Final Entry/Reflection on Vaocabulary Learning

In summation of this Vocabulary Journal Assignment, I must admit how grateful I am that it was part of LTED 625. At first I thought it was going to be such a waste of time. Not to be harsh, but we are in graduate school paying a costly tuition, how will a vocabulary journal help me become a more successful and effective teacher? Now the answer is quite obvious.

Vocabulary acquisition and development plays a vital role in comprehension and retention. Not just for students, but for teachers as well. I never used to look words up in school that I was unfamiliar or interested in. I would always manage to get by but now regret not looking them up. I have been able to use the words I looked up in conversation, and this often opens the door to even more vocabulary terms. It is my ultimate goal to build up my vocabulary knowledge so I can have more meaningful conversations with more people. It is not uncommon to want to sound intelligent. So why not build upon my intelligence to accomplish this. J <- That is an emoticon that illustrates me smiling while I wrote that. Yes, pretty neat vocabulary word, I agree. Using more words and interactions in conversation will increase my chances of retention. It is also important as a teacher candidate to construct a more professional vocabulary. This will be essential for communication in interviews, parent-teacher conferences, and staff meetings.

Keeping this vocabulary journal has proven the effectiveness of utilizing new digital and multimedia technologies as tools for teaching/learning content. This is a strategy that is highly transportable for any content area or subject. Students often enjoy working on the computer. Motivation to increase students desire to work with vocabulary is excellent for the school setting. This is also something that can be done at home, which builds a positive correlation between learning inside and outside the classroom.  This journal has also proven its effectiveness in vocabulary development for me. I will continue to use this strategy for myself, which will allow me to learn and keep track of more words. Not just looking them up, but typing them and connecting them with pictures creates multiple connections and opportunities to interact and comprehend with the vocabulary words.

Taking the vocabulary tests added to my word learning my reinforcing repetition and different ways to assess vocabulary. It highlighted the importance of the word itself, the definition, and being able to use it in a sentence. By taking this approach to master these three concepts, I have become more efficient in learning words. I plan to continue to use this approach to study words because it is obviously an effective strategy for me to use. I also plan to implement a similar approach to this in my own classroom. I feel students will be more motivated to work with vocabulary terms, and it will result in high comprehension and success for the students. I would not hesitate to share this with other colleagues. Teaching is about sharing and learning for the benefit and success of the students.

14:3 Android

When and Where Did I Find It? I recently purchased a new phone, the Droid 2. My friends immediately started to argue about the difference of which phones are droids and which are androids. The answer I have them was that all smart phones are androids, but my specific brand is the Droid line.

What It Means? According to www.dictionary.com, an android is “an automation in the form of a human being.”

 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/android

Level of Familiarity: I am not familiar with this at all. I only recently started to learn about this when I purchased my new phone.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I am indifferent on this term. I think that we have become much too reliant on technology. However, with such advantages and convenience available, it is hard to resist. I am glad I learned more about droids and androids though, so I can be prepared the next time people want to debate.

Do I Want Others to Know This Word Well…if so Who and Why? I think it would be beneficial for others to familiarize themselves with this term. Androids have replaced many of the phones that are out on the market today. They are capable of extraordinary tasks in very little time. Some are more affordable than others, but they are a great tool to have on your person.

14:2 Adjunct

When and Where Did I Find It? One of my friends told me their dad was an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. I pretended like I knew what that meant but went straight to the computer to look it up when I got home.

What It Means? According to www.thefreedictionary.com, an adjunct is “something or someone attached to another in a dependent or subordinate position.”

 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/adjunct

Level of Familiarity: I have definitely heard this word before, and should have remembered what it meant, but forgot.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? As a teacher candidate, I need to become more familiar with this term. Although it is my goal to teach full time in a high school setting in my own classroom, I would not rule out the possibility of going part-time at the university level. The aspect of no retirement or health benefit is a big turnoff though.

Do I Want Others to Know This Word Well…if so Who and Why? This term could be useful to all of you. Adjunct professors have the same qualifications as teachers, but it is not as stable because future courses are not assured. This is because it is cheaper for colleges to hire and pay as such. With this economy though, take what you can get. 

