1. Objective
1.1. SWBAT exhibit coherence and flow of writing through the correct use of transitional words and phrases.
2. References
2.1. Alberta Education. Developing Learner Profiles Retrieved from: https://education.alberta.ca/media/1233960/6_ch3%20learner.pdf McCarthy, J. (2014). Learning Interest Matters: Strategies for Empowering Student Choice. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-learner-interest-matters-john-mccarthy McCarthy, J. (2014). How Learning Profiles Can Strengthen Your Teaching. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/learning-profiles-john-mccarthy Segal, J., Smith, M. (2015) Teaching Students with ADD/ADHD. Retrieved from:http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/teaching-students-with-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm Subban P. (2006). Differentiated Instruction: A Research Basis. Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ854351.pdf
3. Learning Profiles
3.1. Definition:
3.1.1. A learning profile is a student's preferred approach to learning, it describes the ways that a student learns information most effectively. Students vary in their learning style; some prefer to learn by doing, some learn better by teaching others, some students may need to see the information in a visual form such as a diagram or graphic organizer, etc. It is important for teachers to recognize this, and cater to a classroom of diverse intelligences and learning needs (McCarthy 2014)
3.2. Teaching Strategies for Visual Learners
3.2.1. Visual learners benefit from information being given to them in a visual format, such as through graphic organizers or with the help of color coding. Venn diagrams, flowcharts, and and other visual representations of data are helpful (Alberta Education)
3.2.2. Visual learners often prefer to express information through drawings rather than texts (Alberta Education) For one of the summative assessments for this objective, the students must provide instructions on how to complete a task using transitional words/phrases. For this drafting process of this assignment, the students will have the option of drawing each instructional step before putting it into words. This will help the visual learners get a visual representation of their ideas in order to organize information to eventually write their short essays.
3.3. Teaching Strategies for Auditory Learners
3.3.1. Auditory learners prefer to learn content through teaching others, pair-work, reading aloud, or through songs/chants (Alberta Education)
3.3.2. Much of the summative and formative assessments in this unit, relating to the objective I've chosen for this assignment, focus on group discussions and pair-work. Students have several opportunities to share their knowledge with their groups, partners, and with the class as a whole. Talking about class content helps auditory learners better absorb the information.
3.3.2.1. Formative Assessment: (From my blog for Unit 2 Activity 2) Students will be split into pairs. Student pairs will be given several long rectangular strips of paper. On each piece of paper will be one sentence, including a transitional word or phrase. When the pieces of paper are arranged correctly, they form a list of instructions to complete a particular task. The students’ job is to work together to arrange the papers in order using the transitional words as clues. At the end of the assignment, the student who was assigned the job of “speaker” will read the instructions in order based on how his/her pair arranged them. The class will work together to judge if it sounds correct or not.
3.3.3. Auditory learners absorb information well through songs and chants. Since I teach elementary school, we use a lot of songs/chants, especially for the younger students. For this particular objective, there are many different songs to help students learn about transitional words and phrases (schoolhouse rock). I would use a lot of internet resources like YouTube for these activities
3.3.4. Auditory learners also benefit from being able to read content before a class, or by being able to listen to a class lecture. If necessary, I can use a recording device to record our classes, and then have the recordings be accessible on a classroom website. This way, students who would benefit from hearing the lectures can access them from home.
3.4. How to Determine a Student's Learning Profile
3.4.1. Profile Survey (completed by both the student and the guardian)
3.4.1.1. This is a great way to communicate with parents, and to allow students to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses. The student can also benefit from completing this survey because it will provide them with the self-knowledge and confidence to communicate with their teachers about their learning needs (Alberta Education)
3.4.2. TeacherKit
3.4.2.1. TeacherKit is an app that allows teachers to do many things: take attendance, add grades, add notes, etc. It is much like an organized digital planner for the classroom. The main benefit of this app with regards to learning profiles is that the teacher is able to upload pictures of the students and add notes. This is effective for teachers like myself that have so many students that its often hard to keep track. Having a picture next to a student's name with added notes about learning preferences can be a great way to beat this obstacle.
4. Interests
4.1. Definition: A student's interests include their passions, hobbies, and kinships that motivate their learning
4.2. Student Choice
4.2.1. Allowing students to make choices about assignments gives them more freedom to incorporate their own interests and passions.
4.2.1.1. For one summative assessment, students will need to write instructions on how to complete a task and incorporate transitional words/phrases correctly. Giving the students a choice to pick whatever task they want to write instructions to allows them pick something that interests them and that they are good at. Writing about a topic that is interesting to them and that they are perhaps passionate about causes students to be more engaged in the assignment and to perform at higher levels (McCarthy 2014).
4.3. Make Classroom Content Relevant
4.3.1. There are many real-world applications of using transitional words/phrases correctly. We will have mini-activities in class to explore these. For example, when giving someone directions, we use transitional phrases ("FIRST, make a left at the traffic light. THEN, drive for 2 blocks, NEXT, make a right at the McDonalds, etc.). We also see/use transitional words and phrases when reading or giving instructions for cooking recipes! Based on student interests, I will use activities like these to make the content relatable and relevant. If students can relate content to their lives and experiences, they can better understand the meaning of content and deepen levels of engagement (McCarthy 2014).
4.4. Getting Information About Student Interests
4.4.1. Just like the surveys I would use to gain information about student learning profiles, I will also collect surveys about student interests and hobbies. I can take a few key points about each students' interests and input them into the TeacherKit app next to the student's photo.
5. Readiness
5.1. Definition: Readiness refers to where the student is at the point of entry to the classroom. Some students perform lower than their grade level while some perform at a higher level (Subban 2006). Additionally, students could have other factors influencing their readiness, such as a learning disability or language barrier.
5.2. Teaching Strategies for ELL Students
5.2.1. As I teach ESL, many of the students in my classes perform at a range of levels. A main issue for lower level students is vocabulary knowledge. Before I present a text, I make sure to use my translator app to make a list of any possible words that may be new to my lower level students. I review the words before we begin the class. Then, I project that list onto the screen while we are reading. I also accompany each definition with an image, which appeals to visual learners as well.
5.2.2. I find pair-work and small group discussions to be very helpful for my lower level ELL students. Since I know which students are at a higher level of English proficiency, I often seat them next to lower-level students so that the two of them can work together. I always notice the higher-level students translating for the lower-level students and teaching them new words. Each student benefits in this scenario; the higher-level student has a chance to teach the content, thus strengthening his/her understanding of the concept, and the lower-level student is able to expand his/her vocabulary
5.3. Teaching Strategies for Students with Disabilities (ADHD)
5.3.1. For students with ADHD, the main obstacle is keeping the student engaged and focused.
5.3.2. Preferential Seating: It is helpful to seat students with ADHD close to the teacher so that the teacher can easier monitor the student. It also helps to seat them far away from the door or window to avoid distractions. Of course, seating friends together can be problematic as it often leads to chatting during class time (Segal & Smith 2015).
5.3.3. Assign small classroom tasks: Assigning tasks that require movement is beneficial to students with ADHD as it allows them to get up and move around for a moment. For example, asking the student to clean the whiteboard, collect crayons, or hand out worksheets (Segal & Smith 2015).
5.3.4. Song/Dance: allowing the students so sing or chant using gestures and movements keeps students with ADHD alert and engaged.