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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7 comments:
Part C:
My reading students read a selection about the construction of The Great Wall Of China. Then they read an accompanying paperback book in the reading program (leveled book) about other ancient constructions. Their choices were the pyramids of Egypt, Hadrian's Wall, and something else that I can't remember at the moment.
I had them respond to the reading by making a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting various aspects of the constructions they had read about. It was helpful to have been reminded in the textbook to preface the lesson by instructing the students to avoid obvious comparisons (such as "they're both walls"). I think for most students, it hit that sweet spot where it was just challenging enough that they weren't bored, but not so difficult that they immediately disengaged with the lesson. I also noticed they were able to recall more specific details than they usually do on straight comprehension assessments.
Part D:
I suppose I'd always thought of comparing and contrasting in terms of a more general "higher level thinking," or more specifically, the "analysis" level of Bloom's Taxonomy. This chapter affirmed that it is in fact a research-supported practice. I used to do Daily Oral Analogies with my classes in years past, but got away from that, for reasons I can't remember. This chapter made a strong case for returning to that practice, unlike the much less research-supported "daily oral language" activities.
The two different scenarios where only 10% of the people are able to find a solution to the inoperable tumor problem, but most people can find a solution to attacking the centrally located dictator, helps me understand not only why teaching analogous thinking is important, but also how using it as much as possible to explain new concepts can be the difference between understanding and confusion. I understood the importance before, but that example only served to make it crystal clear.
In addition to returing to using the daily oral analogies in my classroom, I will also have my students answer the "making connections" questions that always appear at the end of their readings. In the past, I dismissed those as too easy to write a poor "fluff" answer on, but I see that if they are properly set up, they can have great benefit.
Thanks for your comments Sam. It was great that you were already integrating similarities and differences into your curriculum. I think that it’s a great idea to bring analogies back into your instruction, kids love to work with them if you make it fun. Unfortunately, with the cycle of education always spinning, sometimes very effective teaching practices end up falling out of favor or forgotten.
C. In science, we study insects and spiders. At the second grade level, this includes body parts, food, environment, and predators. After studying these aspects for awhile, we complete a Venn Diagram comparing/contrasting the spider to the insect. This is usually a whole group activity. The kids enjoy it and love to talk about any part of a bug!
D. I enjoyed this chapter because it affirmed a lot of what I already do in the classroom. I feel like I use comparing/contrasting and classifying a lot at the primary level. However, it did make me think about what I am having them compare. Often it is more general, and we list all the things we can come up with. I do think it would be beneficial to narrow down the field sometimes, and help my students think more specifically about one part of a topic.
Also, when I was reading the chapter and they listed the four ways to compare, I first thought, "I can't use metaphors or analogies in a primary classroom." But as I went on to read the text and the examples, I realized it is possible. In fact, just yesterday we did a metaphor of a landfill as a class (by making a pie landfill and comparing each layer to a layer in the pie), and I didn't even think of it that way! The kids really seemed to digest the information, and of course, loved eating it when we were finished! I do think that using those higher level skills of comparing, like metaphors and analogies, need to be done teacher-directed still at this young of an age.
Thanks for your response Katy! I taught 2nd grade a little bit back, and it was definitely one of my favorites. These guys love to learn…especially about insects. Using comparison and contrast to learn about all kinds of animals, especially insects, are so much fun. Isn’t it great when you feel affirmed about your instruction since you work so hard? :)
Assignment 2 - Kristi Richards
C. In a few of my second grade groups, we have been looking at text features in informational texts. They are struggling with using information found in charts within the text. So, we recently read a book about frogs and toads. We made an input chart/comparison matrix with various topic headings. We then used the matrix to fill in a Venn diagram comparing the two.
D. As Sarah mentioned, I have been trained in GLAD, which uses lots of charts, graphic organizers, and sentence frames for comparing information. I often have these materials posted around my room. Yet, though we’re making the charts, I’ve realized that I’m not teaching the students how to access this information further and how to apply these materials to a new topic. The descriptions of teacher-directed work and student-directed work were very helpful to me. I realize this is obvious, but it did make me aware of how often I’m modeling the charts and the experience. I’m often leading guided experiences, without taking that next step and allowing the students to take ownership of the strategy by practicing making these comparisons with their own topics.
Posted by Sarah Barnett
Part C:
We have recently studied geometric shapes in my first grade class as part of the Bridges math adoption. As part of that unit, my students did an activity which used the "Student-Directed Classification Tasks" as described on page 20. After doing the task whole group using the document camera, each pair of students got a worksheet with pictures of various geometric shapes and a categories graphic organizer with only two columns. The partners had to work together to decide what the two categories would be, then cut out, arrange, and glue the paper shapes into the two categories. Their categories tended to be "four sides/not four sides," "three corners/not three corners," etc. The children were all actively engaged in the project, and for the most part, seemed to understand the idea of choosing the categories, and then putting the shapes into those categories.
Part D:
I have taught my students to use venn diagrams to compare and contrast characters and story components for a number of years. We start by using a venn diagram to compare and contrast simple objects like a marker and a pencil. Then we work up to comparing & contrasting characters, settings, problems, and solutions between books. This year, in our Bridges program, we used wall chart size comparison matrix like the one pictured in figure 2.4 to look at similarities and difference among different types of penguins. The students were fascinated with this and very excited to contribute information to add to the chart. We are just starting a farm unit, and we will use a similar matrix to look at characteristics of a variety of farm animals.
I have been learning that I can help students to be successful by starting with more "teacher-directed" activities, then as students get the hang of it, change to more "student-directed" activities, as when they decided on their own categories for the geometric shapes. I am finding that identifying similarities and differences is really a very engaging teaching strategy, and I plan to weave it into more and more of my instruction. It really helps to get children thinking.
Thanks for your comments Kristi and Sarah. Kristi – I’m curious as to whether the chart/comparison matrix or Venn helped the students access the information any better? I’m sure that they were interested in comparing frogs and toads :) As far as the amount of time spent on modeling…it depends on what grade you are working with..the younger students will need more modeling like you are doing…it is important like you stated, to be sure to give students an opportunity to transfer their learning independently. Sarah – what a perfect math lesson using the Student Directed Classification Tasks…were you using power polygons that varied in color, thickness, and size as well as “shape” as most of them classified? Great job thinking about how you can use these strategies to support your current curriculum instruction….and not be just adding “one more thing”!
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