Lesson Plan Blog Post! :)

explain why I chose the each strategy!

1. Life Science

2. Middle School, Low functioning students with Autism 6-8th grade.

3.  Detailed Objectives:

1. The student will investigate and understand basic plant anatomy and life
   Processes. 
   
   
   VA Standard:
   Life Processes:
   4.4a the structures of typical plants and the function of each structure;
   b) Processes and structures involved with plant reproduction;
   c) Photosynthesis
   
   
   Reading:
   K.5 The student will understand how print is organized and read.
   a) Hold print materials in the correct position.
   b) Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.
   c) Distinguish between print and pictures.
   d)  Follow words from left to right and from top to bottom on a printed page.
   e)  Match voice with print. (concept of word). 
   K.10 b)  Identify text features specific to the topic, such as titles, headings, and pictures.

1.  
1.10  The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of nonfiction texts.    

Book:

4.  Written purpose:  The purpose of this lesson plan is to teach students the basic parts and functions of plants, and experiment with how to hold, turn the page, listen, and for some students read short books on plants and their parts.

Strategies/Activities: 

Preparation:
1) Students will activate prior knowledge by first watching a short, fun video on plant parts/functions on brainpopjr.com, then follow up with a powerpoint containing pictures and visuals of plant parts.  Since each student is mostly non-verbal, each student with have a stack of notecards with the words and pictures of each part, and will hold up the picture of the plant part the teacher says.  Same activity with the functions.  The teacher can then see what the students know so far and what will have to really be taught.  A para or assistant will keep a tally chart of which parts/functions the student got correct and incorrect to get a baseline on what the students know.  I chose this strategy because it is measureable, and will activate prior knowledge.
2)  Each student will correctly hold, turn the pages, identify picturies, titles, and left to right reading.  For the students who can read, they will read short non-fiction stories on the different plant parts and their function to help prepare them for assessments.
3) Students will fill out graphic organizers, of a blank plant chart and use a word bank to help fill the chart in.

4) Pre-Learning Concept Check: THIS WOULD BE THE VOCAB SECTION; stem, root, leaf, flower, photosynthesis, etc. (see which functions (definitions) the students know and don't know)

Assistance: Jot Chart, Mystery Clue Game (hints about what plant part I am describing by talking about the function- student will choose a part via index card or verbally)

Reflection: Seeing how many of the students can name the parts/functions of the plants independently.  1)  I would use a short writing assignment: since they are students who are low-functioning, I would give them "the, a, I see, it" as sentence starters, list all plant parts/functions, and example, if they picked roots first, would pick which sentence starter they want, so "The roots" then have them choose which function, so they can pick each part of the 3 necessary parts of the sentence (starter, noun, verb) and put it together and write, or for some students type the sentence.  
2) Post Graphic Organizers: I would still have my students use a word bank, and would have the student fill in a diagram of a plant, and the function underneath it.
3) To incorporate something FUN, I would use pipeline straw, play do, and other crafts and let the students build a plant by placing the correct plant parts where they belong.

Evaluation: At the end of the unit, have the students fill in a blank worksheet with a plant, word box may be given.  Use multiple choice/true false to answer questions on the functions of a plant.  Testing will be how I evaluate how well the lesson was learned.  I will do the same for plant parts, and plant functions.  For the students who can read the stories, I will take data on how many words they read correctly and incorrectly daily to see if there is improvement.

Learning Blog #3--Chapter 4: Assistance in Learning

I think the part on page 81 that says "Teachers need to know that reading is more than a basic skill" is very important, because some teachers just assume everyone can learn to read easily.  Obviously, this is not true, good readers are able to process analytic, interactive, constructive, and strategic ideas and concepts.

There is strong evidence that suggests students can be taught comprehension strategies, to help them learn to read.  MARSI, is Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory, which teachers can pick strategies for instruction that coincide with the specific problem area that specific student is having.

