EDCI 602: Learning Goals
The overarching goal we set for our students for the first week of school was: TSW define and identify each of the 8 parts of speech in sentences. Along with this we included subject/verb agreement, identification and correction of sentence fragments, and a discussion of the difference between the parts of a sentence (subject, verb, etc) versus the parts of speech. For the remainder of summer school we plan to continue working on basic grammar skills (subject vs object, subj/verb agreement, etc), mechanics (mainly punctuation), effective writing skills, and reading comprehension (identifying main idea, summarizing, etc).
We selected these skills based on four broad categories: the mississippi state frameworks, the MCT test, the EBS objectives passed to us from the school district, and our assessment of the likely problem areas for these students based on a year of teaching similar students elsewhere. The skills that we plan to teach are generally basic and necessary skills that every student needs, and because of the situation and the grade level we have designed lessons that allow space for prior knowledge in the form of contributions in class, but that do not rely on this prior knowledge in order to acquire the desired skills.
The inductive strategy we included in our planning was an activity in which students organized various words written on index cards into different groups based on the 8 parts of speech (all cards fit into one of the 8 categories = concept formation). This activity helped us assess students' understanding of the different functions of each of the 8 parts of speech (a sort of pre-assessment) and gave us a brief opportunity to individually help students who were struggling. Additionally, through words that can serve as more than one part of speech we were able to discuss the idea that there is not always just one right answer and that it is important to pay attention to all the parts of a question rather than assuming that your first guess is the right one.
For the next two weeks we have organized each day into four "subject" blocks (grammar, punctuation, writing skills, and reading comprehension) in the hope that this structure will help our students organize the information that they receive as well as providing some consistency in the midst of changing teachers in order to effect our ultimate goal of student learning.
We selected these skills based on four broad categories: the mississippi state frameworks, the MCT test, the EBS objectives passed to us from the school district, and our assessment of the likely problem areas for these students based on a year of teaching similar students elsewhere. The skills that we plan to teach are generally basic and necessary skills that every student needs, and because of the situation and the grade level we have designed lessons that allow space for prior knowledge in the form of contributions in class, but that do not rely on this prior knowledge in order to acquire the desired skills.
The inductive strategy we included in our planning was an activity in which students organized various words written on index cards into different groups based on the 8 parts of speech (all cards fit into one of the 8 categories = concept formation). This activity helped us assess students' understanding of the different functions of each of the 8 parts of speech (a sort of pre-assessment) and gave us a brief opportunity to individually help students who were struggling. Additionally, through words that can serve as more than one part of speech we were able to discuss the idea that there is not always just one right answer and that it is important to pay attention to all the parts of a question rather than assuming that your first guess is the right one.
For the next two weeks we have organized each day into four "subject" blocks (grammar, punctuation, writing skills, and reading comprehension) in the hope that this structure will help our students organize the information that they receive as well as providing some consistency in the midst of changing teachers in order to effect our ultimate goal of student learning.
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