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.