Wednesday, April 29, 2009
DLP response
Lisa, Brooke, and Kathy
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
CIR411 Article
On page 68, the next to the last paragraph talks about: "Given this context, I suspect if we can help teachers become more knowledgeable and comfortable in working with students to read, discuss, and compose texts that depend primarily on visual elements, they will also be increasingly willing and able to apply these understandings to the teaching of new media texts as well." I agree because when students are given the opportunity to expand their knowledge and use resources that are available to them, then they will be more willing to get involved and want to learn how to use new text media.
I also found the lesson plans very informative, in that, they can be adjusted to fit in the teachers lesson. I think it is important to teach students how media text is used in their daily lives and how it can be of value to them in the future. Technology is changing every day and, therefore it is important to make certain that teachers, faculty, and students are kept up to date on the newest versions of technological programs out there.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Ch. 11 Developing Content Area Writers
I think that if teachers would use a similar guide to the one on page 314 in our book, then students would more capable of learning how to write and organize a good, or even great, paper before leaving high school. Experience is the best teacher and if students learn to write a great paper before they graduate from high school then they are more likely to write an excellent paper in college.
In order to prepare students for writing it is important to allow them the opportuntity to discuss their experiences (or lack of) in writing. In order to know where to begin helping students learn to write excellent papers you must know where they are lacking. This can be done through quick writes(is a form of impromptu writing that stimulates briainstorming), brainstorming and goal setting(the purpose of brainstorming/goal setting is to make writing much more informed and goal-directed right from the start), guided writing procedure(is designed to activate studnets' prior knowledge and thinking about a topic before they write), and finally stop and list(was developed to teach students with learning disabilities how to analyze writing assignments and how to plan and organize their responses). All of these steps build off of one another to help us become better writer's and thinker's as well. It is important to really think about what we are writing about so that we can tell our reader's exactly what we mean when they finish reading our writings.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Conley's Ch. 7 Blog
In order to gets the students attention it is important to present what is being taught in an interesting and motivating way. This can include the teacher being excited about reading a story related to the lesson or the teacher could have pictures or other artifacts in the classroom related to the lesson to get the students attention and get them motivated to want to learn more about the artifact.
It is also important that the teacher set high expectations. When the students see that their teacher wants them to do their best, then they are willing to go above and beyond to do their best and then some to "make their teacher proud". By doing this the teacher is letting her students know that she does care whether are not they are struggling or they do understand what she expects from them. If the studnets feel that their teacher is not concerned about their learning then they are less likely to participate in class activities or answering questions because they feel like unimportant.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Kathy Rheams Lesson Plan CIR 411
3. The student will express, communicate, evaluate, or exchange ideas effectively.
c. The student will compose narrative text relating an event with a clear beginning, middle, and end. (DOK 3).
Big Idea: Students will re-tell the story: "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs", including a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Preparation:
1. Introduce the components: beginning, middle, and end; of a story.
2. Ask students why they think a story must contain a beginning, middle, and end.
3. Have students brainstorm stories they have read that contained a clear beginning, middle, and end.
4.Give the students examples of beginning, middle, and end from specific stories like: "Little Red Riding Hood," "The Three Pigs", and "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs".
5. Distinguish between the importance of having beginning, middle, and end. Have students write a definition for beginning, middle, and end.
6. Write a short story using a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Guidance:
1. Students will brainstorm topics for short stories.
2. Students will write a short story including a clear beginning, middle, and end.
3. Teacher will walk around the class and give students feedback on their brainstorming topics as well as their short stories.
Application:
1. Show students a concrete example of a short story which includes a clear beginning, middle, and end.
2. Tests students knowledge by asking them questions from the beginning, middle, and end, of the story. Have them state whether the sentence(s) came from the beginning, middle, or end of the story.
Assessment:
I would orally assess the students by asking them questions using sentences from the beginning, middle, and end of the story. I would have a checklist to make sure that every student is getting the concept.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Conley's Ch. 5 Blog
On page 135 our text talks about "Assessing Text Complexity". The book states that you have to "beware of claims that certain materials are "right on level" (when they may or may not be) for students. Usually, this means that the publishers have used a readability formula to derive a crude grade level score." This is unfair because if students are not being assessed appropriately then they will fall farther and farther behind, therefore dropping out of school rather than trying to finish two or three grades behind. The book lists several ways of assessing including: (1) readability formulas, (2)readability checklists, and (3)FLIP readability assessment.
I like the chart on page 145 that breaks down ways of "selecting texts" to help teachers answer questions as well as other resources to help them teach "Big Idea Text". The chart breaks down the information into four sections: (Standards, Big Ideas, and Connecting Concepts; Texts That Represent Desired Knowledge and Practices; Knowledge Necessary for Practices and Performances; and Texts That Respond and Demonstrate Desired Practices and Performances). The book states that the right side of the chart lists text resources that could best be used to develop students' knowledge. Another reason for selecting texts consists of practices and performances students need to learn to become experts in a content area. Texts are used in content areas not only to devlop knowledge about Big Ideas, but also to practice various skills in content areas.