STEAM Education Lessons

Creating a lesson is a skill that educators should make part of their best practices.  Lessons provide an opportunity to present themes, ideas, and concepts to those who are attempting to learn them.  Below are five steps which should be included as part of planning lessons.  They represent the various stages that educators should take into consideration when creating STEAM Education Lessons.  Taking these five steps can help educators create successful Lessons that engage the learner.  Make them a part of the best practices used for planning a great STEAM Education Lesson.

1) Plan, Research, Implement

Create a plan for your lesson and do research on it.  This will help you make sure that you are presenting the best known data available.  Design a road map that can guide you through toward the implementation of your lesson.

2) Strand Flexibility

STEAM gives you the flexibility to use many strands.  You can choose to focus on a particular strand that is most directly related to your lesson, but remember that you can borrow from the other strands, and be creative.

3) Student Diversity

In the classroom, student diversity is going to be a fact.  There will be students who have been introduced to advanced concepts, and there will be other who may be lacking in basic skills.  Take into consideration your classrooms student diversity.

4) Resources, Off-Site Connections, Real Life Application

Present students with a variety of resources accessible to them.  Field trips and off-site connections are a great way to show students how the lesson can be applied to real life situations and encourages them to explore their communities.

5) Evaluation and Review

Do your own analysis of the lesson. After you have implemented it, take the time to do an thorough evaluation, and review all aspects of it: What worked, what didn't, and what needs to be improved upon for the next time.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Curriculum

The creation of a STEAM Education Curriculum is the most challenging step in the process of STEAM education.  The challenge lies in two of the principal aspects of creation.  First, the endless number of possibilities we can come up with using our vision, imagination, and knowledge.  Second, the reaching of an agreement, by all involved, on which curriculum is the best, and most suitable, to implement.  Three areas to keep in mind when creating a STEAM Education Curriculum are subject, grade, and age.

Each strand of STEAM can be broken down into many pieces which we can use to design a framework that will support the curriculum being created.  Care must be taken to ensure that, as the framework is design and the curriculum created, the appropriate subject matter to be presented to students is appropriate to the grade level in attendance and their age.  From the most basic concepts, like counting and the ABC's, to the most complex ideas, like calculating the amount of water needed to support a civilization, a series of logical sequential steps need to be develop in order to create a curriculum that allows the student to proceed on an educational path that takes them from the basic, to the complex, and back again.

As stated, it is not only about creating a curriculum that is filled with knowledge, is imaginative, and presents a clear vision, but it must also be agreed upon to be the best and most suitable to implement.  The creation of a STEAM Education Curriculum is an endeavor that should be carefully planned, prepared, and researched, for it is expected to have an immediate and long-lasting effect in the education of our students.  When creative individuals come together to collaborate toward an innovative goal, the two principal aspects of creation can truly be achieved.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Benefits

STEAM Education is beneficial.  It is good for those who are educated under its principles, guidance, and framework.  Some of those who are benefited from STEAM Education include: students, teachers, parents, the community, and education.  Here is a closer look at how each of these groups benefit from an education based on STEAM.

• STEAM Education benefits students by offering them a diversity of knowledge and skills which they can cross-reference for multipurpose applications.

• STEAM Education benefits teachers by allowing them to reach across the curriculum and team-teach lessons with availability to various resources and support.

• STEAM Education benefits parents by giving them a chance to show how they apply the subject areas and have the opportunity to help the student be better prepared for life.

• STEAM Education benefits the community by developing the skills of leadership and teamwork where creative thinkers have a flexible approach to problem solving.

• STEAM Education benefits education by furthering current knowledge through the development of new skills that are essential for future growth.

There are many benefits to a STEAM Education as illustrated in the examples above.  It is worth taking the time to research how we can best integrate STEAM Education into our classrooms, schools, districts, homes, communities, and life. 

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Definition

To define STEAM Education you must do research to become informed.  With research done by you, and published by others, one can begin to define STEAM Education.  Each one of us can define STEAM Education as we understand it, and as we see it best, to be applied to our current educational needs.  While the foundation of STEAM Education must be defined by its five strands (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), the definition for that which is constructed upon this foundation is entirely up to each one of us: how we view STEAM Education, what is our vision, what can we achieve, how do we reach it.

