After my literacy classes these last few quarters; working with K, 1st, and 6th grade readers; and reading tons of books and articles about literacy (notably Routman, Tovani, and Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer - the result is that I have literacy on my mind a lot. I recently discovered the website Goodreads, which allows you to create online libraries of books you have read, are reading, or want to read. I started keeping a list of the books I finished reading back in 2007, when I found myself living in China and had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. I started reading for pleasure, something that had not happened during the five years I was in college. It was during this time that I rediscovered the pleasure of reading a good book. I think I started keeping the list in order to help remember the books I had read.
Fast forward 4 years, and here I am still keeping lists. But now, as I am about to embark on my career as a teacher, I want to pass on my love of reading to my students and to encourage them to become avid readers. In order to do this, I have started to incorporate the child and young adult literature into my personal reading lists. The idea was not original, I borrowed it from Miller, who created in-roads with her students by reading their recommendations. Then, students were more likely to take her recommendations.
As I look around my classroom (well, my student teaching classroom) I see a lot of the students reading the SAME book or series over and over again. I want to encourage them to read a NEW book, but find that most of my suggestions are books they have already read. I have also realized that in the 20 years that have passed since I graduated from 5th grade, many new books have been published. So, I find that I don't even know the names of current books and authors. How can I recommend books to my students if I am so out of touch with their literature?
When I am a teacher, I plan to employ Miller's strategy of requiring my students to read a lot of books (I think her requirement is 40), and I want to find a tool that will help the students keep track of these books and allow them to make recommendations to their classmates. I would love to use Goodreads, but I am a little leery of using it since it requires an email address to create an account. I want to protect the students' privacy and I was so hoping to find an EDU version of Goodreads. Any suggestions??
I also plan to have my students give book talks on a rotating basis (one student each day) for the entire school year. I am working to implement this into the classroom where I currently student teach. My goal is to create a strong literacy program in my future classroom and to encourage students to become life-long readers.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Digital Citizens, Internet Safety, and Students
I was reviewing the student safety features of an educational online tool for creating digital posters called Glogster EDU, and it got me thinking about how are we (teachers) and schools preparing students to be digital citizens? At first, I thought of digital citizenship meant knowing how to keep yourself safe on the internet, but I learned that it is so much more. Citizenship is not only knowing the laws, but also participating in the society in a productive manner.
In my searching, I came across a number of curriculums that propose to teach digital citizenry over multiple units and lessons. These sites talked about not only keeping students safe by protecting the information they share online, but also how to create a secure password. The sites also contained a literacy component of teaching students how to use the internet and to be critical evaluators of the information learned there.
With this new technology comes the possibility of misuse in the form of cyberbullying and digital cheating.
As I sat reading about the depth and breadth of digital citizenship, I began to wonder how MY elementary school was handling these same issues. I know that students as young as second grade have access to laptops, but I don't know what curriculum the school has adopted to teach these students about becoming a digital person of integrity.
Prior to entering the T-Cert program, I would not have described myself as techno-savvy. In fact, I was probably more like an ostrich, burying my head and ignoring the waves of change. During the two years of classes and training for becoming a teacher, I have moved into a new technology phase. I still wouldn't describe myself as techno-savvy: I have a dumb phone, as opposed to a SMART phone; I use a PC; and I'm not a fan of blogging. BUT, I know what the SMART phones can do; I have worked on a Mac and feel comfortable; and I see the purpose of blogs and the importance of being connected to a digital community for resources and growth in my career. I have learned to embrace technology and I am excited to discover new tools, tips, and programs. And now I want to help others embrace technology, too. Unlike the rest of teaching, I think technology is an area where students are way ahead of their teachers, and I want to catch up.
In my searching, I came across a number of curriculums that propose to teach digital citizenry over multiple units and lessons. These sites talked about not only keeping students safe by protecting the information they share online, but also how to create a secure password. The sites also contained a literacy component of teaching students how to use the internet and to be critical evaluators of the information learned there.
With this new technology comes the possibility of misuse in the form of cyberbullying and digital cheating.
As I sat reading about the depth and breadth of digital citizenship, I began to wonder how MY elementary school was handling these same issues. I know that students as young as second grade have access to laptops, but I don't know what curriculum the school has adopted to teach these students about becoming a digital person of integrity.
Prior to entering the T-Cert program, I would not have described myself as techno-savvy. In fact, I was probably more like an ostrich, burying my head and ignoring the waves of change. During the two years of classes and training for becoming a teacher, I have moved into a new technology phase. I still wouldn't describe myself as techno-savvy: I have a dumb phone, as opposed to a SMART phone; I use a PC; and I'm not a fan of blogging. BUT, I know what the SMART phones can do; I have worked on a Mac and feel comfortable; and I see the purpose of blogs and the importance of being connected to a digital community for resources and growth in my career. I have learned to embrace technology and I am excited to discover new tools, tips, and programs. And now I want to help others embrace technology, too. Unlike the rest of teaching, I think technology is an area where students are way ahead of their teachers, and I want to catch up.
Area and Perimeter of Triangles and Parallelograms
Last week in the elementary school classroom, we were teaching students how to find the area and perimeter of parrallelograms. The previous week, the students had learned how to find the area of triangles: (Base x Height)/2. The textbook has the students figure out the area and then compare it to the perimeter.
The students seemed to get the formula for area for triangles. However, when we moved on to parallelograms, the students started to revert back to the length x width formula for area, using the side lengths and not the height (which results in an incorrect answer). This made me stop and wonder why we use different language for the two formulas. Why don't we just say "height" for length and "base" for width. It seems like it would help eliminate some of the problems or confusion our students now face.
The math curriculum is structured in such a way that students learn about area and perimeter of squares and rectangles first. Then, triangles and parallelograms. Students are taught to find the height of the triangle, and learn to use this measurement instead of the side length for defining area. But for some reason, when we move onto parallelograms, the students go back to using the side length. I think they do this because parallelograms look like slanted squares or rectangles, and we use the term "length" to figure the area of squares and rectangles. Students want to use the side lengths again to find area.
The textbook we used also tried to show how different shaped parallelograms could have the same area if they had the same height and base, the angle of the slant did not matter. While we proved this to the students using formulas, I think it would have been so much better if we had allowed the students to construct two parallelograms with the same height and base but different slant angles, and then cut these figures out to move the pieces around and SHOW the students that the areas are the same.
