Reflection

Types of Words and Texts

I was wary of this assignment at first, to be honest.  I thought that I used context clues too much to really struggle to understand any new word.  I was surprised to see that it was fairly easy to find words that I could look up for this assignment.  

I never realized that I read so many magazines.  I never have considered myself as someone who reads magazines - but two of my fourteen words came from magazines (dunridge and ossified).  This blog made me think about where I was getting information and what I was reading.  Without looking closely at my reading, I thought that I mostly read texts for grad classes and searched on the internet for lessons.  I felt like I hadn't been reading a lot lately - and certain nothing that would produce new words.  But, in reality, I found new words all over the place.

I tried to stay away from science heavy vocabulary - it was tempting, but I wanted this blog to be about words that I could use and that the others in my class might also be able to use.  I seemed to find a lot of words that were content specific or rarely used.  I think that only a few of these words I will incorporate into my everyday language.  However, many of these words are those that I had confused with another - so these I can use and be confident that I am now correct in using them.


Vocabulary Tests

I think I gained a better understanding of what it means to master a word.  I think that it makes sense that to truly know a word, a person has to be able to spell the word, define the word, use the word in context, and even connect the word to others.  Vocabulary should be more than being able to spit out a definition from a dictionary or textbook.

The spelling part was still terrifying, though.


Learning Impacts and Implications 
  I have a greater understanding of the texts that I looked up a word from.  I think that this is because I was interacting with the text for longer than just to absorb the information.  As I wrote about in my ameliorate post, often I just use the context clues and move on.  I don't spend time thinking about what a word might mean.  This blog made me stop and notice when a word was new or something I couldn't quite define.  Then, once I had looked up the word, I went back and thought about the word in context and how the meaning would have changed if a different word was used. 

I think this is a good example of writing to learn.  I had to stop and think, organize, and express my thoughts on the word, which made me gain a better understanding of the word and of the text that the word was in.

I think that this looking for new words and thinking about their meaning and purpose within the text has become somewhat of a habit.  I can't say that I will spend any more time writing to learn these new words or helping me understand the text a little better.  But I will continue to consider new words and notice when I need to look up a word and actually look it up!

Last Vocabulary! - Consortium

When and where: I participated in STANYS at the beginning of last week.  It was a wealth of information and I met some really wonderful and helpful people.  However, all of my sessions on Monday were not very helpful.  Some were even downright boring.  For example, I attended one called "The Future of Earth Science in NYS" which I imagined to be about the effects of CCSS or best practices.  But no, it was a couple of textbook representatives who didn't explain who they were or even what their textbook was - just "so, we wrote this textbook" - and told us that Next Gen standards were going to be difficult for everyone else in the country but not NYS.  Thanks.  That was helpful.  Anyhow, they were talking about STANYS role in helping with the Next Gen standards and said that a consortium had come together, but it was mostly STANYS executives.

Level of familiarity: I had heard of a consortium agreement, but I didn't know that a group of people could be a consortium.  I thought that a consortium agreement was an agreement that people had compromised over and no one really liked, but it was the only thing they could agree on.

What it means: Merriam Webster online dictionary defines consortium  as a group of people that decide to work together. 

Reflective commentary: Considering what consortium actually means, what I thought a consortium agreement was is hilarious.  Mainly because I feel like nothing gets accomplished when people work together.  Ideally, people are bringing their best ideas and having others refine and add to those ideas.  But in reality, just as textbook lady was telling us, the results are not up to anyone's standards and everyone has compromised and isn't truly happy with the product.

Week 9 - Post 1: Ameliorate

When and where: My friend was showing me a game on her iPad that you can create your own Jurassic Park.  I adore the movie so I couldn't resist checking it out.  In order to advance to different levels, different characters give you tasks to accomplish in the park.  In this particular task, Hammond says that he doesn't have the money to buy this dinosaur he wants, so to ameliorate the problem... blah blah blah do this and earn coins.

Level of familiarity: I could guess from the context clues that ameliorate means to fix or make better, but I couldn't define the word.  It seemed like a word I must have heard somewhere before.