To help with the defining of STEAM Education we take a look at three styles: Linear, Cyclical, and Linear-Cyclical.  Linear STEAM Education can be defined as a set sequential curriculum which requires the learner to successfully complete a defined subject prior to proceeding to the next one.  This style requires that the faculty be specialized in a specific set of sequences withing the curriculum.  Cyclical STEAM Education can be defined as a complete set of ongoing standards which the learner is achieving constantly as they grow with the help of the faculty as a whole.  Linear-Cyclical STEAM Education can be defined as a paced curriculum with a set of standards to be acquired with the help of the faculty over a defined period of time.

These three STEAM Education styles can be of help to us in our research to understand the definition of STEAM Education.  They can help us visualize the framework of a path that leads today's learner toward tomorrow's education.  We can begin to see the many different pieces of STEAM Education which are available to us, and how to customize them so they help us create a concrete realization of our vision.  As STEAM Educators part of our job is to define and publish it for others to research, while also been engaged with them through open argumentation.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Introduction

STEAM Education is founded in a learning process that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.  Students who learn by using the STEAM Education process have the benefit of developing skills which allows them to draw from all strands.  By drawing from all strands students develop a multiple subject approach which they can apply to academic and real life challenges.  Educators benefit from STEAM Education by having the opportunity to teach by creating lesson plans that reach out beyond the limitations of a single subject.  Faculty members can work together and develop a collaborative curriculum that breaks the walls of independently structured subject based frameworks.

STEAM Education should be carefully planned and researched by a STEAM team.  The STEAM team should also seek the support of administrators, parents, students, and community leaders to develop the best possible plan for the school.  By having an open dialog with these various sources of knowledge and experience, the STEAM team cam make the best possible recommendation for the school to implement and the students to succeed.  With continued support, the STEAM team should be able to continue the development and growth of the program.

The importance of STEAM Education to our community is in the preparation of students with today's knowledge and skills for tomorrow's education and careers.  STEAM Education will allow today's students to face tomorrow's challenges not just by thinking outside the box, but by reaching to other boxes for ideas.  They will have the opportunity to be flexible in their problem solving approach by drawing from establish core areas of study which have been proven to be fundamental since past time to a diverse number of professionals, and have allow for the development of some of the world's great cultures.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education

We should begin by understanding that STEAM education incorporates five strands: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics.  Each strand has unique knowledge and skills which are part of, and can be applied to, the other strands.

It is an academic collaborative effort requiring the development of a curriculum in which students gain knowledge and develop skills based on the strands that STEAM incorporates.  Students can then apply STEAM knowledge and skills to further their education and future professions.

By learning from the strands in STEAM students can acquire the opportunity to develop a strong, secure, and solid foundation.  With such a foundation, upon which they can stand up on, students can begin their educational path and be able to complete this journey successfully.

STEAM education provides students with set knowledge and skills which helps them face future challenges.  It is an important part of the educational process and the future of our nation. 

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

February 2014

STEAM Education is the theme that MRCR Education will address this month of February.  It is our belief that STEAM Education is an important part of the overall process of a student's educational path. 

STEAM (which incorporates the strands of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education can become a valuable component of a classroom, school, or district, and serve as a foundation upon which students can design, build, and maintain a life long educational path.

Throughout the month of February MRCR Education is going to be publishing various posts that will cover different aspects of STEAM Education including an introduction, definition, benefits, curriculum, and lessons.  

We are also honored to have been selected as a presenter for the 4th Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEAM Colloquium hosted by the Contra Costa County Office of Education.  This event was attended last year and became a valuable source of information on STEAM Education.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts on Mathematics 2

Continuation of Mathematics

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

The limit of our school year will soon be reached.  The time has come to do an evaluation of the material we have reviewed with our students throughout the year.  This evaluation will allow students to know how their understanding of what they have learned measures in accuracy and competency.  The same evaluation will also allow educators to know how the material they have presented for their students to learn has been understood with both accuracy and competency.  It is important for teachers and students to do a thorough evaluation of the learning that has taken place before the limit of the school year is reached.

