12:2 Commutative Property of Addition

When and Where I Found It:  For my math unit, I am using the textbook Course 2 Mathematics (Charles, Branch-Boyd, Illingworth, Mills, & Reeves, 2004).  On page 11, the authors identify Commutative Property of Addition as a "new vocabulary" term. 

Charles, R. I., Branch-Boyd, J. C., Illingworth, M., Mills, D., Reeves, A., & Thompson, D. R.  (2004). Course 2 mathematics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Meaning:   According to Charles, Branch-Boyd, Illingworth, Mills, & Reeves (2004), the commutative property of addition means that "changing the order of the addends does not change the sum" (p. 12).  The examples of this property given in the textbook are:

Arithmetic:  1.2 + 3.4 = 3.4 + 1.2                                              Algebra:  a + b = b + a

(Charles, Branch-Boyd, Illingworth, Mills, & Reeves, 2004, p. 12)

Level of Familiarity: I was familiar with this term before, but was reminded of the meaning while working on this project.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I want to know this word well.  Whether I end up as an elementary teacher or a literacy specialist, I will most likely come across the need to work on math with my students.  If I do not know the various properties of addition and multilpication (which are often difficult for students to learn), I will be unable to teach appropriately.  Commutative Property is a vocabulary term that I may be able to work on with students as a literacy specialist, even if I am not their general math educator.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  All elementary teachers should know this term, as well as the other properties.  Any teacher may be called upon to help a student in a difficult area.  Knowing the properties of addition and subtraction well will allow general educators as well as literacy specialists to work together to teach students.

12:1 Didactic

When and Where I Found It:  Over the past few weeks I keep hearing the word didactic in my classes.  When I was working on a crossword puzzle today I thought of the word again - just because I wasn't sure of the meaning of this word.

Meaning:   According to Webster Online Dictionary, the definition most appropriate to this usage of the word didactic is "designed or intended to teach and intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment <didactic poetry>".

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/didactic 

Level of Familiarity:  I have heard this word pretty frequently, especially recently.  Although I had some idea that it had to do with instruction, I did not know the actual definition until now.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I do want to know this word well.  I believe as a teacher we should be constantly looking for didactic literature and other media to incorporate into our classroom.  Knowing the word didactic and being aware of its implications will allow me to be more aware of the tools I am using in the classroom.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  Teachers should know this word well.  Utilizing didactic tools in the classroom will allow students to benefit from the materials we use.  This ensures that teachers are not just using media and technology for the sake of using it, but rather to benefit student learning.

11:3 Voice

When and Where I Found It:  Dr. Jones sent us a link to the website by Education Northwest (2010)  with information on the 6 + 1 Traits of writing.  When I accessed the site the other day I found that one of the traits was 'voice'.  I was much more familiar with each of the other traits listed than I was with this one, so I decided to explore it further and make it one of my vocabulary words.

Found on:  http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/503

Meaning:   According to the above website, voice is "the writer coming through the words, the sense that a real person is speaking to us and cares about the message. It is the heart and soul of the writing, the magic, the wit, the feeling, the life and breath. When the writer is engaged personally with the topic, he/she imparts a personal tone and flavor to the piece that is unmistakably his/hers alone. And it is that individual something–different from the mark of all other writers–that we call Voice."  

Level of Familiarity:  I am familiar with the term voice when speaking and writing, but had not thought much about how vital a part of a student's writing voice actually is.   I would enjoy further exploration of this method and learning mroe about developing student voice in writing. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I do want to know this word well.  It is important to be aware of student voice when evaluating written work.  Each student has a unique perspective which they are coming from, and needs to be encouraged to develop this further.  I would like to use the 6 + 1 traits in my future classroom, so voice is a term I want to know well.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  Any teacher who is teaching in a school that utilizes the 6 + 1 traits should know this term well.  The term voice really is a term that any teacher teaching writing should have a high level of familiarity with.  The concept of utilizing student voice in their writing is an important one to consider both when teaching and evaluating writing.  Additionally, students need to know the word voice well.  Knowing what it looks like to use their individual voice in their writing will help students develop unique work that represents their perspective in the area they are writing.

11:2 6+1 Traits

When and Where I Found It:  Dr. Jones sent us a link to a website with information on the 6 + 1 Traits of writing.  When I accessed the site the other day I found that it was very detailed information on the traits.

Found on:  http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/503

Meaning:   According to the above website, "The 6+1 Trait Writing analytical model for assessing and teaching writing is made up of 6+1 key qualities that define strong writing".  The seven total traits put together make a detailed expectation of good student writing.  The traits that teachers should be teaching and grading based on are:  ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation.  They are referred to as the 6 + 1 traits because presentation was added on to the original six after it was realized that this was an important aspect of good writing as well.  The 6 + 1 Traits model comes with a rubric system for assessing each trait embedded within a piece of writing. 

