Education and Culture
In their article “Understand Culture” Shelley Zion and Elizabeth Kozleski (2005) define culture as “the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that members of society use to interact with their world and with one another” (p. 3). Continuing in an anthropological direction, culture is a powerful tool for survival, but it is a surprisingly delicate phenomenon which is constantly changing. For example, consider how the attitudes and values of a school may change when a new principal is hired, this new individual may make specific changes to shift the culture of a school in a different direction. But culture, as a noun with a concise definition like the one provided by Zion and Kozleski (2005), is easier to understand than its tremendous effects in the classroom. Continue reading 'What is Culture?'»
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'»
There are many different types of effective assessments. Below I have outlined different types of assessments as well as various modifications/accommodations which can be used in the classroom to differentiate for these assessments.
Continue reading 'Designing Assessments'»
Assessments can be particularly tricky to design. The links below provides excellent examples and tips for designing assessments.
http://www.indiana.edu/~best/write_better_t ests.shtml#V-‐1
http://caacentre.lboro.ac.uk/dldocs/otghdout. pdf
| 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. |
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'»
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'»
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'»
All Posts, ED 228: Content Literacy, Standard #1: Learner Development., Standard #3: Learning Environments., Standard #9: Reflection and Continuous Growth.
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Case Study, Content Literacy, Developmental History, Image of a learner, Poverty, Ruby Payne, Student Focus
Literacy in science can also be promoted through critical discussion of the material. Science often requires students be able orally express what the text is saying or explain a process in words to a class or classmate. This in-turn also helps the student to come to a better understanding of the content area. Continue reading 'Discussion 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.
Continue reading 'Reading Strategies'»
Used in writing objectives, Bloom’s Taxonomy is an excellent tool used to create lessons which will guide students through curriculum standards. There are many different types of taxonomies as Bloom himself identified three domains of learning. The images below are various examples of these taxonomies and the verbs which are effective for writing lesson objectives.
Continue reading 'Bloom’s Taxonomy'»
Throughout Content Literacy, we discussed the need for Hooks and Closures. These are two integral parts of the lesson planning process which help students by creating continuity between lessons, objectives, and standards, and which also help instructors by informing them of where students are struggling with material. Listed below are examples of various types of Hooks and Closures to be used in lesson planning. Continue reading 'Hooks And Closures'»
All Posts, ED 228: Content Literacy, Resources, Standard #5: Innovative Applications of Content., Standard #6: Assessment, Standard #7: Planning for Instruction., Standard #8: Instructional Strategies., Standard 5: General Skills of Teaching, Standard 8: Assessment
| assessments, Closures, Hooks, Lesson Plan
This is an example of a Lesson Plan template used in backwards design to plan for lessons. Continue reading 'Lesson Plan Template'»
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'»
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'»
After reading Ruby Payne’s A Framework For Understanding Poverty, we were asked to complete a reflection detailing how we feel poverty impacts education and whether or not we agreed with Payne’s suggested ways to help students in poverty. While I did not necessarily agree with all of Payne’s points, I did feel she correctly noted the importance of forging a relationship with your students. Continue reading 'Reflection upon the Impacts of Poverty on Student Learning'»
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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