Kim, I think you should do whatever you are comfortable with in terms of the test you are sitting….but given that half your students are ESL and you have a couple of attention issues you might like to just consider the following. You are happy with their understanding of ‘fiction’ but they need more work on non-fiction is what I am understanding you are saying. ESL learners need more support with non-fiction. They actually need to learn the text structure of expository text, ((Reutzel & Cooter, 2007). e.g. Cause and effect, compare and contrast, description, questions and answers and time order. Have you wondered why your students have not transferred from fiction to non-fiction with the same level of interaction? In using your piece on child labor I would be looking at focusing your lesson with one of the above strategies, fine tuning your questions so that you can build upon prior knowledge and so that your students can make connections. ESL kids and indeed most kids need more scaffolding for non-fiction and most certainly attention to the academic language and or new vocabulary that can be imbedded without context or pictorial support. And research does show that whatever differentiation you employ in the regular classroom for your ESL students is of immense benefit to your other students as well. I think my reply today was too quick, I was thinking for a ‘performance’ fiction would be an easier way to go. Content in curriculum areas is of course important but providing support to develop the skills for accessing information is paramount. A great starter would be a ‘visual’ as in a photo on your overhead that ‘shows child labor’, give the kids are context to build on when you are reading. And, maybe at this point you could incorporate the language of the text in your discussion if you think any of it is going to be new. Also, what is it you want the children to understand about child labor? This will help you develop the questions that will promote thinking on both an ‘understanding/comprehension level’ and what the students need to know and build upon in understanding for their Social Studies unit. Good luck on this
--- On Fri, 28/11/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] whole class discussion question > To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > Received: Friday, 28 November, 2008, 1:12 PM > Hi Kim, > I am an NBCT (EC Gen) and I help facilitate candidate > support meetings here > in my district. I have a couple of thoughts for you. > First...what standards > are assessed in your entry? If one of your standards being > assessed is your > knowledge of students then you need to make choices that > show you know your > students and their needs and interests. To me, I think you > might have an > advantage using the non fiction piece if you include in > your writing the reasoning > why you chose this piece (they need help comprehending > nonfiction and they > have an interest in the topic.) > > Why is it you think that the nonfiction metacognition > lesson might not > translate to tape well? Do you think the kids won't > talk? Will they not understand > enough to discuss it? > > Read the article as a reader...not as a teacher. What are > YOU thinking > about as you read it? What are the main ideas? What > questions are left in your > mind? Now put yourself in your student's shoes. Where > will they be interested? > What parts do you anticipate will be confusing? What > strategies will they > try? Finally, put your teacher shoes back on... what does > this article scream > for you to teach. Will it make kids WANT to think? Will > they understand > enough to make them want to engage but are there still > tantalizing details that > will leave questions in their minds? > > I think it is very possible to do a great lesson with > nonfiction for > metacognition...I think it may actually be easier than > fiction for kids struggling > with that process. What you need to do is make sure that > the article is going > to pull them in...make them want to learn more...it needs > to be full of > intriguing details but it should also leave them with some > questions or some > surprises... > > Jennifer > EC Gen 98 (renewed 06) > > In a message dated 11/27/2008 8:59:34 P.M. Eastern > Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > Hi All, > > Forgive me for just jumping in, but I am so stressed at the > moment and need > your collective wisdom. I am a candidate for National > Boards (ELA Early > Adolescent). (I teach 6th grade ELA.) I am now working on > Entry #2 Whole > Class Discussion. I have to send in 15 minutes of a video > taped lesson which > I will analyze and reflect upon. > > I spent considerable time creating a lesson on teaching > the reading strategy > of metacognition using a nonfciton text. The lesson > follows STW. I will > model using a think aloud, have students doing think, > pair, share, and then > eventually having them practice with guidance. My > instructional goal is for > the students to interact with the text as opposed to just > decoding the > words---to think about their thinking. (They are having a > hard time with > this. Half of the class is ESL. I also have two students > with ADD.) > > My question/concern is this: Should I use nonfiction? It > might be easier to > have a whole class discussion about a piece of fiction, > however, my students > are fairly familiar with fiction. They *really* need help > with nonfiction. > > The text is a short article about child labor in Equador. > (They've become > very interested in child labor issues.) > I'm getting nervous that the nonfiction metcognition > lesson might not lend > itself to the taping process. > > Does anyone have any advice? Any and all thoughts would be > appreciated. > > Kim > in NC > > > > **************Finally, one site has it all: your friends, > your email, your > favorite sites. Try the NEW AOL.com. > (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000006) > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at > http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. Start your day with Yahoo!7 and win a Sony Bravia TV. Enter now http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/?p1=other&p2=au&p3=tagline _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
