Comments Off on Critical Literacy Invitation
As a summation to ED 398 in the spring of 2012 we completed an Invitation for students to engage in critical literacy in our classroom. Continue reading 'Critical Literacy Invitation'»
Comments Off on 6+1 Writing Rubric
| Points | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Ideas | This paper is clear and focused. It holds the reader’s attention. Relevant details and quotes enrich the central theme. | The writer is beginning to define the topic, even though development is still basic or general. | As yet, the paper has no clear sense of purpose or central theme. To extract meaning from the text, the reader must make inferences based on sketchy or missing details. |
| Organization | The organization enhances and showcases the central idea or theme. The order, structure, or presentation of information is compelling and moves the reader through the text. | The organizational structure is strong enough to move the reader through the text without too much confusion. | The writing lacks a clear sense of direction. Ideas, details, or events seem strung together in a loose or random fashion; there is no identifiable internal structure. |
| Voice | The writer speaks directly to the reader in a way that is individual, compelling, and engaging. The writer crafts the writing with an awareness and respect for the audience and the purpose for writing. | The writer seems sincere but not fully engaged or involved. The result is pleasant or even personable, but not compelling. | The writer seems indifferent, uninvolved, or distanced from the topic and/or the audience. |
| Word Choice | Words convey the intended message in a precise, interesting, and natural way. The words are powerful and engaging. | The language is functional, even if it lacks much energy. It is easy to figure out the writer’s meaning on a general level. | The writer struggles with a limited vocabulary, searching for words to convey meaning. |
| Sentence Fluency | The writing has an easy flow, rhythm, and cadence. Sentences are well built, with strong and varied structure that invites expressive oral reading. | The text hums along with a steady beat, but tends to be more pleasant or businesslike than musical, more mechanical than fluid. | The reader has to practice quite a bit in order to give this paper a fair interpretive reading. |
| Conventions | The writer demonstrates a good grasp of standard writing conventions (e.g., spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, paragraphing) and uses conventions effectively to enhance readability. Errors tend to be so few that just minor touchups would get this piece ready to publish. | The writer shows reasonable control over a limited range of standard writing conventions. Conventions are sometimes handled well and enhance readability; at other times, errors are distracting and impair readability. | Errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, usage, and grammar and/or paragraphing repeatedly distract the reader and make the text difficult to read. |
| Presentation | The form and presentation of the text enhances the ability for the reader to understand and connect with the message. It is pleasing to the eye. | The writer’s message is understandable in this format. | The reader receives a garbled message due to problems relating to the presentation of the text. |
Comments Off on Sample Objective Assessment During ED 228 we were asked to design an objective summative assessment in the form of a vocabulary quiz based on a lesson we had created to teach vocabulary. The assessment below is a sample vocabulary quiz I might give 7th grade students after the completion of a lesson teaching about the cell. Continue reading 'Sample Objective Assessment'»
Comments Off on Sample Authentic Assessment As part of ED 228, we designed assessments for the lesson plans we created. The assessment below is an example of an authentic summative assessment with a rubric which I would give students for a project on content area vocabulary. Continue reading 'Sample Authentic Assessment'»
Comments Off on Case-Study Report During the 2012 spring semester, we completed several visits to Pike Township school New Augusta North Public Academy. We shadowed a teacher in our content area and worked with a particular student to examine how content literacy impacted the student and learning in the classroom. At the completion of the semester, we documented the experience in a Case-Study report in which we outlined our observations and experiences with the student. Continue reading 'Case-Study Report'»
Comments Off on Reading Strategies Throughout the semester, we modeled several reading strategies used to analyze and comprehend text. These are strategies I feel I would use in my own classroom to help students to get through the difficult science text. The important thing to note about a reading strategy, is that is should require minimal thinking to fulfill the strategy–the emphasis should be on the content of the reading or literature. If students are struggling to use the reading strategy, it is unlikely they will come to a better understanding and comprehension of the material.
Comments Off on Lesson Plan 2: Cells & Vocabulary Continued This is a a second model lesson,to be used after the first for teaching vocabulary in science. It references activities from 50 Instructional Routines to Develop Content Literacy (2nd Ed) published by Pearson. Continue reading 'Lesson Plan 2: Cells & Vocabulary Continued'»
Comments Off on Lesson Plan 1: Cells & Vocabulary This is a model lesson, the first I have created, for teaching vocabulary in science. It references activities from 50 Instructional Routines to Develop Content Literacy (2nd Ed) published by Pearson. Continue reading 'Lesson Plan 1: Cells & Vocabulary'»
Comments Off on Teaching Science: You Mean I Have to Teach Reading? Historically science teachers have been some of the worst offenders in regard to refusing to teach reading skills in the science classroom. In fact, Leigh Hall in the article Teachers and content area reading: Attitudes, beliefs and change noted a study by David Donahue in 2000 in which science teachers were questioned about their views respecting literacy. The results were appalling; “approximately half of the pre-service science teachers believed that science class was a place where students did not have to focus on reading and writing” (Hall, 2005). This is a terrifying statistic and it is in direct conflict with what science is fundamentally. Continue reading 'Teaching Science: You Mean I Have to Teach Reading?'»
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