Likewise, when the textbook asked if the students could draw two non-similar parallelograms with the same side length measurements and asked if the area stayed the same, it would have been so much more powerful for the students to have constructed the shapes with paper and brass brads to see how the area visibly changes.
The students seemed to get the formula for area for triangles. However, when we moved on to parallelograms, the students started to revert back to the length x width formula for area, using the side lengths and not the height (which results in an incorrect answer). This made me stop and wonder why we use different language for the two formulas. Why don't we just say "height" for length and "base" for width. It seems like it would help eliminate some of the problems or confusion our students now face.
The math curriculum is structured in such a way that students learn about area and perimeter of squares and rectangles first. Then, triangles and parallelograms. Students are taught to find the height of the triangle, and learn to use this measurement instead of the side length for defining area. But for some reason, when we move onto parallelograms, the students go back to using the side length. I think they do this because parallelograms look like slanted squares or rectangles, and we use the term "length" to figure the area of squares and rectangles. Students want to use the side lengths again to find area.
The textbook we used also tried to show how different shaped parallelograms could have the same area if they had the same height and base, the angle of the slant did not matter. While we proved this to the students using formulas, I think it would have been so much better if we had allowed the students to construct two parallelograms with the same height and base but different slant angles, and then cut these figures out to move the pieces around and SHOW the students that the areas are the same.
Likewise, when the textbook asked if the students could draw two non-similar parallelograms with the same side length measurements and asked if the area stayed the same, it would have been so much more powerful for the students to have constructed the shapes with paper and brass brads to see how the area visibly changes.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Using Voicethread to Share Math Strategies
During my Math Methods course this quarter, I was introduced to an online tool called Voicethread. This tool allows you to upload pictures, documents, or video, and then share them with others. You can comment using audio, video, or text features, and you can allow those who you share the thread with to make these comments as well.
I played around with the tool a lot this weekend and I used it to upload a teaching video that I needed to share with some other teachers. I can see the potential to use this tool among other educators as a way to challenge ourselves on our teaching craft. I also think it could be incorporated into an upper elementary, middle or high school level for certain projects.
We used Voicethread in my Math Methods course to show how some students think about solving quick image activities. These activities have you look at a picture comprised of grouping of images and you have just 3 seconds to count the images. We did an example in my Methods course with other teacher candidates, and I was surprised at how we each looked at the problem differently. During a field day placement, we used Flip cameras to record our students' thinking and then uploaded these videos onto voicethread to share and comment on their thinking amongst ourselves.
I have not worked all the kinks out yet, but I can see that voicethread will be a powerful tool to use to reflect on my teaching. It might also provide a new technology medium to use in my classroom for homework help or instruction.
I played around with the tool a lot this weekend and I used it to upload a teaching video that I needed to share with some other teachers. I can see the potential to use this tool among other educators as a way to challenge ourselves on our teaching craft. I also think it could be incorporated into an upper elementary, middle or high school level for certain projects.
We used Voicethread in my Math Methods course to show how some students think about solving quick image activities. These activities have you look at a picture comprised of grouping of images and you have just 3 seconds to count the images. We did an example in my Methods course with other teacher candidates, and I was surprised at how we each looked at the problem differently. During a field day placement, we used Flip cameras to record our students' thinking and then uploaded these videos onto voicethread to share and comment on their thinking amongst ourselves.
I have not worked all the kinks out yet, but I can see that voicethread will be a powerful tool to use to reflect on my teaching. It might also provide a new technology medium to use in my classroom for homework help or instruction.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
2nd Grade Science Lesson - Clay Beads
Rationale:
This lesson is adapted from the FOSS kit and is a part of the Pebbles, Sand and Silt unit, which our class is currently engaged in. We were asked to teach this specific lesson, taking into account what the students have already learned thus far in this unit. At this point in the unit, students have had many observations and explorations with rocks. In this lesson they will begin to explore uses of rocks, specifically as clay. The organization of the lesson has been laid out as such to mirror the daily science routine the teacher generally follows to allow for consistency throughout the science unit.
Standards:
2-3 PS2B An object may be made from different materials. These materials give the object certain properties.
2-3 PS2A Objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, texture, and magnetism. Unknown substances can sometimes be identified by their properties.
Objectives:
1. Students will understand that clay is a soft rock made from naturally-occurring fine-grained minerals.
2. Students will understand that objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, and texture.
3. Students will understand that the properties of clay make it useful in creating beads.
Assessment of learning:
Informal:
Teachers will assess students’ understanding that objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, and texture by listening to group conversations and class discussion and listening for accurate descriptions of clay.
Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the properties of clay that make it useful in creating beads or jewelry by listening to class discussion and listening for accurate descriptions of clay properties.
Formal:
Teachers will assess students’ understanding that clay is a soft rock made from naturally-occurring fine-grained minerals by looking at students’ science journals for accurate description of the composition of clay.
Teachers will assess students’ understanding that objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, and texture by looking at students’ science journals for accurate results/data/observations in the “I LEARNED” and drawing sections of the lab form.
Instructional Strategies
Teachers will call students to their assigned seats on the carpet at about 10:50am and begin by asking the question “What do you know about rocks now that you have been studying them?” Teachers allow students to talk to a partner and then teachers call on a few students to share.
Teachers hold up a rock and ask, “Do you think this rock can be formed into another shape?” Then teachers hold up dried clay rock and ask “Do you think this rock can be formed into another shape?” After having a few students share their thoughts, teachers will reveal that the clay rock was once a soft ball of clay (and show them a soft ball of clay).
Teachers share with students that they will be working with clay on this day. Teacher will explain that clay is a soft rock, made from naturally occurring fine minerals.
Teachers read book (p. 22) about rocks in use/clay in use to emphasize use of rocks in the world. Teachers show/tell of examples of clay in use.
Teachers will introduce the clay bead experiment by explicitly telling students what they will be doing. After the instructions have been given, teachers ask students if there are any questions.
Teachers will then discuss techniques for bead making with students. These include:
If the clay starts to dry out and crack, dip your fingers in water and smooth out the cracks.