14:1 Parasomnia

When and Where Did I Find It? I chose this word from a video called “Extreme Sleepwalking” that I was asked to show a psychology class while teaching at Fairport High School.

What It Means? According to www.thefreedictionary.com, parasomnia is “a category of sleep disorders in which abnormal events occur during sleep, such as sleepwalking or talking; due to inaprorietly timed activation of physiological systems.”

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/parasomnia

Level of Familiarity: I have heard of insomnia before, but never parasomnia.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? This is something that I am very interested in. As a kid, I used to sleepwalk. I would get out of bed, go into the family room, grab some pillows, throw them in the garbage in the kitchen, and go back to bed. It was so bizarre! Luckily I grew out of that. I am still astonished at the fact that people can be on the move and totally unaware.

Do I Want Others to Know This Word Well…if so Who and Why? I suggest people familiarize themselves with this word. The number of cases reported for parasomniacs increases every year. Parasomnia can make for some funny stories, but can also be extremely dangerous. In fact, there have even been murder cases of parasomniacs. Be very careful around these people, especially if trying to wake them up.

13:2 Minotaur

When and Where Did I Find It? I chose this word from the movie "Role Models". The main characters were selling an energy drink called "Minotaur" and had a minotaur mascot as well.


What It Means? According to www.dictioary.com, a minotaur is "The son of Pasiphae by a sacred bull, in body half man, half bull slain by Thesus.


http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Minotaur


Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of this word before and was hesitant to even lok it up because I easn't sure if it was ral or not.


Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I was intrigued to find out this word was not only real bu Greek. I am 50% Greek and my moher is 100%%. Because of this I tend to take interest when I hear something is Greek. greek and Latin are the two most common roots of all words. I also like to hear about Greek mythology.

Do I Want Others to Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? I do not think this is an important word for students to familiarize themselves with. It sounds intersting, and I do ecourage people to look into Greek mythology. However, studying this word would serve little purpose is most people's vocabulary.

13:1 Pangolin

When and Where Did I Find It? I heard this word in conversaton the other day. My friend said, "My parents got the pretty crazy shot of a pangolin in Africa," to which my other friend replied, "PENGUINS in AFRICA?! I think not!"

What It Means? According to http://www.dictionary.com/, a pangolin is "any mammal of the oder Pholidota and tropical Asia, having a covering of broad, overlapping, horny scales and feding on ants and termites."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pangolin

Level of Familiaity: I have never heard of a pangolin before.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I am very interested in the different tpes of species o  earth. I figured it would just be fn to esearch what a pangolin was I doubt I will ever have any conversations about pangolins, but it couldn't hurt to know about them.

Do I Want Others to Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? I don't this word would be particularly useful to resarch. It has a very low level of transportability.

12:9 Puritain

When and Where Did I Find It: I located this word while skimming through Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible”.

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com,  Putitains are, “a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16^th and 17^th century thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship.”

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Puritans

Level of Familiarity: I have encountered this word many times but have completely forgotten the definition.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I will be sure to study this word with index cards and use it in context so I will not forget it. It will be rarely used but it is an important term that my global students will be required to know.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why?  I do not encourage others to familiarize themselves with this word. It will serve little to no purpose and will be difficult to use in conversation.  

12:8 Vindicated

When and Where Did I Find It: I heard this word while listening to the song “Vindicated” by Dashboard Confessional. The lyrics say, “I am Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right, I swear I’m right, I swear I knew it all along.”

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com,  vindicated means “to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments of proof.”

Level of Familiarity: I have never heard this word before.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I was interested in looking this word up after I heard the song. I do not have much interest in researching it any further. I hope to never be in a situation where this word would be needed.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why?  I am not going to encourage others to familiarize themselves with this word. It has a very low level of transportability, and would rarely ever be used in conversation. Check out Dashboard Confessional’s song though. J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf5qrVdD9E0&feature=related

12:7 Autonomy

When and Where Did I Find It: I retrieved this word from Emily’s reciprocal teaching article, Montelongo & Herter’s (2010), “Using technology to support expository reading and writing in science classes.” The context is was used in stated, “Teachers can even encourage students to embellish their compositions through the use of a clip-art program or their own artwork and to enhance with pictures what they have conveyed with words, thus reinforcing student autonomy.”