Mathematics

Having established a number system, having studied this number system, and having observed the patterns that emerge as numbers in this system are studied, will help us to establish a solid foundation upon which to build our study of mathematics.  With a solid foundation having been established, we can then continue on to the further development of mathematics.  We can begin to apply numeric concepts to help us study and understand from simple to complex systems.

Continuation of Mathematics

The introduction of students to mathematics is covered in three areas: Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry.  These three areas are the first building blocks that students should master when they begin to study mathematics.  Students who have demonstrated understanding and can show competency in these three areas should be encouraged to continue their study of mathematics by learning subjects such as Trigonometry, Analysis, Statistics, and Calculus.

Mathematics has the characteristic of reaching across many areas of instruction, fields of study, professional careers, and it is internationally know.  The study of mathematics provides students the skills and abilities to organize their thoughts so they may solve problems that can challenge our lives.  As students are introduced to mathematics, they should also be encouraged to continue the study of this universal, cultural, cross-curricular, multifaceted area of their educational development.

From early on in their educational lives, we as educators should establish an interest in our students to study mathematics.  Our students should be encouraged to continually develop and expand their understanding of the subject areas which make up the subject matter contained in mathematics.  From learning to count with our fingers, to using our fingers for the design and development of tools and machinery, from adding and subtracting to differentiating and approximating, from basic skills to complex interactions, mathematics will forever remain as one of the fundamental areas in our education.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts on Mathematics

Introduction to Mathematics

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

We are reaching the limit of our school year, and we must take time to review the material that has been presented to our learners so they may study and learn from it.  Students should have an understanding of the material that we have presented to them this school year.  Students will benefit in their understanding of the material if they are to apply what they have learned, and further develop critical thinking skills based on their education thus far.

Mathematics

Defining mathematics requires the establishment of a number system.  Numbers must be established before we can begin to define mathematics.  Mathematics can be defined at its foundation as the study of numbers.  How numbers are defined, arranged, and the patterns they form.  How numbers interact when performing specific functions and operations, and the results they provide. 

Introduction to Mathematics

Students are introduced to mathematics through instruction in the following three areas: Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry.  Arithmetic introduces students to numbers and counting concepts. Algebra introduces students to groupings and operations of arithmetic.  Geometry introduces students to space and dimensions by presenting figures and shapes for study.

Instruction should be presented in a balanced format that allows for presentation by age, grade and skill level.  The measurement of comprehension in mathematics should be measured in the following four areas: Single Problem - Single Solution, Single Problem - Multiple Solutions, Multiple Problems - Single Solution, and Multiple Problems- Multiple Solutions.  Application of the areas that are introduced in mathematics include arts, currency, distance, engineering, science, and time.

We should establish in students an interest in mathematics early on.  We should continue our student's the development of mathematics.  We should expand our student's understanding of mathematics.  We should introduce students to the various specific areas of mathematics, so that they may have a diverse  exposure and understanding of the subject of mathematics.  It is also our responsibility as educators to allow for the exploration and development of mathematical thought in our students, for this will lead to the growth and expansion of the continuation into further mathematics.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts on Humanities 2

Philosophy & Government

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Our school year is closing, and the development of our students, in the humanities, is worth taking a look.  Students should develop the philosophical and governmental components which are part of humanities.  This school year, our students should have develop these two aspects which are beneficial to those who know and understand them.  Students should be able to demonstrate their own thoughts and ideas as well as present them by sharing them with others.  With student growth in philosophy and government, the student can demonstrate they are preparing themselves for the challenges that lay ahead.

Humanities

Humanities can be defined as the roots that grow within humans, whose branches expand to form a plant.  Human activity and interaction can be understood through the study of humanities.  Our understanding of these activities and interactions can be helpful in educating our students to become better learners.  By learning how people act and interact, we can learn what is good for the development of students.  The humanities are composed of many aspects, each reflective of human thought, and the effect it has had throughout the development of societies.  Philosophy and government are two important aspects for students to learn and develop.