Poke a short piece of straw through the clay and leave it there. Do not take the straw out, we will be taking it out once the beads are dry.
Use the paper clip to carve shapes and lines on the clay (Paper clip instructions)
Work quickly so that the clay does not dry out.
When finished, write your name on your piece of wax paper
Teachers excuse students back to their desks to begin their science logs. Teachers pass out science logs and instruct students to place them in the back of their notebooks. Teachers walk students through filling out their experiment title, question, and prediction under the doc cam (See below).
Title: Clay Beads
Question: How are the properties of clay different when clay is hard and soft?
Prediction: Students to fill out
Materials: 1 ball of clay, 1 paper clip, water, wax paper, straw
When these areas of the science log are complete, teachers remind students that they each need to pick out a job for this experiment. Teachers pass out job tags to each table group and display the jobs and questions on the ActivBoard.
Teachers show the questions of the day on the smart board and call students attention to them.
The questions include:
Discussion leader:
What are the properties of clay before it dries?
What do we think the properties of clay are after it is dry?
Word Worm:
List at least three words your group used to describe the clay before it was dried.
Connector:
Where can we see clay used in our daily lives?
How does clay help us?
Once the jobs are selected, teachers ask the getter to get the tub supplies for the group from the back of the room. Explain that the getter will then return to the sink area and line up at the carpet line to receive cups of water from a teacher. Once the supplies are in place, the students begin creating their bead.
(Call students’ attention with science eyes). As students begin making their beads, teachers remind students to discuss the science questions up on the ActivBoard. Teachers roam the room as students are creating their beads and assist students as needed.
Teachers tell students that it is time to be finished. Teachers ask students to label their wax paper with their name and put their bead on top of the wax paper on the tray. Also, have the getters put the water back by the sink before coming to the carpet. Ask students to join teachers at the carpet.
Teachers lead a discussion with students while they are at the carpet around the questions from the ActivBoard. Teachers put up T-chart (properties of wet and properties of dry clay). Teachers record students’ observations on the ActivBoard. Teachers put up rock describing words and have students think about words to add to describe the clay.Teachers also discuss “Where can we see clay used in our daily lives?” and “How does clay help us?” (Connector questions).
Teachers as students to return to their desks. Teachers lead students in word bank discussion. Word bank words: bead, harden.
Teachers give students time to fill out the rest of their science log at their desks. Teachers remind students to draw pictures that are “Accurate, Big, Colorful, and Detailed”.
Teachers lead students in clean up of materials and collection of completed beads to the bead drying area by 11:40am.
This lesson is adapted from the FOSS kit and is a part of the Pebbles, Sand and Silt unit, which our class is currently engaged in. We were asked to teach this specific lesson, taking into account what the students have already learned thus far in this unit. At this point in the unit, students have had many observations and explorations with rocks. In this lesson they will begin to explore uses of rocks, specifically as clay. The organization of the lesson has been laid out as such to mirror the daily science routine the teacher generally follows to allow for consistency throughout the science unit.
Standards:
2-3 PS2B An object may be made from different materials. These materials give the object certain properties.
2-3 PS2A Objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, texture, and magnetism. Unknown substances can sometimes be identified by their properties.
Objectives:
1. Students will understand that clay is a soft rock made from naturally-occurring fine-grained minerals.
2. Students will understand that objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, and texture.
3. Students will understand that the properties of clay make it useful in creating beads.
Assessment of learning:
Informal:
Teachers will assess students’ understanding that objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, and texture by listening to group conversations and class discussion and listening for accurate descriptions of clay.
Teachers will assess students’ understanding of the properties of clay that make it useful in creating beads or jewelry by listening to class discussion and listening for accurate descriptions of clay properties.
Formal:
Teachers will assess students’ understanding that clay is a soft rock made from naturally-occurring fine-grained minerals by looking at students’ science journals for accurate description of the composition of clay.
Teachers will assess students’ understanding that objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, and texture by looking at students’ science journals for accurate results/data/observations in the “I LEARNED” and drawing sections of the lab form.
Instructional Strategies
Teachers will call students to their assigned seats on the carpet at about 10:50am and begin by asking the question “What do you know about rocks now that you have been studying them?” Teachers allow students to talk to a partner and then teachers call on a few students to share.
Teachers hold up a rock and ask, “Do you think this rock can be formed into another shape?” Then teachers hold up dried clay rock and ask “Do you think this rock can be formed into another shape?” After having a few students share their thoughts, teachers will reveal that the clay rock was once a soft ball of clay (and show them a soft ball of clay).
Teachers share with students that they will be working with clay on this day. Teacher will explain that clay is a soft rock, made from naturally occurring fine minerals.
Teachers read book (p. 22) about rocks in use/clay in use to emphasize use of rocks in the world. Teachers show/tell of examples of clay in use.
Teachers will introduce the clay bead experiment by explicitly telling students what they will be doing. After the instructions have been given, teachers ask students if there are any questions.
Teachers will then discuss techniques for bead making with students. These include:
If the clay starts to dry out and crack, dip your fingers in water and smooth out the cracks.
Poke a short piece of straw through the clay and leave it there. Do not take the straw out, we will be taking it out once the beads are dry.
Use the paper clip to carve shapes and lines on the clay (Paper clip instructions)
Work quickly so that the clay does not dry out.
When finished, write your name on your piece of wax paper
Teachers excuse students back to their desks to begin their science logs. Teachers pass out science logs and instruct students to place them in the back of their notebooks. Teachers walk students through filling out their experiment title, question, and prediction under the doc cam (See below).
Title: Clay Beads
Question: How are the properties of clay different when clay is hard and soft?
Prediction: Students to fill out
Materials: 1 ball of clay, 1 paper clip, water, wax paper, straw
When these areas of the science log are complete, teachers remind students that they each need to pick out a job for this experiment. Teachers pass out job tags to each table group and display the jobs and questions on the ActivBoard.
Teachers show the questions of the day on the smart board and call students attention to them.
The questions include:
Discussion leader:
What are the properties of clay before it dries?
What do we think the properties of clay are after it is dry?
Word Worm:
List at least three words your group used to describe the clay before it was dried.
Connector:
Where can we see clay used in our daily lives?
How does clay help us?
