Week #2 Assignment #3

Understanding ELA Instruction:

COmmon Core standards are a list of standards across the curriculum. For the older grades it is divided into two categories one for ELA and one for other content area instruction (history, science etc.). Each grade level has specific standards and that enable teachers to plan effective lessons. Standards guide the teachers to reach learning goals by the end of the year. Each grade has five components to it's standards; reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. 

The goal of reading in any subject is comprehension of the text. Teachers have a job to select appropriate texts for the students level. The text should be relevant to the lesson and helpful in the learning process. The text should enable clarification in the subject. Teachers should make an effort to use texts in their lessons. Technology can be used to help better comprehend difficult texts. Students should become more comfortable with comprehending text individually.

Writing is the second component. Writing is linked to reading. Writing should be used along with the reading; responding to text. There are multiple skills addressed in the writing standards; planning, editing, revising, and publishing. Different standards are addressed for different types of activities. There are also different writing types that are mentioned including argumentative, informative, and explanatory. Each type of text has a purpose and specific time to be used. Technology can be used to enhance the reading writing connection. Blogs can be used to encourage writing skills. Research is also a big part of writing. Having students research using technology and recording their findings is a great reading-writing activity. 

The third component is speaking and listening. The main idea of this component is communication, interacting with others. Students need to acquire interpersonal and communication skills. This can be achieved through various sources of technology. It requires team work to master these skills. Students need to learn how to listen, express, and evaluate what they hear from others, including both visual and oral sources. Creating videos is a great way to focus on these skills. Students can present what they have read and learned through audio or visual presentations. 

Lastly, language is an important component to the Common Core standards. A major part of language is vocabulary. It is important to improve the students vocabulary. There are many tools available to enhance the learning of vocabulary. There are games for students to play to practice words already learned. Within every subject there are vocabulary words that could and should be learned. 

It is crucial for every teacher to follow the standards and incorporate them into their teaching. The most effective way for this to be done is through the use of technology.