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com,  autonomy means, “independence or freedom, as of the will or one’s actions.”

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/autonomy

Level of Familiarity: This is a word that I have seen and heard many times before. However, other than knowing it had to do with oneself, my level of familiarity was very limited.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I am determined to permanently add this term to my vocabulary. It plays a significant role in my own personal views of what a learning experience should be like. Although I want everything to be organized and effective in my own classroom, I also believe that my students should have the independence, freedom, and responsibility in their own learning.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why?  I encourage all my peers to familiarize themselves with this term. Autonomy can be highly correlated with increases in motivation and achievement. Giving more responsibility and freedom to our students allows for more creativity and expression. This allows our learners to make a more personal connection with the content.

12:6 Nuance

When and Where Did I Find It: I was re-reading my highlighted notes from Fisher & Frey’s “Word-Wise & Content Rich” when I came across this word. The sentence read, “Extensive vocabularies help one refine one’s thinking through more nuance and sophistication.” I already had the word highlighted but had no idea what it meant.

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com,  nuance means “shade of expression, color, or meaning.”

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nuance
               
Level of Familiarity: I am not familiar with this word at all.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I find this word to be fairly interesting, and would like to become more familiar with it. However, I feel this word would be difficult for me to implement into my casual conversations. I need more practice with this word to figure out when it is appropriate to use without sounding forced or out of place.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why?  I do not think this word is particularly important to the point where people should strive to learn it. It is the concept of the word that I urge people to pay more attention to. Highlighting or providing more depth and meaning to information will increase our student’s chances of retention and comprehension.

12:5 Debate

When and Where Did I Find It: I decided to choose this word when I picked to do a creative debate for strategy seven for the part two of the SCATP.

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com, it means “A formal contest in which the affirmative and negative sides of a proposition or issue are advocated by opposing speakers.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/debate
               
Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with this word.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? This is a significant term and concept for me to know and understand as a social studies teacher. Implementing a debate in my classroom would allow the students to view information from multiple perspectives. It is also highly relevant to the debates we see on TV between political candidates. This allows me to see how knowledgeable or passionate those candidates are concerning specific issues.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why?  I think this word would be highly useful for others to be cognizant of. Debating allows for multiple perspectives to be researched and analyzed. This can be especially useful for controversial issues. Debates can be administered in many others content areas other than social studies. As teachers, we are also empowering our students in their student-led discussion after their research is complete.

12:4 Loquacious

When and Where Did I Find It: I was substitute teaching in a middle school for a 6:1:1 self-contained classroom the other day. These students displayed very poor behavior and were way too noisy and talkative. I needed a synonym for this in my note to the teacher to sound more professional and ended up saying, “The students were rather loquacious today.” Now that I think about it, I wonder if that teacher went to the dictionary after reading my note.

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com, it means “Talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative; chattering.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/loquacious

               
Level of Familiarity: I am not familiar with this word at all.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I am very interested in learning this word in more depth. As a teacher it is important to be able to use appropriate vocabulary. This is especially true when using words to describe students. It would be beneficial for me to learn synonyms to more words that will help me in describing student action and behavior.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? I think it would be a great idea for others to learn this word. It is a great vocabulary word that can be used to describe a situation that is hard to depict as pleasant. This word has a more professional vibe to it. It would be advantageous for all of us in the education to develop a more refined vocabulary.

12:3 Sublime

When and Where Did I Find It: I encountered this word while teaching at Penfield H.S. today. A girl was wearing a t-shirt in honor of the musical group “Sublime” Someone asked her what the name meant, and nobody in the class knew the definition.

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com, sublime means,”Lofty, grand, or exhalted in thought, expression, or manner.

