1.
Describe
your target area for guided lead teaching.
2.
Approximately
how much time per day is allotted for your instruction in this area?
3.
Which
Common Core State Standard(s) will you work toward?
4.
How
will teaching in this target area provide opportunities for students to learn important content and/or
skills that relate to their lives?
In what ways does this learning include learning literacy, learning about literacy, and/or learning
through literacy?
5.
What
types of classroom talk take place within this target area? To what extent is
the talk teacher-led, student-led, or focused on higher-level thinking? What
norms for interaction would you like to build within your classroom as you
teach in this target area (e.g., see ideas in Chapter 6 of Strategies that Work, the Berne & Clark 2008
article, or draw from some of the readings done in TE 402 on classroom talk)?
6.
Which
‘core practice’ do you want to work on developing/improving as you teach in
this target area (refer to document “Resources for Developing Core Practices”)?
How will focusing on this core practice contribute to your own professional
learning?
7.
What
resources within the community, neighborhood, school district, school or
classroom do you have to work with in this target area?
8.
What
additional resources do you need to obtain?
9.
How
will you pre-assess your students in your target area?
10. What else will you need to find out
about all students in your class to help you develop lesson plans for your
Guided Lead Teaching?
11. What else do you need/want to learn
about the ‘core practice’ to support your planning and teaching?
What concerns,
if any, do you have about planning and teaching your unit
This is going to be really long and I don't know how to shorten it!
ReplyDelete1.In a literacy unit based on Charlotte’s Web the target areas being focused on comprehension instruction, learning comprehension strategy instructions, acquiring vocabulary, and writing instruction.
2.On average about 30 minutes a day will be given for the unit over the course of approximately 3 weeks.
3. The standards that will be worked towards are
• 3RL.1,3RL.2, 3RL.3, 3RL.5
• 3RF.3, 3RF.4
• 3W.4
• 3SL.1, 3SL.3, 3SL.6
4. Charlotte’s Web is a relatively long novel, which offers opportunity for each chapter to focus on a different target area. Chapter one can offer students the opportunity to word on comprehension strategies, chapter two could offer students the opportunity to continue working on strategies for comprehension but advancing their vocabulary. Chapter 3 can work on writing instruction. The entire novel can offer explicit instruction while offering students the chance to respond to the reading. This all encompasses their vocabulary with can be tranferred to other subject areas.
5.The conversations in the classroom will be a combination. I would like the classroom to be able to function with teacher generated questions and student responses in some orderly interaction. This would be an opportunity to introduce students to a discussion slowly and hopefully ending with a full on student-led discussion of the chapter. The teacher would think of questions for higher thinking to get students to think outside of just Charlotte’s Web
6.I would like to work on responding to reading; developing communication about readings and writing thoughts out as well as creating meaningful writing within writing instruction. I will get inside experience about having students work on discussions as well as writing in response to reading. It is good to see how long it may take for 3rd graders to master discussion as well as meaningful writing where they can find connections.
7.I am going to use the book Charlotte’s Web. I have access to any paper or creative “fuel” I would need to make the lesson a success as far as school supplies goes. I do not believe it takes much more than a book, paper, and pencil for students to learn!
8.Unknown at the time.
9.I will use the students MAP scores to gauge their current capability with a lesson and to gauge whether students would need small group work or partner work.
10.I will need to know what students work well together and which students need to be watched closely. I will also need to know what student can work more independently.
11.When I start in depth writing my lesson plan I will know, for the meantime, I can’t think of anything I am questioning about the core practices.
12. My students have trouble with being kind to each other, supporting each other, and not having side conversations/focusing. I am worried that my students will take too long to full grasp the idea of a discussion and will have to resort to plain old question and answer.
The ideas of using Charlotte's Web are really creative. It's a really great idea to break down the book to help students create all of the different common core standards. This works so well as it is with a book the students are familiar with and can make more connections with it. It's important to think of more constraints or issues that might happen while making the lesson plan to make sure that all of the supplies are at hand for the students. It's really good that you're focusing on the students social skills and what might happen if you give them to the students before they are ready to participate.
DeleteAllison, I love your response to #7 (the last sentence you wrote). There is so much truth to your statement! I agree that novels are great to teach a variety of strategies. Will each student have their own book? My advice for your concerns is to not resort to teacher led question/answer. Keep your expectations high, knowing that students need to learn how to be discussion participants- even if it's the only goal you accomplish by the end of the unit, it's a HUGE accomplishment!