Adjunct Strategies: are any strategy used during reading, an example is:

Mapping: Demonstrates adjunct strategy of organizing information into big and smaller ideas.  It is the same thing as organizing key elements of the story, and can assist readers in understanding concept ideas.  The primary purpose of mapping is to use visuals to portray relationships of major and supporting ideas, it forces the students to refer back to the reading material and engage in interactive learning with peers.  Mapping can also aid in reflection and as study aides.

Constructivism:  Emphasizes the important role of the learner in literacy tasks, allowing readers to feel comfortable with learning because they are so fully integrated in putting it all together.  This knowledge is not just received, but actively constructed by the learners on the basis of prior knowledge, attitudes, and values, it is all "constructed" in the student's mind.  In this environment the student's are encouraged to use higher order thinking skills, teachers do not stress a correct one word answer, but that any answer a student can construct independently is good.

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity:

DR-TA helps students understand that each segment of a text can help them figure out the next segment, and so on.  The teacher's duty is to decide in advance to the reading how to segment, or separate the material.  DR-TA has three-basic steps: predicting, reading, and providing.  Predicting involves asking readers to use not only what prior knowledge they have, but also whatever else they learn.  Predicting prepares the readers for what will happen, and gives chances to reflect on other classmate's predictions for time of debate and discussion.  A simple prediction guide works by on one side putting what the THINK will happen, and what ACTUALLY happened.  This teaches students the correct sequence of reading: reading, then predicting to prove they did read and are on the correct path, and proving what they predicted by finishing the reading and making conclusions.

Guided Reading Procedure:

GRP offers ways to teach students to gather and organize information around main ideas.  It uses brainstorming to collect information as accurately as possible, and then rereading to correct anything wrong. 

1.  Prepare students for the lesson by clarifying key concepts about ht eroding, asses prior knowledge, explain vocabulary.

2.  Assign a collection of appropriate length and ask students to remember all they can about the reading.

3-4.  After the students have completed the reading assignment, have them close the book and relate everything they just read, have students look for inconsistencies and wrong information.

5.  Create major categories for the passage, help organize and categorize concepts into a loose outline.

Structure of Text: Is how the paragraphs are arranged and ordered, and this CAN affect the reading comprehension of students.  Also, students who are taught paragraph structure use that when learning to write and have an easier time with that.  As in last chapter I said re-writing is very important, so is the structure of text, I can restructure just a few sentences, and it makes all the difference in the world in reading the passage and also comprehending the passage.

Discourse Analysis:  Identification of organizational structure in written material, as well as student and teacher verbal interaction and reaction to text structure.  Collaborative Reasoning: Approach for discussion in any content area that stimulates critical thinking.  After reading, the teacher poses a central question that is worded so students take a pro or con position, get in groups and collaborate, debate, and engage in discussion.

--Mystery Clue Game: small group, good thinking, reading, and socializing

Pattern Guides: Help students see casual relationships, distinguishing cause and effect is important, so that students do not misuse things they learn, and can see the actual connection.  Activity 4.8!

3+ Level Study Guides

Teaches comprehension-3 steps

(I would like to learn more about this, book was kind of confusing explaining it to me)

Improving Comprehension through Questions and Questioning:

The Question-Answer Relationship:

Practical way to teach students how to formulate questions at different levels.  It is straightforward, easily implemented, can be used at any level, and useful and any grade so it is a strongly encouraged method.  It has been proven to increase students' comprehension more than several other questioning strategies, because students are thinking of their own questions, and also incorporates writing skills, and promotes higher level thinking skills.

This chapter has shown many activities, and given many examples to be used in the assistance phase of the PAR lesson framework.  To understand the material, students must be able to construct meaning by using their prior knowledge when learning new information.  Students must understand text structure, and there are different strategies to do so.  My favorite was the question-answer relationship, because I think it really stimulates the students' minds, and can be made into a group activity, by switching questions and having somebody else answer it for them.

