Chapter 11: Developing Content Area Writers

I cannot express the importance of preparation and variety when giving writing assignments. I liked how Conley gives a variety of organization techniques throughout the chapter. I kept thinking of how useful many of those would have been when I was in high school.

The teacher would give the class a writing assignment, and she would expect us to immediately jump into writing the rough draft. The teacher never taught us how to organize our thoughts and prepare to write. The teacher never set aside time for quickwrites or brainstorming, which have proven throughout my college career to be helpful and necessary.

Another thought that came to mind when reading the chapter was how my teacher always "stuck with" that same writing formula and never allowed us as students to deviate from it. I can remember thinking to myself, "There has to be another way; one that does not put this much pressure on us." I know that I felt hindered with no writing style options, and I know now that it hurt me when I began writing in college because different content areas may require different styles and formats.

It is important as a classroom teacher to expose students to variety and teach them how to organize their writing as well. That is the one promise that I have made to myself as a teacher because I feel like that is what should have been done for me.

Chapter 7: Activating Prior Knowledge and Increasing Motivation

(p. 192) “Motivation can be deeply connected to students’ prior experiences with success and failure.”

The ability to motivate a student is an essential skill for all teachers. If a student is motivated, he/she will make an honest effort on the task that the teacher has assigned. If a student is bored and unmotivated, the student will not want to make that effort. For a teacher to be able to successfully motivate students, he/she must know the students and show care and concern for the students. Sadly, the classroom is the only source of positive structure for many students, and the teacher is the only positive role model. Effective motivation is the backbone of the most successful classrooms.

(p. 203) “Not every student will be motivated in quite the same way.”

Every student enters the classroom with a broad range of knowledge and experiences. They have different interests and different ways of learning. The motivation that is so key to classroom success needs to be applied in a way so as to work for the class as a whole. The teacher can find a general area of interest related to the lesson to be taught and use that to motivate the students and activate prior knowledge. One of the most successful ways to motivate all students is for the teacher to show enthusiasm his or herself.

(p. 201) KWL Charts

KWL charts are simple ways in which teachers can activate prior knowledge. I personally like KWL charts because they can be used for any subject area and for any topic. They can also be used in any grade level.

Sample Lesson Plan

So, I am not sure if I have done this correctly, but here is my sample lesson plan using the template on page 160.

Curriculum Standard
5th Grade Science 3: Predict characteristics, structures, life cycles, environments, evolution, and diversity of organisms.
a) Compare and contrast the diversity of organisms due to adaptations to show
how organisms have evolved as a result of environmental changes. (DOK 2)
• Diversity based on kingdoms, phyla, and classes (e.g., internal/external
structure, body temperature, size, shape)
• Adaptations that increase an organism’s chances to survive and
reproduce in a particular habitat (e.g., cacti needles/leaves, fur/scales)

Big Idea: There are subtypes of species, and each subtype exhibits characteristics which help them adapt to their environment.

Preparation

• Ask the students if they are familiar with the term subtype, or subspecies.
• Define the term(s) if they are unfamiliar.
• Use the trade book Deer, Elk, Moose, and Caribou as a visual representation of the term.

• Discuss how the different types of deer have traits that help them adapt to their environment. Some questions would be: 1) Why would a white-tailed deer not neet a thick coat of fur, as the moose does, to survive in its common environment? 2) Caribou have wide hooves that help them trek through snow. Do you think that they would be as successful without this trait?

Guidance

• The teacher will assist students in making a list of animals that contain a subspecies, or subtype.
• The teacher will assist students in listing the traits that each animal has in common and list those traits that differ, thus helping the animal adapt to its environment.
• The teacher will explain the big idea to the students using the guidance activity as a reference.
• The teacher will ask the students if they need any clarification before proceeding to the introduction of scientific classification.

Application

• Introduce classification of species.
• Examine how scientists classify animals.
  

Chapter 5: Understanding and Using Texts

"Any discussion of texts and their nature and complexity needs to begin with the motivation, knowledge, and experiences that students bring to texts." (pg. 126) Many teachers miss out on this aspect when choosing texts for their students to use. I can remember many textbooks and other types of literature that my teachers had chosen, particularly high school literature. Many of the stories were boring and long, and she still expected the entire class of 9th grade to read them in their entirety and remember every detail. Needless to say that did not happen. Teachers need to remain "tuned in" to the general interests of their students when formulating assignments that use any type of text. If the students aren't interested, they will be more likely to cut corners and possibly not meet the objective that the teacher had in mind.

"Digital texts" (pg. 132) I never had much experience with digital texts when I was in elementary and even high school. I think digital texts can be wonderful and engaging resources for students. The website http://www.brainpop.com is a wonderful resource for both students and teachers. Payment is required for complete access, but there are some free resources and samples available. The site covers all major subject areas, with facts, videos, and games under each. This is a great site for teachers to obtain supplemental materials and gain ideas for lesson plans. I would definitely recommend purchasing this site for our classrooms in the future.

Page 153 discusses a few of the challenges that students face when dealing with texts. I think one of the biggest challenges is that many students do not know how to use textbooks. Students must first know how to read certain textbooks. Then, students must be taught how to look up needed information in places such as an index or glossary. Sometimes teachers may take for granted that students already know how to perform these seemingly simple tasks, especially in the upper grades. This is another instance where students' prior experiences must be considered.

Ch. 4 Ongoing Assessment

This chapter discusses numerous types of assessments that teachers use to monitor student progress. The three main types of assessments mentioned were classroom tests, state assessments, and standardized tests. The chapter also discusses ways in which to use assessments to motivate students.

Classroom tests/assessments are the most common type. These can include anything from teacher-made unit exams to teacher observation notes to rubrics. Teachers can use observation notes and conversations to motivate students to use what they already know to construct new ideas. Teachers can also implement interest inventories (such as the ones we must use in clinicals) to find out what their students already know.

Classroom tests/assessments makes me think of authentic assessments, as discussed in CIE 343 last semester. Ms. Beavers stressed the importance of creating assessments that encourage students to think critically and that involve solving real-life problems. My personal opinion is that authentic assessments measure students' knowledge of what they already know. They give students the freedom to use what they know and be creative in producing the product that the teacher is looking for (if that makes any sense, lol.)

State assessments and standardized tests tend to go hand in hand in my thought process. I think of the term "high stakes" as mentioned in the text. I also think of the No Child Left Behind policies that were discussed in Chapter 1. How can standardized tests/assessments results depict accurate success rates when each student is unique and may have special needs that affect their test performance?

Multiple Literacies

The Internet is probably my main form of communication. I make much use of my e-mail and my Facebook accounts. I use my e-mail to communicate with professors and receive materials for classes. I use Facebook to keep in touch with many of my friends. I also like to use Facebook as a way to express who I am. Many of my friends would say that the way I express myself online is the same way that I express myself in person.

My second form of communcation (or should I say "literacy") is my cell phone. I love actually talking to family and friends. I used to have text messaging, which I used constantly. I had it removed, and when I did, I realized just how useful it was to have. I am currently considering adding back to my services, though I do prefer having an actual conversation with people.

There are many other "literacies" that I make use of. For instance, I like to read books that I find interesting. I love listening to music and singing (though you probably do not want to hear me sing, lol). Also, as I previously stated, I prefer having real conversations with people.