Delete1.In looking at Text Structure and Sequencing, I will focus on Comprehension Strategy Instruction and Assessment. The core practice that I will focus on is determining importance in text.
ReplyDelete2. There is at least 35 minutes a day to work on mini lessons or reading. On Mondays there is a hour in the morning and an hour at the end of the day to work on writing. Tuesdays have 35 minutes in the morning with a break of KINETICS and then Independent or Guided Reading after for an hour and 20 minutes. Wednesdays have 35 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon for “read alouds.” Thursdays have 35 minutes for a mini lesson with an hour and 20 minutes for Independent or Guided Reading. Friday has a hour for readers workshop followed by 25 minutes for Writers Workshop.
3. RL 3.3 - I can describe characters and their actions in stories.
RL 3.5 - I can tell the parts of a text using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza and describe how each part builds on earlier parts.
RL 3.8 - I can describe how a text is organized. Examples include comparison, cause/effect, and sequence.
4.The idea behind teaching the Hero Cycle is to help students see a pattern in text. The idea is to show that books are organized in a particular way will help the students further their reading comprehension.
5. In the beginning there will be much more teacher-led talk as the idea of the hero cycle is introduced. It would begin with a read aloud and then students will eventually have the chance to discuss the ideas of a hero cycle on their own. As of now there isn’t a lot of student discussion with their readers workshop and I would like to try to create a time after their reading to discuss what they have read a little more.
6. Comprehension Strategy Instruction - Determining importance in text - One of the core practices that I lacked was the idea of building a students comprehension. Many times the main focus was on phonics or learning to read instead of looking at the students comprehending what they were reading. I think now is an important time to look at the different ways in which students are taught strategy in reading as this is something that I have not been able to experience before.
7. Some of the teacher resources include Serafini’s, Around the Readers Workshop in 180 Days and Lessons in Comprehension. These books help create a deeper understanding on teaching reading strategies to students. It also has many different book ideas for different comprehension strategies that can come in hand.
8. Other resources that I still need to obtain would include the other books to create different examples in reading comprehension. As well as other books that would meet the needs of lower level readers and other ways to help readers.
9. One way to pre-assess the students to see if they find a pattern in books would be to feel them out with their discussions, or prewriting. My mentor teacher and I are still talking about this.
10. We are still working through testing the students in the DRA’s and it would be important to get a feel for how many of the students already understand some reading comprehension strategies. If I get a sense of where the students are then it’s easier to judge on what to base the lessons around.
11. I feel that it is important to look at all of the possible ways to teach determining the importance of text to students. There are many ways including different graphic organizers, as well as guided readings, and I feel that there are more possibilities to teaching these ideas instead of what the curriculum prefers.
12. I haven’t been able to experience with reading comprehension, and only really have one opinion on the best ways to teach them. One of my biggest concerns is being able to fully engage the students on some things that I haven’t been experienced with yet.
I really like the way that you were honest about the comprehension of your students and the importance of a text. I like that you were honest about your lack of experience with teaching comprehension and knowing the areas you need to work on. The only thing as a reader that I would like more detail on is the hero cycle (you verbally expressed it to me, but you didn't write it which might be helpful). You did really well with assessing what materials you need and what pre-assesments you would need to acquire before beginning your unit of teaching.
DeleteDanielle, I like that you have chosen a core practice out of your comfort zone. The hero unit should be fun, which will hopefully easy your trepidations. I also love that you plan to promote more discussions. Will the students have already done any other fable or fairy tale units with patterns/cycles (this year or last year)? This will help you determine how much explicit teaching will be needed at the beginning.
DeleteHey Danielle,
DeleteI wanted to especially comment on comprehension and your discussion. Chapter 3 is very handy for this and I think it would be very beneficial to teach "with an end in mind" according to the text. What they say is that getting to a full blown discussion is a gradual release which we already are aware of. We can't expect the students to be perfect first time out. But building up comprehension to the discussion can be helpful. Listening to what the kids are saying and thinking and maybe making a physical chart with the kids to help them see other students response on paper (or computer) rather then talking to them. This way, in a conversation, they can have something to refer back to. If students are way off base, try thinking of another way to assess what you are trying to get through to the students. Is there another way to teach what you want? I would say finding out their thoughts though to help gear you in the direction you want to go may be helpful. Make sure to record what they are saying somehow too for both you and them!