What it means: Merriam Webster online dictionary defines ameliorate as a verb that means to make better.  But not "better".  They use the word "tolerable".  To me, this means that ameliorate means to make only marginally better, not perfect or the best it could be.

Reflective commentary: This word makes me think about directions and the words we use in them.  I totally could have moved on and not cared what this word meant.  Honestly, if I wasn't working on this blog, I doubt I would have bothered to look it up.  I could easily accomplish the task without needing to know the word.  In fact, I could have easily understood the underlying purpose of the task without knowing the word.  It was unnecessary for the task completion.  

Week 8 - Post 3: Ossified

When and where: In the article "Repower LA" in the November/December 2013 issue of Sierra Magazine.  My significant other's grandma loves to shower me with assorted magazines when we travel out to her house.  And when the Bills are losing, I especially love to get them.  I hadn't read Sierra before - I usually aim for Smithsonian, National Geographic, and Popular Science.  I was drawn to this issue because of a particularly snowy bison on the cover, and its relevance to the annihilation of the buffaloes on the TV.

The article discusses how a group of politicians and members of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power used to use scare tactics to get citizens to support water rights for specific rivers.  The Department is trying to change that attitude, and help LA revamp its water and energy usage while providing jobs for local people.  The article asks, "How did an ossified utility come to link arms with activists and environmentalists?"

Level of familiarity: Honestly, the first image that popped into my head was of a bird.  Like a giant kiwi kind of bird.  I knew this wasn't right, because ossified is used in contrast with activists, and in comparison to using scare tactics.  So I'm thinking ossified must be an adjective that refers to something that doesn't support change.

What it means: Merriam Webster online dictionary defines ossify as an adjective that is used to describe something that is unable to change or turned to a bone-like substance.

Reflective commentary: Even though the wrong image popped into my head, I knew that I had heard this word before. I remember hearing about diseases that turn muscle into "bone".  It makes sense that a word that means to turn to bone would also mean for a company to resist change, and wont bend.  It's like a metaphor all wrapped up in one word.

Week 8 - Post 2: Gastronomist

This tells better as a story.  I promise to have all of the required parts and to never use this format again, but please allow me to tell you how I learned this word in a story.  And please don't judge me for my love of food.

It has been an incredibly tough week, and today is Friday.  I have a planning period at the end of the day and I usually have a snack and grade papers or organize for the next lesson or whatever.  But this week has been a tough week.  And so instead of planning, I went onto the internet and looked at pictures of food.  It's very calming.  As I was scrolling along, I starting thinking about Baked Alaska.  Don't ask me how it popped into my head, I don't know.  Maybe it's because I watched the Mythbuster's Alaska Special last night.  But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't decide if it was fish or ice cream.  Or fish with ice cream.  So I went to Wikipedia.org and checked out Baked Alaska.  So technically, I could have picked Baked Alaska for my word, but I did know a little bit about it (it is ice cream by the way) and that is not the moral of my story.

As I was reading about Baked Alaska, I saw this: In 1969, the recently invented microwave oven enabled Hungarian physicist and molecular gastronomist Nicholas Kurti to produce a reverse Baked Alaska (also called a "Frozen Florida")—a frozen shell of meringue filled with hot liquor

Gastronomist?!  As soon as I read the word, I knew what it meant.  The Great University of They had come up with a name for people who study food.  Like an economist of the gastrointestinal system.  And Merriam Webster online dictionary proves it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 

I love words.  But in this moment, I am in love with how everything has a name.  Just to satisfy my point:

• "interrobang" - the name of the "?!" mark at the end of a rhetorical question
• "tittle" - the point over a lower case "i" or "j" (or a small amount)
• And this, all of this: John Greene on Mental Floss

Week 8 - Post 1: Chelonian

When and where: The math teacher across the hall has this fantastic radio voice and I love listening to his lessons when I have planning periods.  Earlier this week, I heard him holler down the hall at some students who were slowly getting to class after the bell rang: "That's quite the chelonian pace!  Pick it up!"

