Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Chapters 6 & 7
Chapter 6 discusses Lesson Design while Chapter 7 builds on this idea to Assessment, Reflections, and Next Steps. Try using Miller's Lesson Design in something you are teaching in the next few days. Then fill out the chart for yourself on p. 103 (Reflections/Next Steps). Blog about your success with this this lesson design (or ways you could have improved if it wasn't successful-remember this is a safe place-we are all learners here!). Discuss your reflection/next steps. . .
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I used this lesson design for a lesson about camels. The students and I worked together to complete a KWL chart about camels. I gave students individual sticky notes to write down what they knew about camels as well as what they wanted to learn. We then read an article in a magazine about camels and recorded what we learned. I think this lesson could have been made more successful by having other reading materials available to students to help answer questions that they had "W"anted to learn about but wasn't found in the particular article we read.
ReplyDeleteThis lesson design was used while learning about ponds.I introduced the KWL chart to the students and using information about ponds we completed a KWL chart together. Students jotted down what they knew about ponds and what they wanted to learn. We read text in a magazine about ponds and animals that live in or around ponds. They then completed their own KWL chart with the information they learned. I think this lesson would have been more successful if the subject matter was narrowed down, such as writing about one particular animal.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the book I decided to use a flip booklet with my class to classify different types of animals and plants that live near water. We are studying a unit in reading dealing with ponds, swamps, marshes, etc. During our small group time we read a passage that showed lots of different animals that lived near water. We complete a flip-booklet together categorizing some of the animals (mammals, fish, birds) and some of the plants (flowering, non-flowering). Next I gave an assignment allowing the students to complete a similar booklet by themselves. They enjoyed this activity and it taught them another way to categorize besides just listing them. Next time I would extend the lesson to allow more time to study the different species of animals and plants more thoroughly so they would have a better understanding of them.
ReplyDeleteThis lesson design is for learning about from seed to plant. I reread “From Seed
ReplyDeleteTo Plant” by Gail Gibbons. The students and I recalled the steps of planting a seed from the
book. After going over the steps, I had the students to echo read the steps with
me. Then, I had the students to act out each step. I told the students they were
to pretend that they were a seed growing into a plant. This was so cute…. The
students crouched down. I told a student that it has begun to rain. How would
you think the rain would feel to a seed that has gone without water for three
days? One student said like a burnt cheese toast. I told the students “now the
sun is shining and you are sprouting, how do you feel?” Finally, I scrambled the
sentence strips and had students to put them in order. I thought the lesson was
good and the students were learning and having fun. The only thing that I feel
needs to change is that I watch my time.
In teaching a lesson about thinking while reading, I learned that students need the assurance that authentic thinking is neither right or wrong but a process that occurs in our brains naturally. Since we think all the time, my goal was to model my thinking while reading a book and then have student volunteers to model theirs. While students were modeling their thinking I noticed some of what they were sharing was direct wordage from the book. I decided that my next steps will be to provide more explicit modeling of authentic thinking while reading, not just repeating words from the reading as in a retell. I will also continue to provide that assurance of thinking not being a topic of correct or incorrect but more of a process of understanding what is being read.
ReplyDeleteOne of my groups has been reading passages about reptiles. Throughout the lessons, the students have discussed what they already know about reptiles and have also learned many interesting new facts. After our most recent story, we compared and contrasted facts about turtles and snakes. As I reflect about the discussions with these students, I notice that often they make connections with vocabulary from their general education curriculum with the text that we read together in small group. However, they continue to have difficulty recalling answers from the text without rereading the exact sentence(s) from the text. My next steps will include opportunities to continue to build vocabulary and also model taking facts from sentences and summarizing them into my own words.