1. Describe your target area for guided lead teaching:
ReplyDeleteReading Street: Unit 2 Weeks 4 and 5.
Big Ideas: plurals, plural nouns that change spelling, possessive nouns, fluency accuracy, compare and contrast, cause and effect, story structure, express characterization.
2. Approximately how much time per day is allotted for your instruction in this area?
9:30-10:15 and 10:45-11:45
3. Which Common Core State Standard(s) will you work toward?
I will not necessarily be working towards all of the standards explicitly, but these standards are all applicable within my curriculum responsibility.
• 1b I can use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns. (L 1b-1)
• 2c I can use apostrophes in possessives. (L 2c-2)
• 3f I can read second grade sight words. (RF 3f-1)
• 4a I can read second grade text with purpose and understanding. (RF 4a-1)
• 4b I can read second grade text aloud with accuracy, expression, and appropriate rate. (RF 4b-1)
• 3 I can describe how characters respond to events in a story. (RL 3-1)
• 6 I can describe when there are different characters telling a story. (RL 6-1)
• 6 I can use different voices for different characters when reading aloud. (RL 6-2)
• 7 I can use illustrations to describe a story’s characters. (RL 7-1)
• 5 I can explain the structure and its purpose in a story. (RL 5-1)
• 9 I can compare and contrast two versions of the same story. (RL 9-1)
4. How will teaching in this target area provide opportunities for students to learn important content and/or skills that relate to their lives? In what ways does this learning include learning literacy, learning about literacy, and/or learning through literacy?
• Comparing and contrasting skills in particular are important critical thinking strategies that will help students develop into positively contributing voters and members of society.
• In their current lives, students will be able to search for deeper meaning in text and insert more of their own personal background knowledge and experiences. My students will be moving beyond the basic development of their fluency skills and will begin to be able to relate to the things that they are reading in a more enjoyable way.
5. What types of classroom talk take place within this target area? To what extent is the talk teacher-led, student-led, or focused on higher-level thinking? What norms for interaction would you like to build within your classroom as you teach in this target area (e.g., see ideas in Chapter6 of Strategies that Work, the Berne & Clark 2008 article, or draw from some of the readings done in TE 402 on classroom talk)?
• My lessons will incorporate portions of student-led and teacher-led activities. Students will need to be able to complete the process of a discussion in a respectful and thoughtful way. Students need practice listening and responding to each other’s thoughts and ideas as opposed to just the teacher’s.
6. Which ‘core practice’ do you want to work on developing/improving as you teach in this target area (refer to document “Resources for Developing Core Practices”)? How will focusing on this core practice contribute to your own professional learning?
• I want to practice facilitating guided interactive discussions. I would like to establish the most effective method for discussion within the age-range without over-inserting myself in the discussion. I to better my ability to see how capable students really are of having a discussion.
ReplyDelete7. What resources within the community, neighborhood, school district, school or classroom do you have to work with in this target area?
• We will use our Reading Street books. Each story goes along with specific targeted areas. Students will also be able to use the school media center to check-out books and further their interest in reading.
• We have an in-class reading nook as an academic reward for positive development in literacy.
8. What additional resources do you need to obtain?
• None that I am aware of at this time…. I am sure things will come up as I am further into the planning stage.
9. How will you pre-assess your students in your target area?
• Students have been assessed using a standard RTI based assessment that measures fluency. I am able to see how the students compare to each other and other second graders.
• I have had one-on-one read-alouds with every student and have taken notes on their specific areas of strength and need.
• The second grade will soon be assessing comprehension using an agreed upon assessment, (to be decided).
10. What else will you need to find out about all students in your class to help you develop lesson plans for your Guided Lead Teaching?
• I would like to continue to evaluate their writing skills to gain a better understanding of their abilities to comprehend and synthesize information.
• I want to try-out different seating arrangements over the next few weeks to observe how certain students are interacting with each other.
11. What else do you need/want to learn about the ‘core practice’ to support your planning and teaching?
• I want to re-read CH 3 of Strategies That Work and conference with my mentor teacher to see what her techniques are within this practice.
• I want to watch videos exemplifying guided interactive discussion within a second grade class.
12. What concerns, if any, do you have about planning and teaching your unit?
• I want to be able to cover this material in a meaningful way and I am concerned that I will over-plan. There is a lot of content here, and I would like to be able to explicitly teach one goal at a time.