Strategies for my Lesson Plan, P in PAR

Since I am most familiar with teaching special education, I would use the strategy of rewriting the most, because I constantly have to rewrite, modify, add pictures, delete text, rearrange text, add options, use technology, etc. to complete a lesson.  I also have to know how to quickly make changes in order to complete VAAP and aSOLs.  Page 64 discusses rewriting texts.

The students I work with, would mostly not be able to independently fill out a KWL chart, or a What I know activity on paper, but before lessons I typically do check for prior knowledge by verbally asking questions and writing their answers, or having the students pick out pictures from magazines or online that they think will relate to the topic.  

Schema theory is a very common thing found in my class.  Since the students with Autism are very routined, for example during multiplication if a student is learning 4s tables, and the problem is 4x5, they would write out 4- 5 times.  If they switch to 5s, and the problem is 5x5, they would write 5- 5 times and count, rather than actually knowing the answer without showing work.  With my students everything is very organized.

I do like to use graphic organizers to break apart the information and show the students the connections.  Sometimes, the students I teach have no idea what it is, but sometimes they can make connections and learn new things, so I always at least have to try.  Graphic Organizers are also useful because they are easy to fill in as a small group and discuss.

Analogy: Teaching Students to Read is Like...

Teaching someone how to drive, before they get on the road


Similarities: (between preparing to read and teaching someone how to drive)
Both involve steps and instructions, use prior knowledge to complete both types of tasks
Practicing and studying how to drive just like you will what you are about to read about, when you practice reading frequently you will be ready to read, when you practice driving often you will become a better driver and know the rules of the road well, impossible to drive a car without prior knowledge, need to know car parts, how they work, etc.

Learning Blog #2 -Chapter 3: Preparing to learn! :)

Chapter 3 all about Preparation for Learning.  This includes strategies for overcoming obsticles while teaching, preparing lesson plan materials, and ways to make learning productive.

Determining prior knowledge is very important, espeically when teaching reading.  First off, you need to be able to pick out stories and activites that are not too hard, or too easy for hte student.  You want the activity to be challenging enough to keep engaged, but not too challenging that the student becomes frustrated.  Also, students with more prior knowledge are more likely to be able to make guesses, or come to conclusions on stories because they have some background knowledge.  

When learners cannot find relevance in a selection, they lose interest and ignore it, therefor not learning it.  So, it is important teachers are aware of their students' knowledge so they can build on what they know and extend on it.  Limited prior knowledge is when students have at least some prior knowledge about most topics, even if it is relating their own life experience with something they are learning in a text book.  For instance, they may not know why World War 2 was fought, but they do know what it is like to be in a fight with somebody.

Schema Theory is a statement that says all knowledge is seperated into different units, within these units is schemata, or stored knowledge.  Learners can benefit from Schema Theory by learning to move new chunks of information from short term to long term memory, or connect information with something they've learned from the past.

Incorrect Prior Knowledge is also common with young student readers.  For instance, just because a student knows what St. Matthew's island is an island, they may connect that with a tropical island, when it is infact off of the coast of Alaska.  This could present problems with learning because some students will not understand certain things cognitavily that words can have more than one meaning or spelling, and it may conflict with something they felt they strongly knew, and refute the new material.

Prelearning Concept Check
Is a way of showing new vocabulary to students, and also allowing the teacher to find out how much the students know about the chapter.  For example, if the students are reading a story on Shapes, you can list all shapes you will want them to know, then have them put a check, plus, or 0 for how well they feel they know it, and you can work on ones the majority of the students do not know first.  It is a very good pre-lesson measureing tool to create a baseline of prior knowledge.

Story Impressions:
Is similar to prelearning concept checks, except the student uses the important key vocabulary words from the story and use them to make predictions on what will happen in the text and in what order, which helps with reading comprehension and time-lining, being able to order a story based off of their own knowledge.