Once the jobs are selected, teachers ask the getter to get the tub supplies for the group from the back of the room. Explain that the getter will then return to the sink area and line up at the carpet line to receive cups of water from a teacher. Once the supplies are in place, the students begin creating their bead.
(Call students’ attention with science eyes). As students begin making their beads, teachers remind students to discuss the science questions up on the ActivBoard. Teachers roam the room as students are creating their beads and assist students as needed.
Teachers tell students that it is time to be finished. Teachers ask students to label their wax paper with their name and put their bead on top of the wax paper on the tray. Also, have the getters put the water back by the sink before coming to the carpet. Ask students to join teachers at the carpet.
Teachers lead a discussion with students while they are at the carpet around the questions from the ActivBoard. Teachers put up T-chart (properties of wet and properties of dry clay). Teachers record students’ observations on the ActivBoard. Teachers put up rock describing words and have students think about words to add to describe the clay.Teachers also discuss “Where can we see clay used in our daily lives?” and “How does clay help us?” (Connector questions).
Teachers as students to return to their desks. Teachers lead students in word bank discussion. Word bank words: bead, harden.
Teachers give students time to fill out the rest of their science log at their desks. Teachers remind students to draw pictures that are “Accurate, Big, Colorful, and Detailed”.
Teachers lead students in clean up of materials and collection of completed beads to the bead drying area by 11:40am.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Pentomino Lesson
Last week, I got to teach a math lesson using pentominos. In case you are not familiar, pentominos are the various shapes that result when you connect five identical square tiles along the edges. This lesson comes from the Covering and Surrounding workbook from Lappan, Fey, Fitzgerald, Friel, and Phillips. The lesson requires students to draw out all the possible pentomino shapes. To enhance this lesson, I used multicolored square tile manipulatives. The students were very engaged and enjoyed using the tiles, however, many of them quickly became more interested in building 3-D shapes with the tiles.
The point of this lesson was to highlight the differences between area and perimeter, and how the perimeter and area change when a tile is added. I think it was a great hands-on lesson to help students see how area and perimeter are connected, but not identical.
My students were able to notice patterns in how the perimeter changed when a tile was added to a particular area of the pentominos. Depending on the placement of the tile, you could increase the perimeter by 2 units or keep the perimeter the same, but increase the area by one unit.
I think this lesson was enhanced by the use of the tiles. The students could easily move these tiles around to explore the different pentomino shapes. The tiles made it easier to notice when a pentomino shape was a repeat of a previously drawn shape. I also got to see how manipulatives add to the students' understanding or help them make sense of a new concept.
The point of this lesson was to highlight the differences between area and perimeter, and how the perimeter and area change when a tile is added. I think it was a great hands-on lesson to help students see how area and perimeter are connected, but not identical.
My students were able to notice patterns in how the perimeter changed when a tile was added to a particular area of the pentominos. Depending on the placement of the tile, you could increase the perimeter by 2 units or keep the perimeter the same, but increase the area by one unit.
I think this lesson was enhanced by the use of the tiles. The students could easily move these tiles around to explore the different pentomino shapes. The tiles made it easier to notice when a pentomino shape was a repeat of a previously drawn shape. I also got to see how manipulatives add to the students' understanding or help them make sense of a new concept.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
ReThinking Addition
I have been doing a lot of thinking about math lately, specifically addition. From discussions in my Math Methods course, I am beginning to see that we all think about addition just a little bit differently. Our teacher highlights these differences by asking us to solve a problem and then probing for us to explain how we solved the problem. She is not concerned with the answer, but how we arrived at that answer.
I'll admit it has been a challenge for me to sit patiently as we painstakingly go over the problem several times. (Okay, patience and I don't have anything to do with each other in that class.) I find that I am ready to move on to the next problem after the first person describes how he/she arrived at the answer. I just check that we got the same solution and I am ready for problem #2.
What I finally realized today as we went around the room sharing how we grouped different items to count the total in less than 3 seconds was that all of us had a slightly different strategy. If you had asked me 4 weeks ago how many ways you can count to 10, I would have said, "Just one way. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10." Today, I witnessed multiple ways. Here are just a few:
3 + 3 + 4
3, 6 + 4
3 + 3 + 2 + 2
2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10
Seeing that there were many ways to solve this problem made me think back to a math interview I conducted two weeks ago with a second grade student (TS). TS told me that he added two digit numbers by starting in the tens column. When I was in elementary school, this was a complete no-no. We were forced to start with adding the ones column. I was even more shocked when TS stated, "You start with the tens; that is what my teacher said." Using his tens-column-first method, TS was able to correctly solve the problem. It made me realize that there are lots of ways to solve problems and as teachers we have to try to understand how our student are thinking about the math, which may be a little more challenging for those of us who were educated in the "old school" method.
I'll admit it has been a challenge for me to sit patiently as we painstakingly go over the problem several times. (Okay, patience and I don't have anything to do with each other in that class.) I find that I am ready to move on to the next problem after the first person describes how he/she arrived at the answer. I just check that we got the same solution and I am ready for problem #2.
What I finally realized today as we went around the room sharing how we grouped different items to count the total in less than 3 seconds was that all of us had a slightly different strategy. If you had asked me 4 weeks ago how many ways you can count to 10, I would have said, "Just one way. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10." Today, I witnessed multiple ways. Here are just a few:
3 + 3 + 4
3, 6 + 4
3 + 3 + 2 + 2
2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10
Seeing that there were many ways to solve this problem made me think back to a math interview I conducted two weeks ago with a second grade student (TS). TS told me that he added two digit numbers by starting in the tens column. When I was in elementary school, this was a complete no-no. We were forced to start with adding the ones column. I was even more shocked when TS stated, "You start with the tens; that is what my teacher said." Using his tens-column-first method, TS was able to correctly solve the problem. It made me realize that there are lots of ways to solve problems and as teachers we have to try to understand how our student are thinking about the math, which may be a little more challenging for those of us who were educated in the "old school" method.
6th Grade Reading Buddy
What have you learned about your buddy’s needs, abilities and interests?
My 6th grade buddy is an ELL student. He likes to read about dragons. He chose a book to read that is beyond his ability. He needs help selecting a just right book to read and he needs to be taught some comprehension strategies. His spelling and word-reading ability are both at grade level.