• I think I could benefit from having a practice session with my fellow interns.
Sorry for the double post... it wouldn't fit in the box lol
ReplyDeleteAmber, looks like you are on the right track. Nice work! I like your plan to rearrange students' seats. This will be good for your own informal assessing but also so students can get new ideas from others. It looks like you have some great pre-assessments to guide your instruction. I understand your concern for over-planning. I think all teachers are guilty of it! However, you will get a lot of feedback from me, your colleagues in class, your MT and your field instructor before you start teaching the unit. We will help to ensure you have clear objectives that can be taught and (most importantly) learned in two weeks.
DeleteMs. Wanlass, I think your pick for core practice development is interesting! I am excited to see if your second graders respond to your discussion. Looking at chapter 3 of Strategies that work, I have the following suggestion: With kids so young, you are definitely going to need to model how to have a discussion. Then you might find a topic all the students know a lot about (maybe a book or movie or telly show) then you might get them to fish bowl it for the class, giving suggestions where needed. Then they might be ready to have a discussion where you could fade to the background. Good luck!
DeleteSorry if the format is a bit wonky. :(
ReplyDelete1. Reading Street Unit 1, Week 4: A Walk in the Desert, Unit 6, Week 4: Cowboys. My MT is jumping around in the reading street curriculum sort-of in themes, hence the distance between the two units.
2. Our literacy block is 9:30 – 10:15, 10:50-11:50
3. Both of these selections are informational texts, so the following could apply:
1 I can ask questions (5 W’s and How) about important details in a text.
(RI 1-1)
1 I can answer questions (5W’s and How) to show I understand important details
in a text (RI 1-2)
2 I can identify the main topic of a text and/or paragraphs within a text. (RI 2-1)
4. We’ve noticed some students read well, but they do not comprehend what they’ve read. If they can remember and bring out the important details (who, what, where, when, why, how), that’s something that the students will be using any time they read any type of text.
5. I would like a healthy combination of teacher-led and student participation. I would hope that later next month, the students would be better able to handle a discussion. Currently, it is still hard for them to not all start calling out of turn. But we have been consistent with our consequences when they do call out, so I think by mid-October, the class would be better able to have such a discussion.
6. I would develop thinking aloud. We have had limited practice with this in fiction stories, so I would like to develop students’ ability to think aloud during informational texts.
7. We will be using the text right out of Reading Street. Additionally, we will pre-select some books from the school library to go along with the themes and have them available in our classroom library. I find that students really enjoy reading more about what we talk about and often pull out these books during independent reading.
8. One resource I definitely plan on using as I plan is my MT. Her knowledge of the flow of Reading Street will be invaluable, especially since there is so much information and I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all.
9. We spoke recently in our RTI data meeting that the standardized tests for second grade measure only fluency and make no measure of comprehension. They used to used Gates (?) to measure that, but no longer. I could always pull out an informational text out of my QRI book and administer it to every student, using the comprehension questions at the end to pre-assess the students.
10. I’ve interviewed each student in my class in a one-on-one setting, asking them about their likes/dislikes. I also know from three weeks of observation which students will need more time to complete activities and which one is ELL and will need some help reading.
11. While I can’t think of anything at this time, I’m sure I will have questions when I’m planning out the lesson.
12. None right now.
Brittaney, it looks like you have done some important pre-assessing. The self-interest surveys will be valuable to help you pull other informational texts you know they will like. If there isn't time to do formal reading assessments between now and the beginning of your unit, try taking anecdotal records or having brief reading conferences with the students. You will mainly need to know the range of student levels you have so you can plan for differentiation of instruction.
ReplyDeleteBrittaney, I can't wait to experience the planning process with you! I really like your ideas and I think you did a good job of being clear and concise.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that you would like to implement "thinking aloud" as one of your core practices. I think this is a wonderful idea and a really positive step towards development thoughtful literacy discussions. I referred back to CH 1 from "Strategies That Work," (Reading is Thinking) for additional information on this topic. Knowing that your students may not have much practice with this technique, I am sure that you will have to make an effort to explicitly teach the process of thinking aloud. Don't be hesitant to dedicate a larger chunk of time in order to establish the expectations and practices for this technique; it will pay off later! You can definitely model this process for your students easily. The lesson that Kay did about metacognition is a great jumping off point to build from. You can connect her "thinking salad" to thinking aloud! Way to go Hawk!