KWL
Know, want to know, and think they know charts are very popular in all school ages and populations.  It is divied up into 3 columns, K (What the student KNOWS) W (what the student WANTS to know) and L( What the student did learn).  It helps the teacher and students determine prior knowledge, and models as a strategy for reflection after the reading has occured so that you can compare what the student knew, to what the now know.

WIKA
(What I Know Activity) is very similar to the KWL charts.  in the end, the students use what they already know to create questions based on subheadings, and make predictions on what they think they will learn.

Rewriting Texts:
Sometimes when a student is struggling to comprehend or read a text, making the sentences different lengths, changing the vocabulary, and text structure can help the student.  When introducing new text, teachers may use writing texts to make it easier for the students to understand important information.  Rewriting does have a few drawbacks, it takes time, and teachers are already crunched for that, so the teacher must weigh carefully if it is worht it for that student, which most hte time it is because rewriting can allow the teacher to restate ideas in their own words, keep it to the point, underline important words, and highlight what the teacher feels is the most important concept.

Graphic Organizers 
Are well supported ways to aid in organizing students' thoughts.  It allows readers to on their own connect thoughts, ideas, and connect old knowledge with new knowledge.  They also identify supporting concepts, list all key terms that reflect important concepts, connect thoughts, show relationships, and diagram ideas.

Anticipation Guides
Anticipation Guides are used to have the students anticipate and predict what the content will be, and what it will be about.  Students who see anticipation guides tend to become interested and participate in lively in the discussion, which will motivate the student, also, students enjoy argument and structured guides leaves room for students to choose sides, lastly, students can learn to predict outcomes which is good for the mind.

Factstorming
Is a way of determining student's prior knowledge and to build background.  The whole class can participate together at once, the teacher will ask students to say anything they can think of about the topic, and the class will then discuss each point.

Analogies
Analogies are similar to previews, they begin with a connection point to the readers' background.  It is an excellent tool for content reading.  The goal is to get the students to connect new knowledge with existing knowledge.  They can do so in groups or individually.  The students can list similarities in two subjects, and compare like and unalike things.

In Summary:
The whole chapter noted the importance of students' prior knowledge in reading, and necessary ways to build on prior knowledge throughout reading lessons.  The chapter discussed many different strategies, and worksheets teachers and students can use, and how to use them.  It discussed that graphic organizers are the best ways and have many varities for students to organize their thoughts and make connections on their own.

Learning Blog #1 Chapter 2!

Chapter 2 was a great read for me.  I have always felt strongly that attitudes have an impact on how the student performs, and how much they are motivated to work.  The paragraph on affective domain is  very important.  For the population of students I work with which is mostly Autism, it is helpful to show them a reward first to motivate them, and make the lesson fun, engaging, and something the student can actually participate hands on in, instead of sitting and just listening.  Fisher and Berliner have stressed the importance of creating a positive classroom climate, and I could not agree more.  I have even noticed in my classroom that the students feed of negative and stressed behavior, and tend to act out more with their behaviors if they sense stress, and that you may be frustrated with them.  It is essential to understand a child's behavior, attitude, interests, and strengths and weaknesses before starting to work with them.

Fostering the Habit of Reading was also a helpful paragraph.  It stated that the teacher should make sure that there is ample time for the student to complete their reading, if they feel rushed they may become stressed and unmotivated to read.  Also, integrating technology is a good tool to use because what student wouldn't rather be on a computer?  Even if it is reading.

The PAR lesson Framework to Develop Lesson Plans is something teachers should use.  This method is supposed to be utilized by the student and the teacher, so they are both on the same page and both know what is coming next in their lesson, so the student isn't guessing what is on the teacher's mind.  in a PAR lesson plan framework, goals, questions, what activities will be done, and things such will all be clearly stated so the student can prepare themselves, and so the teacher knows what they will be doing in class and can be organized.

In my future teaching, I plan to use some of these strategies, such as questioning in the affective domain, fostering the habit of reading, etc.