As a result of this knowledge, what learning objectives and materials are you considering using for your lesson?
For my lesson, I plan to use Tovani's book (chap. 4) as a guide. I plan to ask my student these questions:
How do you know when you are confused?
What do you do when you are confused?
Looking at his text, we'll read a passage together and then I will ask him to retell the passage and what it means. If he is unable to, then I will ask him to go back and identify where he starts to become confused. I will then provide several pages of text and ask him to highlight what he does and does not understand.
My 6th grade buddy is an ELL student. He likes to read about dragons. He chose a book to read that is beyond his ability. He needs help selecting a just right book to read and he needs to be taught some comprehension strategies. His spelling and word-reading ability are both at grade level.
As a result of this knowledge, what learning objectives and materials are you considering using for your lesson?
For my lesson, I plan to use Tovani's book (chap. 4) as a guide. I plan to ask my student these questions:
How do you know when you are confused?
What do you do when you are confused?
Looking at his text, we'll read a passage together and then I will ask him to retell the passage and what it means. If he is unable to, then I will ask him to go back and identify where he starts to become confused. I will then provide several pages of text and ask him to highlight what he does and does not understand.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Literacy Project 1 Lesson Plan
Objectives
SWBAT develop a topic in multiple paragraphs using topic sentences and supporting details.
SWBAT create descriptive sentences or edit existing sentences to make them more descriptive.
Rationale: I chose to focus this lesson on editing sentences to make them more descriptive and to add sentences which contain supporting detail (of the main topic/paragraph) because I noticed that this was an aspect missing from one student, and I think it is pertinent to the whole class.
Standards
Writing
GLE 1. The student understands and uses a writing process
1.3 Revises to improve text.
GLE 3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
3.1 Develops ideas and organizes writing.
English Language Development
• Uses descriptive sentences
• Develops a topic in multiple paragraphs using topic sentences and supporting details
• Distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant details
Materials
White board and marker (or large post-it paper) for shared all-class writing
Story or informational reading in Science, Social Studies, etc. for students to do small group shared writing (enough copies for each member of group)
Student writing journals and pencils for students to write/take notes
Instructional Strategies
This is a multi-day, multi-step, interdisciplinary lesson that works on improving writing (specifically the five paragraph essay) with regard to developing and organizing ideas, making revisions, and designing paragraphs around a central topic with supporting details.
The teacher should begin this lesson with modeling a shared writing. It would be best to choose as a topic either a book that most students have read or are familiar with (Harry Potter) or a film (age appropriate), or a reading done for Science or Social Studies class. Once you have identified the source for your shared writing, call the class to either clear their desks or come to the carpet.
The teacher will model the shared writing process for writing a five paragraph essay to answer a main question or topic by giving three reasons and finding supporting details. The teacher will model choosing a main topic for the essay. For example, in the film Finding Nemo, why does Nemo’s father travel the ocean to find his son? The teacher will then model brainstorming ideas and noting supporting facts from the film. Students will be encouraged to join in. Possibilities are: Nemo’s father loves him, Nemo’s father is scared for him, Nemo’s father would be all alone without Nemo. Then, call on students to share specific parts of the film that demonstrate Nemo’s father’s love, fear, etc. The teacher will write all the ideas on the board/poster. The teacher will organize the supporting facts into one of the three categories. Then, the teacher will model creating paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting details. The first and last paragraphs need to be clear introduction and conclusions that point to the main topic. The teacher should purposefully write several boring sentences with repeated wording.
Then, the teacher can go back through and revise some of the wording to make it more interesting, active, and engaging. The teacher should ask the students for ideas and contributions about how to make the language more exciting. Once the entire process has been modeled, tell the students they will get into groups you assign and work on this same process for the next three days during writing time. Divide up the class into small groups of 4-5 students per group. Do not ability group.
Stage 2: Students will get into small groups which the teacher assigns in order to do a shared writing on a topic of their choosing based on a reading from Science or Social Studies. The students will read the article. Then the students can talk about the reading and ask each other any clarifying questions about meaning. Then, the students can reread the article, this time highlighting important points. Then, the students will share out some of their ideas for the topic sentence or question. The students will vote on the topic they like best and begin to find supporting details. Students will need to organize the details and come up with three paragraphs supporting their main topic.
Stage 3: Students will get into their groups and revise their sentences. They need to check their word choice to ensure it is engaging. Students also need to ensure their supporting details are strong. During this time, the teacher can go around and sit in and observe the groups. The teacher may make a few suggestions, but try to defer to the group. The goal is to have students monitor their own writing. When students have their essay finished, the teacher will have a writing conference with the group to discuss their essay and see how they met the objectives.
Stage 4: Students will write their own essay. It can be based on a book or one of the articles that another group read. Give students time to brainstorm their ideas and make their points. Spend three days getting the essay down on paper. Then have students meet in paired writing conferences and get feedback. Students need to continue to edit and make changes. Students will take this writing through to publishing. Teacher can decide how to display final product in a class book, poster, or oral presentation.
Assessment
Students will be assessed by their peers for group participation (3 - helped/participated, 1 - misbehaved or did not participate)
Students will be assessed by the teacher during the small group writing conference based on participation and student contributions to the group writing (3 – student contributions noted, 1-student disengaged)
Students will be assessed on their supporting details (3 - strong, 1 - poor or weak, 9 total points)
Students will be assessed on their thoughtful revisions to make the writing engaging (3 – revisions evident, 1- some revision)
SWBAT develop a topic in multiple paragraphs using topic sentences and supporting details.
SWBAT create descriptive sentences or edit existing sentences to make them more descriptive.
Rationale: I chose to focus this lesson on editing sentences to make them more descriptive and to add sentences which contain supporting detail (of the main topic/paragraph) because I noticed that this was an aspect missing from one student, and I think it is pertinent to the whole class.
