusing on the application of social and emotional learning strategies for students of elementary public schools. This document restrains some theoretical aspects that explain that in order to have students working in a specific area, teachers could promote social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Furthermore, these social and emotional learning (SEL) skills create a favorable attitudes and behaviors that encourage social relationships inside the classroom. Therefore, it appears that providing social and emotional learning might prevent behavior in a challenging learning environment. In addition, teachers can avoid negative social interactions among students by promoting social and emotional competence in which they have to participate in activities inside the classroom. Additionally, the next study focuses in a research question: Will the use of Second Step, a SEL curriculum, help teachers feel better prepared to teach in challenging school districts?”. This question focuses mainly on how the application of a social and emotional learning curriculum supports teachers to promote classroom management, motivation, and participation for part of the students.

Furthermore, the method used for this research takes into consideration some observations done to some teachers and students during the implementation of lessons in the program “Second Step” at elementary school located in Marin County, North San Francisco Bay. Additionally, the way to collect the information is through classroom observations and interviews with the teachers that are created based on research about the second step and the lesson observations. Finally, there is a recompilation of information in order to support the lessons observations and teacher interviews. However, the data collection is through the analysis of all information acquired, and finally a general evaluation determining positive learning environments is used. Also, the results focuses on generating field notes and interviews transcriptions for teachers in order to allow them to make corrections, clarify and elaborate on the data.

This thesis fills a gap in the existing literature because it talks about how SEL skills support teachers to teach on challenging schools. For instance, the word challenging determines the document as unique considering it as a research topic. In addition, the article contains information step by step because it describes the problem, a theoretical rationale, a research question, a method, results, and finally a discussion. In addition, it could cause other people in the field to revise their ideas about the subject because this document includes some information regarding motivation, multiple intelligences, classroom management, etc. For example according to Marulanda (2010), “Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is a conceptual framework for school and academic improvement that addresses social and emotional skills essential for all students” (p. 10) ; therefore, this article could be used as a primary source for researching information from it. As a final point, the thesis is more than a recompilation of previous information because it also includes the author’s opinion about the topic.

To conclude, this document could be necessary for foreign language teachers because it contains some ideas about how to promote social and emotional learning skills. In addition, teachers might take some ideas from it for applying them in their own English classes. Also, this study contains methods and results that can be taken as examples for teachers’ research.

Reference

Marulanda, Z., (2010). Benefits of social and emotional learning in challenging schools 1: Social and emotional learning strategies to support students in challenging schools. Retrieved from Online Submission, Master's Thesis, Dominican University of California. (ED509463)