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 D to the blog. We are trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read...Please remember to keep your responses brief so that all participants will read your thoughts! 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).
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?
11 comments:
Laura Lemma
This chapter affirmed the importance of using comparing and contrasting in the classroom to strengthen instruction and learning for all students. After reading this chapter, the purpose behind teacher-directed comparison tasks and student-directed comparison tasks has become clearer. Next year as I teach, I will be more deliberate about explicitly modeling through teacher-directed tasks while also giving students the opportunity to practice through student-directed tasks.
It's great to hear that you plan to be more deliberate in your instruction through both teacher modeling as well as giving your students the opportunity to take more ownership over their learning. I was curious as to whether you had a specific plan on how you might do this with your first graders next year? Maybe there is a specific content area unit where this type of learning would fit beautifully?
I would like to do more comparing and contrasting during literacy. I really liked the comparison matrix and could see using that in literacy to compare anthology and read aloud stories as well as in science during our pebbles, sand and silt unit.
Assignment #2:
I have seen the benefits of discussing similarities and differences in my classroom over the years. The exercise allows the class to understand the topic(s) more deeply and often times see it from a different perspective. I appreciated the section that described comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, and creating analogies. I have a greater understanding of the importance of using each of these strategies in my classroom to increase student’s knowledge of the curriculum. Next year I will incorporate more classifying, creating metaphors, and creating analogies to assist students in identifying similarities and differences
Hi David – You are right….asking students to identify similarities and differences definitely promotes higher level thinking that leads to deeper comprehension for your students. Good to hear that you are going to create opportunities for your students to do more of this type of thinking next year!
Week Two: Identifying Similarities and Difference
I use several of these ideas within my practice because of what I know about schema (what you already know.) I see using the comparison along with a graphic organizer (venn diagram) helps to recognize what a student already knows and to place gained knowledge alongside. I used this very idea when introducing a chapter book to some of my stronger first grade readers. They were reading Frog and Toad and in order to understand the humor they needed to understand why frogs and toads are similar yet different.
I am thinking how these ideas might translate across subjects. I see strong correlation to reading and writing. How would “Metaphor” be used in math? Could I lead a student-directed task for the similarities in addition to multiplication? Am I stretching the idea too much? Sure has me thinking.
I really appreciated the way this chapter broke down four different strategies to use similarities and differences in the classroom, specifically illustrating how to use these strategies to get a desired outcome. On page 16 of the text an example is given to show how to use teacher-directed activities to focus more on specific similarities and differences, where a student-directed activity would be nicely used to “stimulate divergence”. I could see this being really helpful in the middle school classroom when learning about persuasive writing techniques and developing strong thesis statements. It could really help students narrow their focus when reading for information and give them an opportunity to have thoughtful dialogue with their peers when comparing and contrasting.
Hi Debra! Thanks for sharing your great thoughts on how you might work with similarities and differences in reading and writing (and yes…I find these areas easier as well…most likely because I’m a Reading & Language Arts Consultant ;)). I like your idea of using it in math as well with fact families….I’ll have to ponder this further with my math specialist colleague!
Hi there Nicolette – thanks for sharing your thinking – I could see how comparing and contrasting would be a very important strategy for these students you are providing more in-depth support during your after-school program. I loved both of your ideas of using these strategies for persuasive writing as well as to facilitate conversation amongst their peers.
Assignment #2 “Identifying Similarities and Differences”
Since I teach young children, I use every opportunity to offer the students the choice to sort and categorize by similarities and differences. Many of the labs in my class involve the opportunity for students to sort various items. I like to sit down with students or small groups and begin to verbalize my ideas of different ways to sort the items in different labs. The children often join me. Depending on the child’s level of development, they will join me and help sort by color, shape, or size. Sometimes (to my joy) the children will tell me exactly how they want to sort the buttons. The children eventually become confident in sorting items by similarities and differences. I introduce more complex items that have various ways they can be classified. A good example of a more complex level of classifying is an activity where students sort and group leaves. The leaves have four different shapes and four different sizes. The leaves are available in green, yellow, red, and mixed colors in all shapes and sizes. This multiplies the possible ways the students can classify and sort the leaves. It is great fun, and I enjoy observing how the students choose to classify the similarities and differences.
Hi Laura and welcome to the course! How exciting to be teaching in Alaska – what a unique experience! I think you are my first participant from that area;) I look forward to reading your reflections.
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