Week 1 Characteristics of Effective Literacy Teachers Discussion

Week 1 Characteristics of Effective Literacy Teachers Discussion

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

In Week 1, we discussed the characteristics of effective literacy teachers. Now let us take a closer look at reading and writing in the content areas. What are two instructional strategies that you have used, observed, or researched that can be used to teach reading and writing in the content areas? What criteria might you use to evaluate how well a strategy engages students and promotes their interest in and understanding of the topic? Explain and provide specific examples to support your response.

Reply to at least 2 of your classmates. Be constructive and professional in your responses.

Repond 1 (one paragraph)

Chris

An instructional strategy that I believe helps out students is the Admit slips and Exit slips. In this strategy the student would write a short comment answering some questions on 1/2 sheet of paper or on a index card. The student will create a quick response on the topic by answering a few questions at the beginning of class. As a teacher, you are trying to figure out what problems or concerns your students are having about your lesson. You would ask a few questions like what part of the assignment is troubling you ? Is there anything else confusing you? The responses would be confidential so the students and teacher would work together to come up with solutions for the class. The Exit slip would happen around the end of class. Same idea , however the students would summarize or evaluate the topic. A teacher can use this in multi-content areas. I have seen this work in the classroom with students being given sticky notes to contribute ideas for class discussion. Later they add what they learn from the lesson. Brainstorming the student’s ideas would also help you evaluate what they know and what they need to know. Another strategy to teach reading and writing in the content area would be Point of View Guides (POVG). This is where students can be creative. They would write a narrative pretending to be that character or subject in the lesson. A first person point of view is used for the student to express his /her creative side. The student has an opportunity to be descriptive with his/her character and the situation the lesson pertains to. An evaluation method I would use would be questioning or a rubric grading of the writing product with a focus on content and support of the facts presented. A more informal evaluation by observation may occur which defines content by discussion.

Repond 2 (one paragraph)

In my limited teaching experience, I have incorporated reading into teaching mathematics. More specifically, reading comprehension strategies while completing math word problems. I created a self assessment checklist that incorporated these strategies. Other than content area strategies, the checklist includes reading the problem twice and highlighting all key information. When completing math word problems in this manner, I am teaching my students to reread text and also teaching the correct usage of highlighting. I observed the students while they completed their math word problems and also checked their self assessment checklist. It was also important to assess whether or not they highlighted only the key information and were able to use that information to solve the problem. For example, one student I worked with had a reading comprehension and a math word problem solving IEP goal. He struggled to use the text to support his thinking in reading and in math word problems. I found that, even though he was an excellent reader, he rushed through the text and did not focus on important information. Teaching him to slow down, reread the text, and highlight key information in math and reading helped the student excel in both areas.

I have also used Venn diagrams when teaching science. For example, one particular assignment was a persuasive piece about Orangutans verse Chimpanzees to help the class decide which one they should learn more about. The assignment required the students to express their opinion, with supporting details from their science text, and then convince their audience. This process involved reading the text multiple times as well as highlighting similarly to the above strategy. Additionally, a Venn diagram was utilized. Students used this to compare and contrast the scientific details that supported their opinion. Success of this strategy was determined by if the students were able to pull the details from their text, place in the Venn diagram, and then enter into their writing.