Critical and response perspective free essay sample

In this lesson, I focused on Jace, the second grader. I was able to hold a small group lesson in her classroom so that I could be able to assess her literacy ability first hand when it comes to critical and response perspectives. I learned of the idea of a tea party from Tompkins and decided I wanted to create a lesson that would involve this great activity (Tompkins, p. 272). The intent of the tea party was to use the critical perspective as well as the response perspective (Laureate Education, 2010). In this lesson the learners will be able to better understand the text and it should play a role in the learners’ lives in a meaningful way. The use of metacognitive strategies helps the students to think about â€Å"thinking† all through the reading process. This lesson demonstrates ways to implement the these perspective (Laureate Education, 2010). Teacher: Date: February 11, 2014 Age/Grade Range; Developmental Level(s): 7-8 yr / 2nd / early reader Anticipated Lesson Duration: 25 minutes Lesson Foundations Pre-assessment (including cognitive and noncognitive measures): I used previous assessments of the three students to select the text that would gain their interest the most. We will write a custom essay sample on Critical and response perspective or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The assessment in which I used to gage my lesson was the DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) which is a formal assessment that helps to determine independent reading levels (Tompkins, 2010). I also performed another assessment on the students recently that I used help to determine interest in reading. This assessment was called the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (McKenna, 1990). Curricular Focus, Theme, or Subject Area: Reading/ Language Arts State/District Standards: †¢The learner will read and understand a variety of materials. †¢The learner will comprehend and use comprehension skills such as applying knowledge of foreshadowing, comparing and contrasting, determining the main idea, indentifying the author’s purpose, inferring, previewing, predicting, re-reading, and self-monitoring. Learning Objectives: The students will participate in the tea party activity through discussion and understanding of authors’ purpose while activating prior knowledge to comprehend text. The students will write an entry in their journal near end of lesson. Adaptations for ELLs, Students with Special Needs, and/or Struggling Readers: Guided practice and help, modeling, and slower paced one on one practice will be conducted for struggling students if needed. During journal writing, students can draw instead of write and I will dictate the illustration for them. Perspective(s) addressed in this lesson (Interactive, Critical, and/or Response): Critical and Response Perspectives Texts: Amazing Grace (Hoffman, M. 1991) Other Materials/Technology/Equipment/Resources: pencil, crayons, and journal notebook, book, and note cards with excerpts from the story written on them dry-erase marker, and 2 small white boards to use to write before story and after story predictions and author’s purpose. Grouping structures (one-on-one, small group, whole class): Small group Lesson Sequence Learning ActivitiesAssessment Opportunities Introduction/Anticipatory Set †¢The teacher will (TTW) hold up a book titled Amazing Grace and ask the students to raise their hand to tell what they think the story is about. †¢TTW allow for a few students to give answers and ask other questions that assist the students to use prior knowledge. †¢In order to help the students visualize what they already know or what they think they know about the book, the teacher will write notes on a small white board, using pictures as well where applicable. †¢TTW then tell them that today we are going to learn about the author’s purpose and try to understand why the author wrote those words and what he or she wants us to know and learn. †¢The learner will (TLW) be asked to predict the author’s purpose just by looking at the cover and the first few pages. †¢Allow for a few students to answer. †¢Observe to see if how much prior knowledge Jace has, if any. †¢TTW make notes on the white board labeled â€Å"before† of what predictions each student makes regarding what the story is about. Building/Applying Knowledge and Skills †¢After listing the predictions, TLW listen to TT read the story entirely. †¢After the story is completed read, TTW pause for a moment for the story to sink in and the students to gather their thoughts. †¢TTW as TL what they thought the story was about and what the author’s purpose was. †¢TLW will be allowed to answer. TTW write down a few of the answers on another small white board labeled â€Å"After†. †¢TTW show the stack of index cards to the students and explain that the students will select a card and read it a few times or until it is read fluently then move around to another student in the group and read the excerpt to that student and discuss what it is about and how it connects to them in real life. †¢TTW then instruct TL that this activity is called a tea party. †¢TTW model reading an index card to another student and talk about a personal connection to the story with that student. †¢Allow for TL to ask any questions about the activity and TTW answer any of those questions for the whole group. †¢TTW prompt the learners to begin. †¢TTW observe TL to see if the predictions that are being made are accurate based on the text and pictures in the story. †¢TTW assess the accuracy of the predictions made to the discussion after the reading of the text. Was the use of prior knowledge helpful? †¢TTW assist students with reading fluency and understanding when needed †¢TTW observe each pair of students to see if they are talking about their personal connections. Synthesis/Closure †¢The students will come back together in their small group after discussing the excerpts and connections with the text. †¢TTW have the students to get their journals out to write about their experience with the tea party. †¢TLW also write a sentence what they feel was the authors’ purpose of the story was. †¢TTW observe the students as they write in their journals. †¢TTW assist any student that needs help with writing and will dictate if necessary. †¢TTW collect journal entries and assess whether or not each student understood the purpose of the tea party as well as the author’s purpose. Extension/Enrichment/Transfer of Generalization of Knowledge: -TL could