Philosophy

Students should be thinkers who use what they have learned and study to become better students, and share their thoughts with others so they may benefit from what they have learned.  Philosophy is a love of learning that students should develop as they accumulate knowledge and understanding.  By demonstrating that they understand the knowledge they have accumulated, students show their philosophies.  Each student will develop a unique philosophy based on their own interpretation of what they learn.  Their philosophies should be as solid and firm as their knowledge and understanding are.  Philosophy is beneficial for the development of students as learners, because it can help develop a love of learning that allows them to become better students.

Government

From the time we are born, we come to know that there are those who are older that us.  They were born before us, and as a result they are older than us.  But as we grow, we learn that we have a place between those who are older that us, as well as those who are born after us, and are therefore younger than us.  Time teaches us that as time passes, those who are older than us begins to dwindle, and those who are younger that us begins to grow.  Yet us, those older than us, and those younger than us, can see the need to have guidance.  This guidance is demonstrated by humans in the form of government.  People can agree to be lead, and people can agree to the direction in which they will be led, and in doing so, people agree to be governed.  Demonstrating an understanding of government shows that our students know that leadership from the individual, to the classroom, to the school, and the world is needed to provide guidance and stability.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts on Humanities

History & Culture

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

The closing of the school year is approaching and it worth taking a look at the humanities development of our students.  We begin by focusing on the historical and cultural development which has taken place so far this year.  Starting with defining Humanities, History, and Culture, and ending with the application and demonstration of the knowledge gained by the learners; educators can measure the progress students have made in the classroom, and this will be helpful in preparing both learners and educators for the summer and into the next year school year.

Humanities

To define humanities we need but to look at the root word: Human.  Humans are the root of humanities.  Student development in the humanities allows our learners to understand human activity and interaction.  We acquire our understanding of human activities and interactions through the study of humanities.  As educators we experience the need to develop good humanistic skills by being present in our classrooms.  We see first hand the development of student interaction and student activity in our classrooms.  As educators, we hope that the development of students in our classrooms allows them to become better learners. 

History

History is everything that has taken place from the beginning up until now.  History is remembered, recorded, and retold today, so that we may see what could come tomorrow.  History prepares us for the future.  History allows students to learn of the events that have taken place throughout time.  How we as humans have come to have a global influence, and how that influence flows from the most remote parts of the globe.  We learn from what we have experienced, we learn from what we have lived through.  The development of historical knowledge by our students leads to a better understanding of our standing, as humans, in the world.

Culture

Culture is constructed from the commonalities that humans agree to hang on to.  Humans have constructed cultures of various sizes, in many places, at different periods of time.  Cultures can be constructed on a single agreeable commonality, or multiple agreeable commonalities.  Throughout time cultures have been constructed and destroyed, forgotten and found, preserved and protected.  Culture can bind humans together and allow them to develop great civilizations.  Culture can also lead to conflict where there can be no establishment of communication.  Cultures with clear lines of communication tend to demonstrate success, and this should be demonstrated in our students ability to communicate as a group whose commonality is to learn.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts on Language 2

Speaking & Talking

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

We are approaching the close of the school year and we are taking a look at the language development of our learners.  We have looked at the development of reading and writing, and now we take a look at the skills of speaking and talking.  This is done by defining Language, Speaking, and Talking.  These definitions are then applied to the level of skill our students have develop and can demonstrate.  This development and demonstration by our students, lets us, as educators, learn from what we have taught.  This process allows us to see the growth that our learners have done over the school year, and can help us further prepare them for the challenges they will face as they continue in their educational path.

Language

Language is the communication skills developed by learners.  These communication skills are diverse, and our students develop them and demonstrate them, each as best they can.  Each student arrived with a unique level of language development at the start of the year, and now, that development should be reflective of what they have learned up to now.  What they have learned should be reflective of what we have taught them.  Differences between what has been learned, and what has been taught, are to be expected and anticipated, for sometimes skill development and demonstration of skill can go beyond what has been taught.