Level of Familiarity:  I student taught at a school that gave the option of using 6 + 1 traits for writing instruction.  My teacher did not utilize this program fully so I was never really exposed to writing instruction centered around the traits.  I was aware that it was being used in some parts of the school, and I saw some classrooms that had posters of the traits up on the wall.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  The 6 + 1 Traits are a model that I would like to know well.  From everything that I see about this model, it addresses every aspect of student writing necessary to making a good writing piece.  I realize that this is not a 'definition' that I can know well until I have had practice teaching it, however the more I can know about it before I am teaching writing the better I will be able to implement it in my future classroom.  I would enjoy a workshop on the traits, and then the chance to carry out what I have learned in my classroom.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  Any teacher who is teaching in a school that utilizes the traits should know this term well.  Addtionally, any teachers who want to be aware of a comprehensive outlook (NOT a program) to teaching writing to students of any grade level would benefit from knowing the 6 + 1 traits well.  Additionally, students would benefit from knowing this term well.  As it addresses each aspect of their writing, the ability to be taught the traits and practice them on a daily basis would produce better writing results for them.

11:1 Auxiliary

When and Where I Found It:  My wife likes to read some of my articles for class when I am through with them. The other day, when she was reading the article Playful Textbook Previews:  Letting go of Familiar Mustache Monologues by Karen Garber-Miller, she asked me what the word auxiliary meant.  Garber-Miller (2007) is describing different strategies for previewing text and offers "use summer birthdays to cover auxiliary features within the book (e.g., appendixes)" (p. 286). 

Garber-MIller, Karen. (2007). Playful textbook previews: letting go of familiar mustache monologues. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 50(4), 284-288.

Meaning:   According to Webster's online dictionary, the word auxiliary is an adjective which means "offering or providing help". 

As found in:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auxiliary

Level of Familiarity:  I was aware that auxiliary verbs were "helping verbs" but I was not 100 percent positive that helping was a synonym for auxiliary.  With the clue in parenthesis - "e.g., appendixes" I predicted that it had a similar meaning in this case, but wanted to be able to be sure of the definition before I told my wife.  I was correct in my prediction, and my wife learned a new word too!

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  The word auxiliary is a useful word that I want to know.  It is a word that can be used specifically when teaching literacy, but also is used outside of ELA instruction.  It is important for me to be familiar with terms that have anything to do with teaching in general, and, as a literacy educator, even more important for me to have an in-depth working knowledge of terms that are specific to teaching literacy. 

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  All teachers should know the word auxiliary and how to use it as it as it relates to literacy.  When teaching parts of speech, both teachers and students should have the ability to use this word to describe verbs.  A thought just came to me - my grandmother was part of the Ladies Auxiliary for our local fire department.  I bet she would have thought that it was important for people to know that the this organization was focused on helping and supporting the fire fighters.  Yes, the word 'auxiliary' is important for members of our society to know as well.  If we teach it to our students, they can develop both specific knowledge of the word (auxiliary verbs) as well as general knowledge of the word (auxiliary groups).

10:2 Lexicon

When and Where I Found It:  While I was doing research for my strategies due for the project this week, I came across the word "lexicon".  It was in the article Playful Textbook Previews:  Letting go of Familiar Mustache Monologues by Karen Garber-Miller.  Garber-Miller (2007) discusses everything that she was planning on using a certain textbook for, including "[to] introduce the grade-level lexicon of literary terminology" (p. 284).

Garber-MIller, Karen. (2007). Playful textbook previews: letting go of familiar mustache monologues. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 50(4), 284-288.

Meaning:  From this usage of the word "lexicon", I would predict that it indicates a large number of something, however I think that it has something to do with the alphabet from what I have read in the past.  According to Webster's online dictionary, the word lexicon means "a book containing an alphabetical arrangement of the words in a language and their definitions: dictionary".  Although my predicted definition would have fit based on the context of the above sentence, the accurate definition lends much more meaning to the sentence!

As found in:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lexicon

Level of Familiarity:  I have seen the word lexicon before and had a vague idea that it had something to do with alphabetizing.  I did not know the full implications of the word lexicon, and would not have used it in my own writing.  At this point I am beginning to understand the word more, but will pay close attention to how author's use it in context as I am reading more literature.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I would like to know the word "lexicon" well.  As I am looking at becoming a literacy specialist, being able to refer to a lexicon of terminologies or words could be useful.  When I read or write reports on students that refer to standardized testing, this word may be included.  Language that refers to skills we want our students to have - looking up terms in a math glossary (a lexicon also) seems to me to be language that I should know as a teacher!

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  Teachers, especially those who teach literacy, should know this word.  As I stated earlier, they may come across it in a report and need to know what it is referring to.  Teachers may even have to create a lexicon of their own - in that case, teach the word to your students! 

10:1 Tacit

When and Where I Found It:  When I was reading through Dr. Jones' post on the word "words", I came across the word tacit.  She made the argument that most adults have a "tacit understanding" of the word "words".  