Standards
Writing
GLE 1. The student understands and uses a writing process
1.3 Revises to improve text.
GLE 3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
3.1 Develops ideas and organizes writing.
English Language Development
• Uses descriptive sentences
• Develops a topic in multiple paragraphs using topic sentences and supporting details
• Distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant details
Materials
White board and marker (or large post-it paper) for shared all-class writing
Story or informational reading in Science, Social Studies, etc. for students to do small group shared writing (enough copies for each member of group)
Student writing journals and pencils for students to write/take notes
Instructional Strategies
This is a multi-day, multi-step, interdisciplinary lesson that works on improving writing (specifically the five paragraph essay) with regard to developing and organizing ideas, making revisions, and designing paragraphs around a central topic with supporting details.
The teacher should begin this lesson with modeling a shared writing. It would be best to choose as a topic either a book that most students have read or are familiar with (Harry Potter) or a film (age appropriate), or a reading done for Science or Social Studies class. Once you have identified the source for your shared writing, call the class to either clear their desks or come to the carpet.
The teacher will model the shared writing process for writing a five paragraph essay to answer a main question or topic by giving three reasons and finding supporting details. The teacher will model choosing a main topic for the essay. For example, in the film Finding Nemo, why does Nemo’s father travel the ocean to find his son? The teacher will then model brainstorming ideas and noting supporting facts from the film. Students will be encouraged to join in. Possibilities are: Nemo’s father loves him, Nemo’s father is scared for him, Nemo’s father would be all alone without Nemo. Then, call on students to share specific parts of the film that demonstrate Nemo’s father’s love, fear, etc. The teacher will write all the ideas on the board/poster. The teacher will organize the supporting facts into one of the three categories. Then, the teacher will model creating paragraphs with topic sentences and supporting details. The first and last paragraphs need to be clear introduction and conclusions that point to the main topic. The teacher should purposefully write several boring sentences with repeated wording.
Then, the teacher can go back through and revise some of the wording to make it more interesting, active, and engaging. The teacher should ask the students for ideas and contributions about how to make the language more exciting. Once the entire process has been modeled, tell the students they will get into groups you assign and work on this same process for the next three days during writing time. Divide up the class into small groups of 4-5 students per group. Do not ability group.
Stage 2: Students will get into small groups which the teacher assigns in order to do a shared writing on a topic of their choosing based on a reading from Science or Social Studies. The students will read the article. Then the students can talk about the reading and ask each other any clarifying questions about meaning. Then, the students can reread the article, this time highlighting important points. Then, the students will share out some of their ideas for the topic sentence or question. The students will vote on the topic they like best and begin to find supporting details. Students will need to organize the details and come up with three paragraphs supporting their main topic.
Stage 3: Students will get into their groups and revise their sentences. They need to check their word choice to ensure it is engaging. Students also need to ensure their supporting details are strong. During this time, the teacher can go around and sit in and observe the groups. The teacher may make a few suggestions, but try to defer to the group. The goal is to have students monitor their own writing. When students have their essay finished, the teacher will have a writing conference with the group to discuss their essay and see how they met the objectives.
Stage 4: Students will write their own essay. It can be based on a book or one of the articles that another group read. Give students time to brainstorm their ideas and make their points. Spend three days getting the essay down on paper. Then have students meet in paired writing conferences and get feedback. Students need to continue to edit and make changes. Students will take this writing through to publishing. Teacher can decide how to display final product in a class book, poster, or oral presentation.
Assessment
Students will be assessed by their peers for group participation (3 - helped/participated, 1 - misbehaved or did not participate)
Students will be assessed by the teacher during the small group writing conference based on participation and student contributions to the group writing (3 – student contributions noted, 1-student disengaged)
Students will be assessed on their supporting details (3 - strong, 1 - poor or weak, 9 total points)
Students will be assessed on their thoughtful revisions to make the writing engaging (3 – revisions evident, 1- some revision)
Literacy Project 1 Analysis
Analysis
I based this analysis on the only writing sample that McKinley would share with me, his color poem; a short essay he wrote in October 2010 which his teacher sent to me because McKinley was hesitant to share his writing with me; and his spelling inventory.
Meaning and Ownership
McKinley willingly shared his “Green” color poem with me at our first meeting. The poem contained a number of easily recognizable green objects such as plants, grass, limes, and slime. The poem consisted of three stanzas, with 4 lines comprising each stanza. The first and third lines were to have five syllables and the second and forth lines were to have four syllables and rhyme. McKinley’s first stanza does not rhyme, and all the ending words of his last stanza rhyme but the poem seems to deviate from the green focus; the last two lines being: “Solar beam is sight, People are right!” McKinley also showed me his notes as he brainstormed for the poem and many of his ideas, such as “mint, continent, Sprite, leaves, Exit sign, aliens, and soldiers”, never made it into his final version. McKinley shared his first draft of the poem, which does not follow any of the rhyming convention, but has a much more natural flow to the writing. McKinley showed me how he separated his green brainstorm into different sensory categories, and his first draft poem paints a more robust description of green. Two of the lines that evoke this sensory expression are, “Green is lime, Green makes you cool, chill, have fun” and “Green feels like slime, Green is mint.”
McKinley was very reluctant to share any of his other writings with me, so I asked his teacher for another writing sample. I wonder what his response would have been if I had first shared with him another piece of my own writing. Routman encourages teachers to share their own writing life with their students in order to bond with the students (Writing Essentials, p.44-45). The writing sample I received from McKinley’s teacher was an essay written over three months ago. I don’t know if this is a piece that McKinley chose, or if his teacher simply passed along an old writing assignment. The piece is a five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. The piece is not titled, but the subject of the writing is “a hidden child”. I am not sure if this essay is a response to another book or an actual event. McKinley mentions a girl named Monique who “lived in five places” and he describes the difficulty of finding a hiding place. It is unclear who the hidden child is and why he or she needs to be in hiding.
Six Trait Assessment
Regarding McKinley’s “Green” poem, his brainstorm ideas were very original in that he tied color representations to the five senses. However, his final product did not incorporate many of his most creative ideas and the result was a disconnected ramble with no discernable point. His essay was centered around the topic of “a hidden child”, but McKinley failed to explain who is a hidden child. His essay left the reader with multiple questions. His writing appeared to come from some experience or personal knowledge, but he needed more detail in order to connect to his readers in a personal way.