               
Level of Familiarity: I am not familiar with this word at all.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I was very interested to look up the meaning of this word for the class. Especially since it is a word many of us have used, heard, or encountered through media, but may have not thought to understand. After finding out what the definition was, I can confidently say the pumpkin caramel cheesecake I had over the weekend was truly sublime.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? I think it would be useful for you to become more familiar with this word. This gives people an adjective to use for some of the things they are passionate about. It also has the ability/potential to be transferred to multiple discourses.

12:2 Artifact

When and Where Did I Find It: This word was used in conversation during the movie “National Treasure”. The character said, “You need to be careful in here. These artifacts are priceless.”

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com, artifact means,”A handmade object representing a particular culture or stage of technological development; a characteristic product made by human activity.”

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/artifact   

                  
Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with this word. It is often used in social studies classrooms

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? This is a very important word for me to be familiar with as a history teacher. Much of what we know about ancient history has been determined through scrupulous study of artifacts.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? I would recommend that you become more familiar with this word. Artifacts have played a large role in what we know about ancient civilizations which has shaped the world we live in today. Artifacts can also refer to student/teacher generated work which is useful to know as educators.

12:1 Status Quo

When and Where Did I Find It: I heard this word while sitting in the faculty room having lunch the other day. I was not a part of this conversation but overheard a woman say, “Doesn’t matter to any of us now. If Janet already brought this to the principal then the status quo has changed.”

What It Means?: According to www.dictionary.com , Status quo means “the existing state or condition.”

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/status+quo

Level of Familiarity: I knew this word had something to do with a situation, but wasn’t sure if there was a more specific focus than that.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I was fairly intrigued by this word when I heard it used in conversation. I am determined to become more familiarized with this word. It can relate to my content area teaching through the discussion of current events.
Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? It would be useful for others to familiarize themselves with this word. Status quo can relate to any person in any discourse and is a highly transportable word. This could potentially student comprehension and retention of other related information.

8:2 Pacifism

When and Where Did I Find It: I encountered this word while reading my textbook “World History: Making Connection to Today” by Elizabeth Gaynor Ellis and Anthony Esler. to create my strategy toolbox for Part 2 of my SCATP.

What It Means?: Ellis & Esler (2005) state, “Finally, widespread pacifism, or opposition to all war, and disgust with the destruction during the previous war pushed many governments to seek peace at any price.” According to the textbook, pacifism refers to the opposition of all war.”

Ellis, E. G., & Esler, A. (2005). World History Making Connections to Today, Needham, MA: Prentice Hall.

Level of Familiarity: I have encountered this word many times while studying World War II., however my level of familiarity is only moderate. I knew it had something to do with war, but I did not remember it was the opposition of it.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I find it a necessity to become more familiar with this word. It is a fairly significant term of this chapter which students are also required to comprehend. It would be unfair of me as a teacher to ask something of my students that I am not also prepared to do. I have already begun studying this word on a flashcard and writing it in sentances to ensure I retain the information.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? This is an interesting word that I would encourage you al to remember. Especially since we are still fighting in the longest war of our nation’s history, this word can relate to our everyday lives. It is a great idea to encourage peace and opposition to war so we can send the troops of the world back to their respective homes and families.

8:1 Parabola

When and Where Did I Find It: I was substitute teaching at Penfield High School for an Algebra 2- Trigonometry class. They were working on a review packet of quadratic equations and fractions. A student raised their hand and asked, “Is this graph of y=x^2  going to be a parabola?”

What It Means?: According to the directions the teacher provided on the review packet, a parabola is a U-shaped curve used to graph quadratic functions.

Level of Familiarity: I have a very low level of familiarity with this word. In high school when I took Algebra 2-Trigonometry, I often struggled with terms, definitions, and formulas. When I was asked by the student if the graph would be a parabola, I had no idea what they meant.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I have little interest in perusing this word any further, but after researching it I doubt I will forget it. I have never had any interest in math and have found it to be challenging to the point where I would shut down. However, as a substitute teacher I feel obligated to prepare myself for any content I may be asked to teach.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if so Who and Why? I do not think this is a word people should strive to retain. Mathematical vocabulary terms are often difficult to apply in other discourses because of its low level of transportability. Unless you are in a profession of teaching or involving Algebra 2-Trigonometry, this world will be of little to no use.