Level of familiarity: I had never heard chelonian before, but I used my context clues and guessed that it meant to move slowly.

What it means: When I asked the math teacher, he said that it means "turtle" and that he had read a list of words that people should start using.  Merriam Webster online dictionary defines chelonian as turtle as well, and can be used as a adjective to describe something that is like a turtle.

Reflective commentary: I love that he was literally comparing these slow students to a turtle!  It took me quite some time to figure out how chelonian is spelled because I had heard it out loud.  I'm not sure I would have recognized this word in print if I hadn't looked it up right when I heard it. 

Week 7 - Post 2: Mercurial

When and where: While prepping for my reciprocal teaching assignment, I read through the vocabulary articles that Dr Hopkins posted on the Moodle site.  The one that I chose, Flanigan & Greenwood - Effective Content Vocabulary Instruction in the Middle  (if you are signed into Moodle - the link should work) used mercurial at the end to describe students "in the range of the strange" also known as middle schoolers.

Level of familiarity: Since they already claimed that middle schoolers are "strange" I figured it must have something in common. Before I looked it up, I considered what the root word might be, and I decided on something to do with mercury.  Knowing that mercury was once used to soften beaver pelts used in hats, a practice that caused many hatters to go crazy after extended careers - hence, Mad Hatters - I figured that maybe mercurial had to do with "Mad Middle Schoolers" or otherwise refer to someone who is crazy.

What it means: Well I wasn't totally incorrect.  Merriam Webster online dictionary defines mercurial as an adjective that describes something that is rapidly changing or lively and quick.  When I think about the Mad Hatter, I would happily describe him as mercurial.

aliceinwonderland.wikia.com

Reflective commentary:  The more specific definition didn't change my understanding of the description of middle school students.  However, the online dictionary's definition makes more sense with the introduction of the article, which states "Middle school students are transitional. The term, 'typical middle schooler' is automatically an oxymoron, for there is no such thing."  Instead of simply crazy, they are specifically "crazy" because of their constantly changing lives, emotions, reactions, etc.

Week 7 - Post 1: Expatriation

When and where: I recently made a choice that I didn't think would ever make: I created a Facebook account.  My sister got married and the only way she has chosen to share her photos is via Facebook, so I felt obligated to join in order to see the photos.  Recently, one of my friends from Geneseo posted this article from thehairpin.com on student loan debt, posted on Oct 16, 2013.  In discussing the solutions for student debt, one option was expatriation. 

Level of familiarity: None.  Context clues were non-existent, other than it was provided in a list which included suicide and revolt.  So I knew it had to be a way to get out of paying debts... but I couldn't even guess what it meant.

What it means: Merriam Webster online dictionary defines expatriation as the act of going into exile.  The word "exile" seems to differ from expatriation in that exile is forced and one might still have allegiance to one's country.  Expatriation denotes a resignation of allegiance to one's country.  I'm thinking the root of the word here is patriot - and the prefix "ex" means to remove from patriotism.

Reflective commentary: I wanted to include this word because I had absolutely no context clues to figure this word out.  It was imperative for me to look up the word before I could continue on with the article.  The rest of the article didn't have any other particularly difficult words or new words.

Week 6 - Post 3: Systemic

When and where: Two weekends ago, I was out and about with my friend Mo.  We were discussing the situation in Syria, and Mo referred to the genocide as a "systemic destruction of  the people".  My brain seemed to take special notice of the word systemic, not because I didn't understand it, but because I realized that I have used this word without really having an entire understanding of the word.  Thinking about the word, I usually use it (or hear it used) to discuss something that is total or with a system (pattern or method).
  Level of familiarity: I knew the word and understood the context, but I was confused as to why "systematic" wasn't used instead.  "Systematic" and systemic seem to mean almost the same thing to me and I can't figure out what the difference really is.

What it means: Merriam Webster online dictionary defines systemic as an adjective that refers to the whole (being the whole body or whole group).  The online dictionary defines "systematic" an adjective that describes something that is done in a pattern or by a method.