In terms of organization, McKinley’s writing assessment essay from October is textbook. This piece of writing has a recognizable introduction and conclusion, easily identified because both are labeled. His introduction is intriguing, “What was it like to be a hidden child?” McKinley claims it was difficult or “almost impossible” and then lists his three reasons: “hunger”, moving from place to place, and finding adequate hiding places. The next three paragraphs deal with each reason in turn, showing logical sequencing. McKinley’s pacing is fairly controlled, although he could spend more time on details.
McKinley’s voice comes through loud and clear on the “hidden child” piece. He speaks directly to the reader in a compelling way in his introduction, claiming “I’ll explain everything if you read this essay.” The writer connects with his readers by offering expressive warnings in the form of multiple exclamation points, capitalized letters (“MURDERED!!!”), and lingering questions such as “what are you gonna do?”. McKinley’s voice in his “Green” poem was sacrificed to the mechanics of the poem structure and his descriptions of common-place green objects feels jumbled. His first draft of the poem has more engaging language and descriptions which point to the person behind the words.
McKinley’s word choice in his essay and poem leave room for improvement. His poem structure was repetitive and he used common-place or unimaginative words in his final draft. McKinley was able to brainstorm some creative descriptors of the color green, but sadly many of these did not make the final draft. In his essay, McKinley repeatedly used the word “difficult” to describe being a hidden child. I think McKinley’s writing would benefit from a classroom word wall (Routman, WE, p. 165) where more descriptive and active words could be modeled to replace tired or overused words. McKinley is an English language learner and so a word wall would enhance his language learning. McKinley did struggle with some language and parts of speech in his writing. McKinley used the cliché “okey dokie” which seemed out of place both with the tone of the essay and the preceding sentence.
In regards to sentence fluency, McKinley did have a cadence to his poem and his essay. He effectively varied his sentence or poetry line length, and his fragment sentences added style and voice. Indeed, there are parts of his essay that invite expressive oral reading, such as “if you hide in a bad place, uh oh! MURDERED!!!”. Many of the lines in McKinley’s first and final draft poems begin with the word “Green” which gets tedious. In his essay, McKinley opened with a question, “What was it like to be a hidden child?” and each of the following paragraphs begins by restating the question in the answer, but the phrasing is incorrect. For example, “One reason what was it like to be a hidden child is hunger.” This specific type of phrasing error seems common among English language learners.
I was pleasantly surprised by some of the writing conventions that McKinley used in his essay. He effectively manipulated conventions for style and to show voice. McKinley successfully organized his paragraphs around a main point and his paragraph breaks were appropriately used. His essay had just one spelling error. Ending punctuation and beginning sentence capitalization were used correctly most of the time. McKinley did struggle with grammar mistakes and these mistakes affected meaning, which was distracting. McKinley’s poem also contained just one spelling error, “sabre” for saber; but he correctly used parenthesis and punctuation. McKinley’s attention to punctuation conventions helps the reader; without the consistent use of capitals and punctuation his writing would be terribly confusing as Routman explains in Writing Essentials (p. 161).
Spelling Development
McKinley completed the Elementary Spelling Inventory on January 13, 2011. He spelled 20 of the 25 words correctly. His five spelling errors were “shoping” (shopping), “caddle” (cattle), “seller” (cellar), “fortunite” (fortunate), and “opizition” (opposition). Since McKinley is an ELL student, I was impressed with his spelling ability. He correctly spelled “civilize”, “pleasure”, and “confident” which were among the more challenging words on the list. McKinley made only one spelling mistake in his color poem and one mistake in his essay (“excape” for escape). Based on McKinley’s misspellings, I would classify him to be in the Syllables and Affixes spelling stage. A majority of his misspellings took place somewhere in the middle of the words, not at the beginning or end. Another thing to note with his misspellings is that they can be pronounced similarly, if not identically, to the correct word, with the exception of “shoping”. I anticipate McKinley’s spelling to improve as he learns about bases and root words, and the various affixes that can be attached to these base/root words.
I based this analysis on the only writing sample that McKinley would share with me, his color poem; a short essay he wrote in October 2010 which his teacher sent to me because McKinley was hesitant to share his writing with me; and his spelling inventory.
Meaning and Ownership
McKinley willingly shared his “Green” color poem with me at our first meeting. The poem contained a number of easily recognizable green objects such as plants, grass, limes, and slime. The poem consisted of three stanzas, with 4 lines comprising each stanza. The first and third lines were to have five syllables and the second and forth lines were to have four syllables and rhyme. McKinley’s first stanza does not rhyme, and all the ending words of his last stanza rhyme but the poem seems to deviate from the green focus; the last two lines being: “Solar beam is sight, People are right!” McKinley also showed me his notes as he brainstormed for the poem and many of his ideas, such as “mint, continent, Sprite, leaves, Exit sign, aliens, and soldiers”, never made it into his final version. McKinley shared his first draft of the poem, which does not follow any of the rhyming convention, but has a much more natural flow to the writing. McKinley showed me how he separated his green brainstorm into different sensory categories, and his first draft poem paints a more robust description of green. Two of the lines that evoke this sensory expression are, “Green is lime, Green makes you cool, chill, have fun” and “Green feels like slime, Green is mint.”
McKinley was very reluctant to share any of his other writings with me, so I asked his teacher for another writing sample. I wonder what his response would have been if I had first shared with him another piece of my own writing. Routman encourages teachers to share their own writing life with their students in order to bond with the students (Writing Essentials, p.44-45). The writing sample I received from McKinley’s teacher was an essay written over three months ago. I don’t know if this is a piece that McKinley chose, or if his teacher simply passed along an old writing assignment. The piece is a five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. The piece is not titled, but the subject of the writing is “a hidden child”. I am not sure if this essay is a response to another book or an actual event. McKinley mentions a girl named Monique who “lived in five places” and he describes the difficulty of finding a hiding place. It is unclear who the hidden child is and why he or she needs to be in hiding.
Six Trait Assessment
Regarding McKinley’s “Green” poem, his brainstorm ideas were very original in that he tied color representations to the five senses. However, his final product did not incorporate many of his most creative ideas and the result was a disconnected ramble with no discernable point. His essay was centered around the topic of “a hidden child”, but McKinley failed to explain who is a hidden child. His essay left the reader with multiple questions. His writing appeared to come from some experience or personal knowledge, but he needed more detail in order to connect to his readers in a personal way.