7:3 Recursive

When and Where Did I Find It: I heard this word for the first time during Session 7 of our LTED 625 class. I do not remember the content in which this word was used, but as soon as I heard it, I looked at Jenny and said "THAT is going to be one of my next words for my blog!"

What It Means: According to www.dictionary .com, recursive means "pertaining to or using a rule or procedure that can be applied repeatedly"

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/recursive

Level of Familiarity: After looking up the definition of this word, I remember hearing it before in past conversations but have little to no familiarity with the definition.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?: I have already begun to familiarize myself with this word so it becomes part of my long term memory. It is a word that can be used in many different contexts. Being certified in Social Studies education, I have often heard the phrase, "History repeats itself." Next time I hear someone say that to me, I plan on saying, "Yes I agree, history tends to be quite recursive." Interested to see the reactions I get. :)

Do I think Others Should Know This word Well...if So Who and Why?: This is another word that is transportable. It can be used in multiple contexts and subject areas. I believe it would be advantageous for anyone to learn this word. Not only is it a good vocabulary term, but it also encourages people to look for patterns and procedures after hearing it.

7:2 Reparation

When and Where Did I Find It: I chose this word while reading my Social Studies textbook, “World History: Making Connection to Today” by Elizabeth Gaynor Ellis and Anthony Esler.

What It Means: Ellis& Esler (2005) state, “Some 40 years later, both the United States and Canada apologized for the wartime policy and provided former internees with reparations, or payment for damages caused by the imprisonment. This is specifically referring to the imprisonment for Japanese American into Internment Camps during World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Ellis, E.G., & Esler, A. (2005) World History: Connections to Today, Needham, MA: Prentice Hall.

Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with this word that I have chosen. I have intently studied World War II for many years and have come across this word countless times.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?: I think this is a very important word for me to be familiar with. It serves as a highly significant term of World War II. As a Social Studies teacher, this is common knowledge to my discourse.

 Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well…if So Who and Why? I think it is important for others to be familiar with this word. It refers to the harsh and unjust treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. These were American citizens that had their basic human rights ignored and violated, and most weren’t compensated with these reparations for over four decades.

7:1 Dispositional

When and Where Did I Find It: I came across this word while reading Guthrie & Wigfield’s “Engagement and Motivation in Reading” in the Handbook of Reading Research: Volume III.

What It Means: In context, Gutherie &Wigfield state, “Further intrinsic motivation has a dispositional component, which refers to the desire to interact with those activities.” It is similar to a tendency and/or desire.

Gutherie, J.T. & Wigfield, A. (2000) Engagement and Motivation in Reading. In Kamil, M. L., Mosenthal, P. B., Pearson, P. D., & Barr, R. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of reading research: Volume III. Mahwas, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Level of Familiarity: I have heard this word in conversation before but I have never understood what it meant or taken the time to look it up.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?: I think this is a great vocabulary word that I would like to add to my repertoire. I have not seen it used in many examples so I would struggle to fit this word into my casual conversations. This is something I am interested in achieving.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well…if So Who and Why? I believe this word would be beneficial for anyone to learn. It can be used in multiple content areas which is very advantageous. This can help bridge connections between different concepts and boost comprehension.

5:2 Malodorous

When and Where Did I Find It: I discovered this word while reading chapter 6 of Fisher and Frey’s, “Word wise and Content Rich: Five Essential Steps to Teaching Academic Vocabulary”

What It Means: Fisher and Frey (2008) exclaim, "For instance, the physical education teachers used malodorous  to describe the condition of the locker rooms" (p.127). Malodorous means very unpleasant smelling; having a bad odor; highly  improper.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2008). Word wise and content rich: Five essential steps to teaching academic vocabulary. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

Level of Familarity: I am unfamiliar with this word and have never seen used it before.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I am not interested in becoming any more familiar with this word. I decided to look investigate it because I have never seen it before and wanted to know what it means. However, if I took more time to analyze the word I would have seen the root word ‘odor’ and then termed ‘mal’ to describe something as negative or bad. This would have prevented me from further investigating this word.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if So who and Why? I do not think that this is a highly useful word for people to become familiar with. I would assume that if this word could be used in conversation, it would be on a very unpleasant topic.