Reflective commentary: In my conversation with Mo, I think that either systemic or systematic would be used appropriately because both are true for the situation.  I believe that other times I have heard or used systemic it should have been replaced with systematic.  The main difference is that systemic refers to the object being affected and systematic refers to the process by which the object is affected.

Week 6 - Post 2: Dundridge

When and where: During this past weekend's wedding extravaganza, my sister's sister-in-law arranged for all of us to get our makeup done for the ceremony.  As fascinating as this may be to watch the first time, it gets boring fast.  So I poked around and found a Time magazine, published Sept 30, 2013.  (Fun fact: Time publishes cigarette ads, which I thought was totally done away with. Go figure.)   The last article in the magazine was an interview with Richard Dawkins, who specializes in evolutionary biology and coined the word "meme".  This year, he is trying to get dundridge to be a new word.

In this article from Prospect Magazine, Dawkins uses dundridge in context.

Level of familiarity: I have never heard this word - after all, it's new to the language.  However, I have interacted with the concept throughout my life.  And I LOVE this word.

What it means: Dawkins defines dundridge as a person who is bound to rules and therefore makes your life difficult.  In the Time Magazine article, he gives the example of a government employee who would not give a person his passport because he misspelled his name - this government employee is a dundridge because he didn't allow for any bend of the rules.

Reflective comments: As I said before, I am completely in love with this word.  There wasn't a ton of context around the word in use, however I think I have a strong image of the meaning of the word.  I just left a meeting of the district wide 8th grade science teachers in my district.  Two of these teachers are great examples of dundridges because they insist on following every rule to the letter.  We had a recommended agenda, but several of us wanted to stray from the agenda to share materials.  The two dundridges insisted that we get through the agenda first - which was not something we all needed to be in the same room for in order to accomplish.  In the end, we only had 15 minutes to share materials - and as a first year teacher, it feels like no time at all!

Week 6 - Post 1: Pejorative

When and where: My sister got married on Oct. 5, so I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Geneva with our new combined families.  My family has a general lack of love for "fancy" vocabulary.  Apparently the Canadians believe that it is too ostentatious to flaunt ones knowledge.  And my new brother-in-law's family is from Sodus, which has low education stereotypes galore.  I got into a conversation with my sister's mother-in-law who ranted on about how the Common Core is making teachers teach math differently than how she learned it.  She told me that she told it should be the teacher's pejorative to teach however they wanted.  At this point I was done with the conversation and claimed I just remembered something I left... somewhere.

Level of familiarity: I am very familiar with the word "prerogative" which is what I believe this woman meant to say.  However, I had no idea if pejorative was even a real word.  I spent some time poking around Google and experimenting with spellings and it turns out that pejorative is in fact an actual word.

What it means: Merriam Webster defines pejorative as an adjective that describes something with negative connotations, so a word or a situation could be pejorative. It seems to denote a belittling word or criticism specifically.  *sings* "And seldom is heard, a pejorative word".  In fact I might come up with some pejorative words to insult her misuse of the word.

Reflective commentary: I really like that pejorative is a word used to describe other words.  I can see myself using this word with students: instead of saying "That's not a nice word" which makes me feel like I'm five or they're five, I could say, "That was a pejorative word and I will not allow that in my classroom".  Awesome.

Also, I would like to add that my sister's mother-in-law had some pejorative words to say about the Common Core.  Most of which was ill-informed.

Week 4 Post 2 - Neo-Liberalism

When and where: As part of LTED 609, last Wednesday in class.  Maria Hopkins used the term neo-liberalism in a discussion on how current policies and practices are hindering the education of English language learners and diverse learners.  She explained that part of the philosophy of neo-liberals is to boil everything down to facts and figures - in terms of education, that means students become facts and figures.

Level of familiarity: I had never heard this term before.  I guessed that it was a new form of liberalism, since I know that "neo" means new.  I thought that they would be a more extreme form of liberalism, since the newer conservative groups have been more extreme (like the Tea Party).

