Case Study ReviewsImproving Speaking Skills with Poetry Podcasting
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/middle-school-literacy-lesson Review-in-text is below, but I also took my analysis to animoto for this one! The nature of the case: Every student in the classroom is assigned a nursery rhyme. They then research the rhyme and write down some important facts, as well as the rhyme itself. This becomes their script. Then, each student meets with the teacher after school, and creates a podcast of themselves reading their script aloud. The script is played for the class the next day. Classmates listen and critique using a speaking rubric. Select students share their critique with the class, and with the student who created the podcast. How I know students are learning: This hits on all the Language Arts standard strands: students are listening, speaking, writing, and reading. They're getting time to practice their speaking in a low-stakes environment, and the teacher explains in his interview that this really makes the speaking approachable to students who are otherwise too nervous to speak up in class. Also, the fact that they research the background of their nursery rhyme shows that they're learning about a greater context than simple rhyming words. Furthermore, when the students articulate their observations of a peer's podcast, they're clearly getting an understanding of what effective speaking sounds like from someone at their grade level. Elements I learned from observing the lesson: The quality of this lesson that is so striking to me, is its unhurried simplicity. I had great success with something similar last year, but it was a much larger and time-consuming project. By just recording a nursery rhyme, students can focus on the quality of their speaking in a short, accessible way. Also, I admire that the whole class takes the time to listen through twice and give constructive feedback. At that point in time, there is one task at hand: listening. Could I potentially use this lesson? I could, and probably will, use this lesson. I plan on creating "With a Perspective" podcasts with my students later in the year, and this would be a great introduction to how to speak with an academic voice. Also, we noticed when analyzing recent CAASPP scores, that our students' listening skills are generally below grade level. Because there is no distraction of other activities happening as students listen to each others' work, this might be a good way to explicitly teach listening skills. Rating: 4 out of 5 Magazine Publishing: Active Learning/Infusion Level/Language Arts http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/lessons/active_infusion_languagearts The nature of the case: A middle school classroom becomes a publishing house as a class of students collaborate to publish a magazine together. Every student has a role: some are writing, some are layout editors, some take pictures, and so on. A few students even form a marketing team, and call local businesses to find advertisers. They use iPages as their publishing software. How I know students are learning: Students are able to articulate to the interviewer what they're doing, and what their process is. Their facial expressions are revealing; students are nodding, looking at computer screens, leaning in, and conferring with one another. The students on the layout team in particular are clearly learning because they're searching through various layouts (identifying) and creating them (synthesizing) as they go. Elements I learned from observing the lesson: Students take initiative (in NTN-speak, I'd call it agency) to organize themselves around certain tasks. There's even an editor and assistant editor who seem to be taking on management responsibilities. Giving every student a role is important and it is a best practice I usually follow. However, delegating a few select students as overall leaders is an option I hadn't considered. With the right fit of project and students, this could be a dynamic way to engage those students who need a challenge. It also may set the bar higher for other students, as they see leadership and management modeled by a peer. Could I potentially use this lesson? I could use this lesson, but at least in the near future, I probably won't. Here's why: if I understand the study correctly, only a small portion of the students are actually writing. While I appreciate that the learning is differentiated and the interest level is very high, my current problem of practice is making sure all students are making progress in the Common Core standards. This kind of project might find a place in my curriculum, nested between to others where I know the emphasis on Common Core is strong. Otherwise, students (and I) can fall into the routine of always taking the photographer's job, but rarely getting opportunities to write. Rating: 3 out of 5 TeacherTube- SAT Word Animation http://www.teachertube.com/video/aggrandize-sat-word-animation-419687 The nature of the case: This is how one student applied his understanding of a new SAT vocabulary word. He took the word aggrandize and animated the letters themselves, added images & sound, a definition, sentences using the word. How I know students are learning: I know this student is learning because he’s using multi-modality to apply his understanding of the word aggrandize. He has created his own images, written his own sentences using the word, and practiced saying the word multiple times- as evidenced in his video. Elements I learned from observing the lesson: I learned the application of technology to existing pedagogy. I’ve been wondering how I could turn what we already do with vocabulary, into something with a more engaging tech element. Could I potentially use this lesson? Yes! My students already do something very similar, albeit low-tech, with vocabulary words. Instead of animating, we draw. Instead of recording voice-over, we talk in pairs and call-and-response. I would like to know what program this student (and teacher) used to create his work. Blended Learning: Making it Work in Your Classroom http://www.edutopia.org/practice/blended-learning-making-it-work-your-classroom The nature of the case: The teachers featured in this video use blended learning in all facets of the learning process. If a way of teaching is already working face-to-face, the teachers keep it; if there’s an online tool that works better, they utilize that tool. The math teacher interviewed had online modules for some students to complete, while she worked with a small group in one area of the room; it reminded me of rotating through centers, but in this case, the centers are technology-driven. How I know students are learning: Teacher testimonial suggests students are learning: her students’ test scores are the highest in the state. Student testimonial attests to the same thing. One student told the interviewer, “I learned more doing this just now, than I did the whole week.” Video footage also shows students checking, re-checking, nodding their heads, and taking notes. Elements I learned from observing the lesson: The overall delivery technique was educational for me; the math students through different learning modules, in which they took initiative for choosing what to work on first- while the teacher works one-on-one with a small group. This setup depends upon student agency, give some choice, and requires physical movement when students join the teacher for small group. One of the teachers interviewed also used the Show Me app on the iPad to create instructional podcasts. Could I potentially use this lesson? I could certainly use this technique. In particular, I’d like to use the small-group element to support struggling readers or facilitate a writer’s workshop. Echo, our online learning platform, could easily host the technology options for students. The part of this strategy that will take time to build into my classroom culture, is getting certain 8th graders to take initiative to work independently while I focus my attention on a small group. Teachers Are Bringing New Technology Into the Classroom http://www.pbs.org/video/2365760653/ The nature of the case: This article and video focus on the way Columbia’s Teachers’ College is teaching aspiring teachers creative technologies. Specifically, teachers-in-training are being introduced to new information about how to create artistic material using 3D printers. They’re also extending their learning into knowing how to blend this new technology with “old technology” art forms. How I know students are learning: Students (who, in this case, are studying to be teachers) are confirming with one another, nodding their heads, taking notes, helping one another, and creating their own material with a 3D printer. Elements I learned from observing the lesson: Observing this lesson gave me a glimpse into the world of 3D printing, as well as how it could be integrated “in the toolbox” with a traditional art class. I’m so unfamiliar with this skillset and technology; it was neat to see how teachers are being trained specifically to use it in their classrooms. This is especially pertinent as the technology becomes more available in schools and workplaces. Could I potentially use this lesson? I could not use this lesson in the near future. We don’t have this kind of technology at our school, and while it’s very engaging, I don’t see it as an essential language arts tool. However, I’m pleased to know someone is learning how to do this, so that students can benefit. |