Assignment #2: Complete the 4 part assignment format as you read, reflect, and respond to Chapter 2 – Identifying Similarities and Differences.
Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part C and D. We’re trying to make the blog easier to read and more user- friendly. Thanks!
A. Guiding Questions for Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of identifying similarities in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment. (Complete – but do not post!)
• What is the purpose of asking students to compare?
• What kinds of activities do I use to help students compare?
• I can think of a time that I asked students to compare, and I was pleased with the results. Why did it go well?
• I can think of a time that I asked students to compare, and I was not pleased with the results. Why did it not go well?
• What questions do I have about using comparing in my classroom?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”: This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 2 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for identifying similarities and differences. (Complete – but do not post!)
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom) – please post a brief reflection of how this went to the posting labeled Week Two: Identifying Similarities and Differences. Click on the “comment” link below.
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/prompts to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Two: Identifying Similarities and Difference by clicking on the “comment” link below.
How has the information you read in this chapter on comparing affected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? Use the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How has reading this information affirmed some of what you already knew about comparing?
• What is something you now understand better about comparing?
• How might you change how you use comparing in your classroom?
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6 comments:
C. I had my students use a Venn Diagram to compare Lewis and Clark. 4th graders are familiar with this graphic organizer. We read profiles for Lewis and Clark whole group. Students were asked to use two different colored highlighters. One color represented everything about Lewis and the other color Clark. I then asked students to work in pairs and fill out a Venn Diagram Identifying the Characters that were different and those that were the same. We then created a large Venn Diagram to hang in the class. This activity was very effective in helping students identify what kind of men Lewis and Clark were.--From Grace Grieve
Thanks for sharing your activity Grace. This was a great strategy to use to allow the kids to think deep about the historical figures of Louis and Clark. I especially think it was effective to use the color coded highlighter in the text to help support the comparisons and contrasts!
D. I do not use metaphors and analogies in making comparisons and similarities very often. Because I sometimes have difficulties with identifying metaphors and analogies. I do appreciate the way the author presented teacher directed --and student directed examples of how to use them.
For a more student directed activity with the Lewis and Clark Venn Diagram I could ask students to compare their childhood with Lewis and Clark or I am stumped in how to use an analogy or metephor to compare Lewis and Clark. Any suggestions?
Lewis and Clark was to the Westward Exploration Movement in America as ____________ was to _____________.
How about (looking back in time):
Lewis and Clark was to the Westward Exploration Movement in America __(Columbus/Magellan...)__ was to _the _Discovering of the Earth being "round"___.
This was difficult because there is no area on Earth today as unexplored and unknown to us as there were at the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition...would they understand how unexplored the ocean floor actually is??? How about comparing it to something in space (moon,mars)??? These are just some thoughts.... :)
C. My first grade class was getting ready to study frogs. At the beginning of the unit I had my students brainstorm *Things they already knew about frogs and *What they wondered about frogs.
At the end of our unit, through the teacher-directed comparison task example, I used a Venn Diagram and asked table groups to compare frogs and toads by listing similarities and differences.
My students did a great job. When it came time to share with the rest of the class, I was amazed at all the different ways my students had compared the two amphibians.
D. I was a bit surprised that identifying similarities/differences was the first of the instructional strategies that affected student achievement. After reading that identifying similarities/differences is the "core" of all learning I have begun to search the web for ideas to incorporate more instructional strategies into my lessons. My students really connect with Venn diagrams mainly because it provides such a visual.
My reading class is in the process of comparing different genres using a chart.
I will change how I use comparing in my classroom at times by providing students with a student-directed activity.
Paula - thanks for your comments! It is surprising how effective using comparing and contrasting is on student learning. Lucky for us...it's so universal - we can use it in teaching across the content areas in our classroom. Make sure you go outside the literacy block... we're constantly comparing, contrasting, classifying, and creating metaphors in math, science, writing, social studies....
I really liked the idea of creating a comparison chart for different literary genres!!!
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