5:1 Magnitude

When and Where Did I Find It: I chose this word while reading the article Lauren chose for her reciprocal teaching. This article is “Teaching Students to Comprehend Informational Text Through Rereading” by Laura R. Hedin and Greg Conderman. The sentance it was located in is as follows; "Astronomers measure how the stars' magnitudes, or brightnesses, and rotations change.

What It Means: In this context, magnitude refers to the level of brightness of a star. According to http://www.dictionary.com/, Magnitude is defined as size; extent; dimensions of something, or it could also mean of great importance or consequence.


http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/magnitude

Level of Familarity: I am familiar with this word to a small degree, but have never used it in a sentence or conversation before.


Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I would like to learn this word and become more familiar with it because it can be used in a variety of different ways. Also, this word seems strong and bold to me. I feel like this word is taken and used in very serious or important conversations. This word has a high level of transportability.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if So who and Why? I think this is an interesting word for people to familiarize themselves with. It is used to describe something of significance and can give a conversation a more serious tone when used. As I already meantioned, this word is highly transportable. This means people can use the word in many different contexts and discourses.

4:2 Alchemy

When and Where Did I Find It: I came across this word while reading Laurie Halse Anderson's "Catalyst" for a class assignment. It was used as the title of one of the chapters in the book.

What It Means: I retrieved this definition from http://www.dictionary.com/. Alchemy is a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. However, another was alchemy can be used is to describe any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/alchemy

 

Level of Familarity: I have never seen or used this word before.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if So who and Why? Unless you are involved in science and chemistry, I do not think it would be an important term for others to become familiar with.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I was very interested in learning how this word would be defined when I saw it as the title of chapter five. Now that I know the definition, I find it highly unlikely that I will use it again.

4:1 Containment

When and Where Did I Find It: I found this word in my Social Studies textbook World History: Connections to Today (Ellis and Esler, 2005).


What It Means: Ellis and Esler (2005) state, "The Truman Doctrine was rooted in the idea of containment, limiting communism to the areas already under Soviet control" (p. 793). Containment refers to the Cold War policy of limiting communism to areas already under Soviet control.

Ellis, E.G., & Esler, A. (2005) World History: Connections to Today, Needham, MA: Prentice Hall.

Level of Familarity: I am very familiar with this word as it comes up every time there is a discussion of the post-World War II period.

 Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? This is a very important word to know as a Global teacher. It serves as one of the main ideas and foundations of the Truman Doctrine


Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if So who and Why? I think this word is an important term for Social Studies classrooms and history majors to know and understand. However, I do not think it is of great importance outside of its content area. 

3:2 Expository

When and Where Did I Find It: I found this word while reading "Teaching Reading in the Content Areas" by Rachel Billmeyer and Mary Lee Barton.

What It Means: This definition was retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/. The word "expository" means to set forth, explain, clarify, define, instruct or inform. The context in which this word was used was another way to refer to informational text. Examples of this type of text include textbook chapters and newspaper and magazine articles.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expository

Level of Familarity: As a Social Studies teacher, I am very familiar with this word since a majority of my teacher is based on informational, or expository texts. Specifically, the majority of the course comes from the textbook. However, this is not a word that I often use in my everyday vocabulary.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I would like to become more familiar with this word because of its significance to my content area in the school setting. Expository, or informational text is one of the most common types of text found in school classrooms. It can be organized in many different ways including; chronological sequencing, description,  episodes, and comparison and contrast.  These are just a few of the many effective ways in which students can increase their comprehension.



Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well..if So who and Why? I think that others should make the effort to become more familiar with this word. As teachers, this is a word that we all should have background knowledge on. Students are working with these types of texts every day and we need to be aware of the most effective ways to work with these types of text.