Speaking

Speaking is a communication skill that we develop to express in an auditory manner.  We hear sounds and feel vibrations that we try to replicate.  Speaking allows us to express our thoughts and ideas directly into audio, allowing others to hear our speech.  Speech can then be preserved by the tools of technology which we have like writing, recording, and publishing.  Speech can also be broadcast and shared with those whom we are able to reach through various means of communication.  Having our students develop their speaking skills will help aid the growth of language.

Talking

Talking is a communication skill that we develop to engage with others.  Talking helps us engage in conversation so we may exchange ideas and thoughts by speaking to one another.  When we talk we must alternate between speaking and listening, and because of this, talking is a skill which should help us develop a balance as we speak and listen.  It also requires us to develop processing skills so that we may accurately express what we say and understand what we hear.  Having our students develop their talking skills will help aid the growth of language.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Thoughts on Language

Reading & Writing

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

As we approach the close of the school year, it is worth taking a look at the language development of our learners, language development in the skills of reading and writing.  We do this by looking at the definitions of Language, Reading, and Writing, and applying these definitions to the level of skill that our learners have develop and can demonstrate.  We do this for the purpose of studying what we, as educators, have taught our learners.  We do this to see the growth that our learners have done, so that it may also be seen by learners, educators, and others who have worked in the language development of our learners.

Language

We define language as the communication skills developed by learners.  These skills are diverse and developed differently by each of our students.  Each learner arrived to our classroom this year with a unique level of language development.  By now, those students should be at a higher language development level than they were at when the school year started.  Their communication skills should have increased as our students learn from us this year.  Two important language skills to focus on are reading and writing.

Reading

Reading is a communication skill that we develop by having access to diverse material that is age and grade level appropriate.  It is also developed by introducing and increasing the vocabulary of our learners.  Students should be able to read material that is suitable for their age and grade, and be able to show that they understood and comprehend the material they have read.  Reading is an essential skill for students to develop for most of the information and knowledge which we have is accessible as reading material.  It is because of this that reading should be matched with writing.

Writing

Writing is a communication skill that we develop for the purpose of expressing our thoughts and ideas so they may be presented to others for evaluation, interpretation, and clarification.  Technology has allow us to no longer limit our writing skills to calligraphy and penmanship.  We are now also in need to develop typing, formatting, and printing as new language writing skills.  Writing becomes reading material, and reading material in turn inspires writing.  It is because of this that reading and writing should be amongst the primary language skills that our students should develop.

Copyright 2012.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Evaluation

Importance of STEAM Education Evaluation

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Definition of STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation places a value on the education that students have received.  To know the value of the education students have received, the students must be able to demonstrate what they know.  For students to demonstrate what they know, we, as educators, must rely upon, and use a variety of tools which help us determine the value of the knowledge the student has learned.

Purpose of STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation of STEAM Education serves two purposes: To give the student an opportunity to share the knowledge they have gained, and for the educator to have the chance to check for accuracy of knowledge and improve future presentations of such to other students.  it is not the purpose of STEAM Education evaluation to either correct the student's knowledge, or to place a value on the educator's presentation of the instruction of educational material.

Measuring STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation can be measured, as mentioned earlier, using a variety of tools.  Which measuring tool we use to evaluate STEAM education depends on the knowledge that students have received, and the student's ability to accurately demonstrate and communicate, the received knowledge.  The following three tools have proven to be reliable and dependable for measuring student's acquired knowledge.  These are: Assignments, Projects, and Tests.  When measuring STEAM Education Evaluation, we must keep present two factors: The quantity of time a student has to share their knowledge, and the environment and resources that the student has access to while preparing to share their knowledge.

Analyzing STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation of STEAM Education should be analyzed to acquire further understanding of the knowledge that educators have instructed to students, and how students demonstrate their knowledge.  The analysis we do of STEAM Education should be recorded, stored, and preserved, so that we may have a source of information when presenting justification for the value of the student's education.  We must also study the analysis of the evaluation, so that we may become aware of any patterns that may emerge over time.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Lessons

Introduction to STEAM Education Lessons

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

What is a STEAM education lesson?