What it means: The Free Dictionary explains neo-liberalism as a political movement with emphasis on economics.  I was unsatisfied with this definition - particularly because it didn't blend with my hypothesized definition or the one Dr. Hopkins used in class.  CorpWatch  explains neo-liberalism through 5 main points: 1) private business should have no restraints from government; 2) minimum payments from public for social services; 3) reduce government involvement in anything that can produce money (even environment and safety); 4) privatization of everything; and 5) ousting community and promoting personal responsibility.

This article from the New York Times Opinionator Blog (which makes some connections to higher education, but it is still applicable to high or middle schools) explains that neo-liberalism supports personal responsibility in all areas.

Reflective commentary: Thinking about neo-liberalism in schools, the focus seems to be on asking schools to take care of their own funding.  It seems that these people would ask government to step back from the regulations that they are currently requiring.  I still am confused about the connection between neo-liberalism and all of these state tests.

Week 4 Post 1 - Tautologous

Where and when: This word starts with a confession.  As part of the other class I am taking this semester, I read an article this weekend about SIOP.  I was struggling to understand the article as I was reading so I decided to pop over to Wikipedia.org to enhance my background knowledge before trying the article again.   To my utter amazement I encountered this sentence: As in any instructional approach, the use of sheltered instruction is effective when the teacher is capable of administering the lessons effectively, although the causal direction of this tautologous observation is not clear.

Level of familiarity: No idea. None.  I rarely encounter a word that I don't know completely - but this is one of them.  

What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines tautology as a statement with an idea that is repeated unnecessarily.  Basically, a redundant statement. In the context of the Wikipedia article, it is that instruction is only effective with effective teachers.

Reflective comments: In this context, tautologous seems like a totally pointless word.  It is very obvious that the statement is redundant and the concept is circular.  In fact, it seems to me that the use of the word is rather tautologous.  The concept is obviously redundant and so pointing it out becomes redundant.  

Because the statement was such a good example of tautology, I suppose I could have figured out what it meant from the context.  However, I was so surprised at this word that I had to look it up in order to understand the statement.

Week 3 Post 2 - Epistemology

When and where: The weekend, while reading "Real-Time Teaching" by Chapman et al for class.  On page 540, the authors state that "students engage with one another and issues of societal importance through a language of peer response that affirms students' epistemologies" while writing about social justice.

Level of familiarity: I knew this word, but I could not for the life of me define it while I was reading the article.  Once I looked it up I remembered it from past readings and classes, but knew that I would struggle to remember it's true definition.

What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines epistemology as the study of knowledge, specifically, knowledge's limits and validity.

Reflective comments: Looking up epistemology  made me think about what the students were really proposed to be getting out of social justice writing.  For a student to have his epistemology affirmed, means that what he thinks it means to know something is affirmed.  It makes me think that consciously including social justice education in our curricula allows for students to feel that their opinions of school and what education means to them are justified.  Students might feel that their opinions matter, that their understanding and education matters.

Week 3 Post 1 - Moratorium

When and where: This morning, NPR, sometime between 6:50 am and 7:05 am.   It was a segment about mandatory protections for adult film actors.  I honestly wasn't paying attention to the program, but I was thinking about gathering words for this blog.  I heard the word moratorium and I couldn't place the definition right off the top of my head.  I started listening to try to piece together what it might mean.  From what I gathered from listening, adult film actors have certain regulations that are put in place to protect their health.  (I apologize for the topic!)

Level of familiarity: I knew that I knew the word, that if I dug deep enough I would find it in the back of my brain.  I surmised from the context and what I thought I could remember that moratorium is a type of law.

What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines moratorium as a legally authorized waiting period, usually in relation to some kind of legal obligation.

Reflective commentary: I was surprised that moratorium referred to the waiting period as opposed to the law that requires the film to wait while everyone gets tested.  In my head, mandate and moratorium were synonymous.  I think that it is important to include the relationship with a legal or official obligation - for instance, there isn't a moratorium  for cookies, just a wait.