take the note cards home to share with family members. I could also assign the learners to go home with the cards and retell the story to a family member. -The main idea of this story should follow them after this lesson is over. Believe in yourself, no matter what challenges you face. The learners will want to access their prior knowledge whenever an issue arises similar to the one in the story. -Also the reading strategies that are used in this lesson will benefit the learners in school during reading of any topic as well as the rest of their lives. Reflection Tompkins says that strategies are cognitive when they involve thinking and are metacognitive when students reflect on their thinking (Tompkins, 2010). During the small group, the students were thinking cognitively while listening to the text being read to them but after the story the students were thinking metacognitively when asked to enter a journal entry retelling the story. At the beginning of the lesson, I asked the students if they could tell what the story was going to be about by just looking at the cover. The students used their prior knowledge and visual cues to come up with answers. This strategy allowed the students to contribute their knowledge of the subject and to get involved in the text, but also was an important part of comprehension skills. One student said that the book was going to be about a church song, and another student said it was about a girl who lost a tooth. I found this attention grabber to be very useful to Jace, as she is a struggling reader. I did notice that she was very interested in the story even before I began to read the text. The use of retrieving prior knowledge allows students to think about what they already know and helps to comprehend new information easier and understand the text better. I explained to them that authors sometimes have a reason for writing particular stories. Our webcast this week stated how it is important for students to know the authors purpose because it brings more understanding to the text (Laureate Education, 2010). I then began to read the story without stopping. During the lesson, everyone in our small group seemed very engaged. After completely reading the story, I paused for a moment appearing to be thinking , then I asked the students, â€Å"What was the authors reason for writing that story? † I also asked, â€Å"How did the story make you feel? † I wrote down their responses on a small dry erase boards. After discussion of the questions, I introduced our activity. I told the students that we were going to have a tea party. The students read or re-read excerpts from the story that I had copied onto index cards previously. They then had to discuss with each other what they had read and what the author was trying to tell (Tompkins, 2010). The tea party was a big success. I listened as the students talked about how the main character in the story felt. The students also discussed a few times when they felt like they were getting picked on and how it made them feel. After about seven to eight minutes of discussion among the students, I called the group back together and had them to get out their journals to write something about the story that they liked and also to write a sentence telling why the author wrote the story. The students then turned in their journal so that I could read all the responses. The lesson went very well. I really did not think that the lesson would go as well as it did. All on the students in the small group did a great job. Jace was very engaged throughout the entire lesson. Since some of the writing was a little difficult I thought it I would have to dictate or scribe for a few of the students especially Jace but I was wrong and did not have to assist any of the students during their journal writing activity. During the observation of the students as they were having their tea party, I wrote down so of the statements that were said so that I could go back and refer to the notes when I introduced this to the other small groups and when I was grading their journal entries. I also joined in with a few of the students’ discussions and by doing that it really brought the lesson home to the students. I let the students understand that I have emotions too and what the story was trying to tell me. I feel that they enjoyed me joining their conversations and I felt that they were able to open up and connect with the story on a higher comprehension level.. Looking back on this lesson, I feel like the students were actively involved in their learning. When active learning is taking place the learner must assume responsibility for the learning experience (Pang, 2010). Research suggests that students must have an understanding of the metacognitive and reflective practices they are utilizing for authentic learning to be successful (Pang, 2010) I feel that the students learned quite a bit from this lesson by connecting with their metacognitive level of learning. The students activated their prior knowledge before and during the lesson as well. The story was truly broken down and the main focus was learned. I feel that my learning objectives were achieved based on the data that was collected. I feel that I would change two things when hosting a tea party again. The first would be to have the whole class participating in the activity instead of a small group of students. The other that I would do differently would be to include more picture cues for my lower leveled students and any ELL that I might have. These students might have a harder time reading each small section of the text. I had to read the text to Jace and one other student a few extra times before she was able to read it fluently on her own. According to cognitive developmental theories, Cognitive development includes intellectual maturity and metacognitive superiority (Pang, 2010). My small group of students that I wrote the lesson for had to critically think about the author’s purpose and how to respond in a personally. Performing this lesson helped me to better understand, if taught correctly, that second graders can think critically without much guidance. I felt proud of my students for their abilities they showed when reading the text and responding to the emotions of the text in a meaningful way. When administering this same lesson to Case and Grace in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, I would provide more guidance and support before and during the tea party. I would also allow them to draw and try to write the authors purpose in their journals.