A lesson is a prepared presentation on an educational topic that is based on the principal strands of STEAM education.  The presentation that is prepared as a STEAM education  lesson should present information in the best educational format that allows for the students of the lesson to best learn the STEAM educational topic.

What is the objective of a STEAM education lesson?

The objective of the STEAM education lesson should be for the students to learn the educational topic of the lesson.  The educator can reach the objective by presenting the lesson by using one or a combination of various methods like lectures, textbooks and resources, research and projects, video and audio clips, letters, experiments and demonstrations, field trips, assignments, homework, guest speakers, and many more.

How is the success of a STEAM education lesson measured?

The success of the STEAM education lesson can be measured using a variety of scales and tools, however, once the measure for success has been established, it must be implemented uniformly to the students as a whole.  The measurement of success must also be fair and balanced, and allow, with in a reasonable time frame, for the possibility of reaching success by ways of reevaluation and/or reassessment.

How is a STEAM education lesson implemented?

The implementation of a STEAM education lesson is to be decided by the creator of the lesson, or the educator who has been trained on how to present such lesson.  When implementing a STEAM lesson, the following factors should be taken into consideration: the students, the classroom, knowledge level, supplies and materials, age, grade, learning skills and abilities of those whom we expect to be learning the STEAM lesson that is presented.

 

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Curriculum

STEAM Curriculum

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

A good curriculum must maintain balance throughout all of the parts that it is composed of.  A good curriculum has a defined beginning and end, and it allows for others to be able to join in throughout the different stages that take place between the beginning and the end.  The STEAM Education Curriculum is a good and useful tool which we can design for students to take on their journey from childhood to educated person.

Definition

The STEAM Education Curriculum is a pathway for students to take so they may become STEAM educated.  It has a beginning, an end, and when it is completed, it should start all over again.  The STEAM Education Curriculum should be like a cycle which flows constantly and efficiently for it to last and succeed.

The Five Strands

The STEAM Curriculum is founded on the five strands which are: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.  These five strands are the foundation of the STEAM curriculum.  By ensuring that the five strands are interconnected, balanced, and secured, we create a solid foundation upon which we can create a lasting STEAM curriculum.

Requirements

The STEAM Education Curriculum must require that the students: demonstrate their knowledge of the five strands, demonstrate how they can apply their knowledge to solve challenges, and demonstrate that they can argument their knowledge at a global level.  By demonstrating these three requirements the student earns the right to be certified as having been educated in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

Educators are entrusted to educate students, as they journey from childhood, and into our schools, where they become educated people.  Students who become educated in STEAM and have access to a pathway that is based on a good STEAM Education Curriculum, will be able to develop the required skills that we will need to face the many challenges which the future may hold for us as a people.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Language and Communication: Reading

"Language and Communication"

"Reading"

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Defining Reading
Reading is the complement to writing.  If we define writing as a tactile visual form of communication, then reading is a visual tactile form of communication.  Writing gives us the skill to express our thoughts and ideas in a concrete way for others.  Reading gives us the skill to receive the thoughts and ideas that others present in a concrete way.  Reading allows us to input information into ourselves so that we may process and analyze it, then determine its value by studying it.

When to be Reading 
Since reading is an input, it can be done from the moment we begin to sense that which is around us.  Infants feel, hear, see, taste, and smell all that is available to them as they begin accumulating information.  We can become so skilled at reading that we could do it at a very fast pace, completing complete writing collections of a rich cultural diversity.  We can get to the point at which we begin to compare what we have read, with what is available for reading, and try to balance or surpass this point.

How much Reading is Good
 If we were to immerse ourselves in reading throughout our lives, we could possibly accumulate all knowledge available to us, but we would have no time to write, and share, and bring our light of clarity and understanding,  to that which we have read, accumulated, and understood.  Since reading and writing are complementary, both skills together should measure our ability to clearly and accurately communicate to others our thoughts and ideas through these two skills.