In terms of organization, McKinley’s writing assessment essay from October is textbook. This piece of writing has a recognizable introduction and conclusion, easily identified because both are labeled. His introduction is intriguing, “What was it like to be a hidden child?” McKinley claims it was difficult or “almost impossible” and then lists his three reasons: “hunger”, moving from place to place, and finding adequate hiding places. The next three paragraphs deal with each reason in turn, showing logical sequencing. McKinley’s pacing is fairly controlled, although he could spend more time on details.
McKinley’s voice comes through loud and clear on the “hidden child” piece. He speaks directly to the reader in a compelling way in his introduction, claiming “I’ll explain everything if you read this essay.” The writer connects with his readers by offering expressive warnings in the form of multiple exclamation points, capitalized letters (“MURDERED!!!”), and lingering questions such as “what are you gonna do?”. McKinley’s voice in his “Green” poem was sacrificed to the mechanics of the poem structure and his descriptions of common-place green objects feels jumbled. His first draft of the poem has more engaging language and descriptions which point to the person behind the words.
McKinley’s word choice in his essay and poem leave room for improvement. His poem structure was repetitive and he used common-place or unimaginative words in his final draft. McKinley was able to brainstorm some creative descriptors of the color green, but sadly many of these did not make the final draft. In his essay, McKinley repeatedly used the word “difficult” to describe being a hidden child. I think McKinley’s writing would benefit from a classroom word wall (Routman, WE, p. 165) where more descriptive and active words could be modeled to replace tired or overused words. McKinley is an English language learner and so a word wall would enhance his language learning. McKinley did struggle with some language and parts of speech in his writing. McKinley used the cliché “okey dokie” which seemed out of place both with the tone of the essay and the preceding sentence.
In regards to sentence fluency, McKinley did have a cadence to his poem and his essay. He effectively varied his sentence or poetry line length, and his fragment sentences added style and voice. Indeed, there are parts of his essay that invite expressive oral reading, such as “if you hide in a bad place, uh oh! MURDERED!!!”. Many of the lines in McKinley’s first and final draft poems begin with the word “Green” which gets tedious. In his essay, McKinley opened with a question, “What was it like to be a hidden child?” and each of the following paragraphs begins by restating the question in the answer, but the phrasing is incorrect. For example, “One reason what was it like to be a hidden child is hunger.” This specific type of phrasing error seems common among English language learners.
I was pleasantly surprised by some of the writing conventions that McKinley used in his essay. He effectively manipulated conventions for style and to show voice. McKinley successfully organized his paragraphs around a main point and his paragraph breaks were appropriately used. His essay had just one spelling error. Ending punctuation and beginning sentence capitalization were used correctly most of the time. McKinley did struggle with grammar mistakes and these mistakes affected meaning, which was distracting. McKinley’s poem also contained just one spelling error, “sabre” for saber; but he correctly used parenthesis and punctuation. McKinley’s attention to punctuation conventions helps the reader; without the consistent use of capitals and punctuation his writing would be terribly confusing as Routman explains in Writing Essentials (p. 161).
Spelling Development
McKinley completed the Elementary Spelling Inventory on January 13, 2011. He spelled 20 of the 25 words correctly. His five spelling errors were “shoping” (shopping), “caddle” (cattle), “seller” (cellar), “fortunite” (fortunate), and “opizition” (opposition). Since McKinley is an ELL student, I was impressed with his spelling ability. He correctly spelled “civilize”, “pleasure”, and “confident” which were among the more challenging words on the list. McKinley made only one spelling mistake in his color poem and one mistake in his essay (“excape” for escape). Based on McKinley’s misspellings, I would classify him to be in the Syllables and Affixes spelling stage. A majority of his misspellings took place somewhere in the middle of the words, not at the beginning or end. Another thing to note with his misspellings is that they can be pronounced similarly, if not identically, to the correct word, with the exception of “shoping”. I anticipate McKinley’s spelling to improve as he learns about bases and root words, and the various affixes that can be attached to these base/root words.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Math Facts
This past week we had to write our Math Autobiography. I don't remember much about learning math in elementary school or what I thought about math. I know in high school I came to really enjoy math.
My one memory of math from my younger years involves my Grandma. She lived in a different state and so we did not see her often. One time she came to visit and she brought my brothers and I a folder she had created of math fact flash cards. She had little pockets to put the cards in for each number from 1-12. She had taken time to laminate each card and the whole folder so it would not get worn from use. I cannot tell you how much I HATED that folder. I thought grandmas were supposed to spoil you or take you out to places like the zoo. My Grandma obviously did not understand what being a grandma was all about. She viewed her visits to see her grandkids as an opportunity to quiz them on their math facts. I remember wishing she would leave, but feeling guilty for doing so.
I know my math facts to this day, and I don't know how much of it had to do with my Grandma's visits. Even though I hated them at the time, I am so glad that she instilled in me the importance of learning math.
My one memory of math from my younger years involves my Grandma. She lived in a different state and so we did not see her often. One time she came to visit and she brought my brothers and I a folder she had created of math fact flash cards. She had little pockets to put the cards in for each number from 1-12. She had taken time to laminate each card and the whole folder so it would not get worn from use. I cannot tell you how much I HATED that folder. I thought grandmas were supposed to spoil you or take you out to places like the zoo. My Grandma obviously did not understand what being a grandma was all about. She viewed her visits to see her grandkids as an opportunity to quiz them on their math facts. I remember wishing she would leave, but feeling guilty for doing so.
I know my math facts to this day, and I don't know how much of it had to do with my Grandma's visits. Even though I hated them at the time, I am so glad that she instilled in me the importance of learning math.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Google Docs
I just spent the past two hours working in and with Google Docs, so I thought I should take a minute to describe my experience here. First, let me say that I am a big fan of this technology. It allows you to create a document, spreadsheet, or presentation which can then be shared among other users whom you select. I have worked on Google docs that others have created, but I had never before created one on my own. I like the automatic save feature, and the fact that you can see who else is editing the document at the same time. I think Google Docs is especially helpful for group projects - no more saving and renaming so you know you are working with the latest version. I can see how introducing this technology in the classroom would be helpful for students, especially students who have to work together on group projects. My vote is two thumbs up!
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