Dr. Jones' Vocabulary Blog

Entry 10:4 - Words

Meaning:  According to Webster's online dictionary, the word tacit means "implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed".  In Dr. Jones' usage of the word, she is asserting that the word "words" is not a word of which most adults could express the definition. Rather, it is an unspoken understanding - a word we all know, but have never defined with direct, explicit verbiage.  The word "tacit" accurately defined my understanding of the word "words" until I read her post!

Level of Familiarity:  I have seen the word tacit before, and had a notion that it meant vague.  Now that I looked it up, and have the direct reference to the descriptions that Dr. Jones gave (a very accurate example of "tacit understanding"), I would be able to use the word tacit myself.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I would like to know the word "tacit" well.  Thinking about my students, I want them to have much more than a tacit understanding of key vocabulary terms.  Being aware of this word allows me to think about words that are commonly used but might be much more useful if we develop a deeper understanding.  The difference between my understanding of the word "words" before I read Dr. Jones' post and my understanding after I read the post is enough to convince me that I need to be aware of which words both my students and myself need to have more than a tacit understanding of!

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  I think it is important for all teachers to be aware of what words their students may just have a tacit understanding of.  While it is fine for some words to have a definition that is merely implied as long as students can use the word accurately, it will be important to flush out the vocabulary that have a definition that will lead students to a deeper understanding of the word.  I myself will be much more aware now!

9:2 Orthographic

When and Where I Found It:  Last week in my other class (LTED 609), the professor used the word orthographic.  I came across the word again when I was doing some research, this time in the book Dimensions of Literacy (2009)by Stephen B. Kucer.

Meaning:  According to Kucer, " the orthographic system of language represents the rules for spelling within the language" (p. 40).  The word orthographic indicates a language's spelling patterns and rules used to spell words.  For example, the rule 'add an e onto the end of a c-v-c word and the vowel becomes long' follows our orthographic system of language.  Following this system is what allows us to spell words in the same way, thus giving us a common system of spelling.

Kucer, S. B.  (2009).  Dimensions of literacy: A conceptual base for teaching reading and writing in school settings (3^rd ed.).  Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Level of Familiarity:  Before reading the actual meaning of the word orthographic, I was not familiar with this word at all.  I am sure I have heard the word in courses in the past, however I never drew my attention to actually understanding the meaning of this word.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I want to know the word orthographic well because it is a word that would be important to being a literacy specialist.  Without knowledge regarding our spelling system, and the words to describe student defecits in literacy, I would be unable to do this job well.  Specifically, the word orthographic refers to a student's spelling abilities, and could be necessary when writing reports based on assessments.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  I think literacy specialists should know and be able to use this word.  When reading reports that others have written on a specific student, it would be very useful to know the language that is being used.  Literacy specialists need to be able to describe student areas of strength and defecit to others, and teach other teachers how to help students.  Being aware that orthographic refers to spelling words in a language system allows educators to draw the conclusion that a student with orthographic delays will need help with understanding and applying the rules of our language system in regard to spelling.

9:1 Domain

When and Where I Found It:  I found the word domain this week while I was reading one of the articles assigned by two students for a presentation in my other class [Possible Sentences: Predicting Word Meanings to Teach Content Area Vocabulary (1991) by Stahl and Kapinus].

Meaning:  In the article, Stahl & Kapinus (1991) state “it would work equally well with words not necessarily from the same knowledge domain... even if the words were not as closely related to each other as the words we used, the process of relating words to each other should produce similar effects" (p. 42).  The authors are discussing students linking words together into sentences.  They make the argument that words do not have to be from the same domain to make this a useful exercise for students.  From the context used in this article, the word domain means a group of similar items.  In this case, the words were the items that were being referred to as being from a specific domain.  Webster's online dictionary uses the following as the definition appropriate to this usage:  "a sphere of knowledge, influence, or activity". 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domain

Stahl, S. A. & Kapinus, B. A. (1991). Possible sentences: Predicting word meanings to teach content area vocabulary.  The Reading Teacher, 45(1), pp. 36-43.

Level of Familiarity:  I have heard the word domain when referring to the internet, and have always thought of it as a territory.  Webster online dictionary confirms this meaning, and adds the above meaning.  I am now familiar with it in regard to discussing groupings. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well?  Why?  I want to know the word domain well because it could be used across all subject areas.  While in science domain could indicate a fox's territory, the word domain could describe the function of a grouping of numbers, a subset of vocabulary words in Social Studies or ELA, or the genre of art being discussed in a Visual Arts class.  As a teacher, being able to use this word across subject areas will help me focus in on areas of similarities/differences.

Do I Want Others to Know this Word Well?  Who and Why?  I think teachers and students in the education field should know this word.  The word domain is a useful word when discussing and thinking about groupings in any subject area.