Why should we be Reading?
Reading provides for us the skills of searching, collecting, gathering, and analyzing information for our need to seek out knowledge and understanding.  We should be reading to better ourselves.  We should be reading to have a diverse amount of knowledge, that we have classified and categorized, on which we can make clear decisions and good choices.  Developing our reading skills gives us a way to connect to information, and the information that we connect to will lead us to a rational decision making path from which our lives will benefit.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm. All Rights Reserved

Language & Communication: Writing

"Language and Communication"

"Writing"

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Defining Writing

Writing is a tactile visual form of communication.  When we write we create a visual communication that can be sensed by touch.  Writing requires that we imprint onto, a tactile material, representations for thoughts and ideas.  Writing is developed through our ability to make marks and leave imprints by using the tools and materials available to us from our current technology. 

When to be Writing

With growth and training we begin to recognize lines, curves, and shapes that we try to replicate by carving, drawing, and inscribing. We use our fingers and hands before moving onto pencils and markers.  We mold clay, chisel rock, and carve wood.  We add our own creative style when replicating letters by creating fonts, adding color, underlining, and making bold traces.  We should encourage each other to develop writing skills from the earliest possible time in our life.

How much writing is good

Although we have established measuring units for writing like words, sentences, paragraphs, pages and essays, we should also keep in mind that we must look at what is being communicated to us through the writing.  Words should be spelled correctly, sentences should be complete, paragraphs should be thorough, essays should be structured properly so that the thoughts and ideas that we are going to convene through writing are clear.

Why should we be writing?

Writing provides for us a concrete record of thoughts, ideas, and expressions.  If the writing is done by many people, with a purpose, after careful consideration of worries and concerns, then writing can become a long lasting example of not only literal meaning, but of a reflection of the human characteristics of thinking, cooperation, development, and growth.  Writing allows us to reach others and share opinions, and if it lasts through time, writing allows us to reach future generations, as well as allowing them to look back at past ones.

Copyright 2012. MRCR Educational Consulting Firm. All Rights Reserved.

Language & Communication: Speaking

"Language and Communication"

Speaking

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Defining Speaking

Speaking is an audible expression of communication in a language.  When we speak we attempt to create an audible sound to communicate in a language.  Speaking requires the physiological ability of the individual to speak and a pre-established common language.  Speech is developed with our skills of accurate sound reproduction and recognition. As we interact with others, we begin to recognize auditory clues that we then try to replicate to develop a speaking pattern.

When to be Speaking

From the time we are born, if we are able to, we produce audible sounds.  The first cry of a newborn, the speech from one of our elders, the laughter of children playing, are all examples of speaking without the need of a language.  Language is needed so that our speaking becomes refined.  That we develop the refined skills of reproducing sounds with accuracy and clarity.  A control over pitch, stress, and intonation, of letters, syllables, and words.  By the current nature of our culture mom, or any of its variations, in any language may be the first attempt we perform when it comes to speaking.  As newborns age they should begin to demonstrate that they can master a more accurate reproduction of the sounds that we are exposed to.  By the time that they reach the age to take part in formal education, a child should have developed the necessary speaking skills as required by the grade level they will be at.

How much Speaking is good

To determine if speaking is good, we need to define what is good speaking, and what is bad speaking.  A measuring scale must be established to determine the skills demonstrated when a student is speaking.  This skill level must then be measured, collected, and assessed for each student.  The individual demonstrations of skill level should then allow us to measure the performance of students, as well as groups of students.  It will also allow for the measure of development in language that will in turn introduce new sounds and words allowing the language to grow.

Why should we be Speaking?

Speaking is good, because it allows us to communicate in a language that is audible for others to hear, listen, and receive.  Others could then process and analyze that which we have spoken for accuracy and clarity in order to determine the meaning of our speech.  Without technological innovations,  speech can only be heard by those within range of our voice.  If speech is not recorded, language accuracy cannot develop, and communication becomes inaccurate.  Our ability to communicate accurately can help us collaborate and share ideas with clarity.  We should be speaking, because it gives us an opportunity express our thoughts and ideas, so that those who are around us may benefit from them.

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