ReplyDeleteI recently taught a lesson in a first grade classroom focused on metacognition. I know that’s a big word for first graders but most understood by the end of the lesson that it means “to think about your thinking”. We’ve done a great job of teaching students how to give us back answers from the text we read but have we taught them to really THINK as they read – to listen to what is going on inside their heads? I know I have fallen short in this area! During the lesson, I tried to make visible for students the difference between “text” and “thinking” in several different ways. I adjusted my lesson and modeled more than I intended to, but there is still a need for additional modeling and student practice. I had anticipated (because of a previous lesson taught) the students would give me back the text, but instead they gave many questions as their thinking. I decided during the lesson NOT to address their questions or misconceptions since the lesson focus was on thinking. The teacher kept the book and clarified vocabulary and concepts during a second reading later in the day.
ReplyDeleteMy next steps would be to continue lessons on metacognition, bringing the students back to the lesson focus, if needed, by modeling my thinking. Students also need additional time to practice with feedback. The teacher and I discussed doing another lesson together so that we would both be able to drop in and listen to partner conversations, then provide appropriate feedback or redirection.
As most of you know, I have to redo the Science/Math portion for National Boards. In order to prepare for this, I have been watching a series of videos focusing on Inquiry teaching. I tried this method with 2 recent reading passages. On the first day, I modeled my thinking and justified my thoughts. On the next day, I explained to the children our "rules" for thinking and respecting each other and we began the lesson. Before we read the passage, I asked the children to simply look at the picture and tell me what they were thinking and why they were thinking these thoughts. I was blown away with their responses. I did not expect the kids to give me reasons for their thinking, but amazingly they were prepared to explain each idea discussed (even my lowest group). I was especially impressed when they DEFENDED their own thinking to each other. (did NOT expect that one) I noted, however, when we read the passage, one particular child did not change her thinking even though the passage clearly indicated her thinking was incorrect. I plan to address this in a future lesson by modeling incorrect thinking and changing my mind after I read a passage.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to have Mrs. Sabra share her metacognition lesson with my class. Again, I was impressed with the thinking coming from my students. If you haven't seen Mrs. Sabra's "thinking salad lesson", you owe it to yourself to see it. (She may have to get a new book though because my class LOVES her book very much.) By the way, did you all know KE kids do not understand the concept of homeless people? There is a homeless man in the story and we have read and reread that one page many times and discussed our thoughts over and over. We may have to copy the page and return Mrs. Sabra's book!
I also did a KWL. Like Franklin said, I gave them the opportunity to write what they knew already about Urchins. We then filled in the part where they listed things they wanted to know about Urchins. Then we read a book on Urchins and filled in the part about what we learned. I think the lesson would have been more beneficial if I had more age appropriate materials on Urchins and more of a variety. I felt there was lacking something in the Want to Know section because of that. I feel the kids still came away with things they would like to know that we didn't get answers to.
ReplyDeleteI also did the KWL Chart on Manatees (Sea Cow). We divided into groups and each group had a chance to display facts they knew about Manatees. Then they made a poster of each group about what they wanted to know and this was very interesting because each group listed or drew different ideas and listening to there discussions of this was so funny. Then we read Sam the Sea Cow and filled in facts we learned about a Manatee. This lesson was good, but I think next time I should use technology and bring in video clips about Manatees.
ReplyDeleteI did a KWL Chart on dolphins when we read Stormy the Baby Dolophin. First I shared about my experience last summer when my children and I got to swim with the dolphins. I showed them pictures from my laptop of my children in the water with dolphins. Next, I had the students 'turn and talk' to a partner to help gather their thoughts about what they already knew about this animal and what they would like to find out. Then they turned to a DIFFERENT partner and shared again. We filled in the KWL Chart together. During stations I put out different dolphin books at our extra station for the students to read, explore, draw, and write about dolphins. During the vocabulary connection, I read one of the books to the class. Then we repeated our 'turn and talk' activity. Last we filled in some new things we learned about dolphins. The next day I had the children to write and draw what they had learned about dolphins. To make my lesson better, I agree with Angie..... more technology would have enhanced our learning. A video clip or two about dolphins would improve the lesson and stimulate the children's interest even more.
ReplyDelete