Today we had our last group do their presentation. Please give this group some feedback so they will have something to comment on in their write up.
Hard to believe this semester is coming to a close. It has been a deep pleasure working with you and I'm glad I've gotten to know you. I feel the future of teaching is secure with wonderful new teachers like you going out into the field. All the best of luck to you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the summer; for sure you have worked hard and deserve a break.
All the best,
Sue
Last but not least! Well done team! I can see students really enjoying the nonsensical aspects of this book (as well as the underwear reference... I know I would have found it hilarious). I feel like predicting is a skill that transcends language arts and is incredibly useful in everyday contexts. You guys put together a lesson that flows well, is engaging and encourages creativity and critical thinking. Something I might add to this (already strong) lesson is some kind of preamble that helps define words like "prediction" and "reasoning". While some students might know what these words mean, others may not at the primary level. This would set all students up for success. Once again, this is a super lesson. I can tell you guys thought long and hard about it. Super-duper!
ReplyDeleteI thought that this lesson was great. The book was engaging and was perfect for a prediction lesson. I thought that the group did a good job at modeling activities prior to students doing them. One point that I would pay a bit of attention to is the language used within the lesson. Be sure not to mix up the words intferencing and predicting unless students have previous knowledge of the differences. Overall, I thought the lesson was well put together and fun. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi everyone in group seven. I’m sorry that I only caught the last part of your presentation due to a missed bus connection. From talking to you after, though, I got a sense of your lesson and it looked quite intriguing. The Sweetest Fig is definitely an appealing resource to begin with. I also appreciate that you worked with the concept of inferencing as it is such a challenge for young students. I know my gr. 6 & 7 students were still reluctant to stretch their minds a bit and ‘guess’ at the author’s implicit messages; many still want it all spelled out for them. I’m looking forward to sharing more ideas with you guys next class - see you Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very impressive presentation. The book that the group chose was a very interesting one with an usual ending – The Sweetest Fig. The group summarized the story page by page which was a good strategy to use due to time limitations. They showed the pictures to give us a better visual understanding of the setting of the story. I liked the strategies used for metacognition i.e. scaffolding approach using predictions but informed predictions (inferring). I also liked the idea of using a comic strip to have students illustrate their predictions as to the ending of the story. This takes into account ELL as well as struggling writers. Also, it helps students with sequencing a story as well. I can tell that much thought was put into this presentation. I also like the idea of a gallery walk at the end of the lesson which would enable students to view their classmates’ creative ideas and validate their creativity and informed predictions at the same time. Thanks for sharing this wonderful lesson and book with us. I would love to use this book in September!
ReplyDeleteHey Group Seven!
ReplyDeleteI thought your group provided a fantastic lesson that was both creative and engaging. It was interesting that so many groups decided to focus their lessons on prediction. What I found unique and beneficial about your lesson on prediction was that it incorporated reasoning. Instead of just asking students about what they thought would happen, you challenged them to justify the reasoning for their prediction. I found this valuable because it helps communicate to students the various components and ideas that are applied during prediction. Another aspect of your lesson that I appreciated was the activity that involved creating a comic strip. I know that students would absolutely love this activity, which makes it very engaging. Fantastic Lesson!
Group 7: I love the book that your group chose for this lesson on predictions. With this book, The Sweetest Fig, I think that the students would enjoy seeing how their predictions turn out, especially with the twist at the end. I liked that you stressed the significance of making predictions based on reasoning, rather than making wild guesses. Perhaps, to explain the word 'reasoning' to students who may struggle with vocabulary, you could include the word 'why?' in brackets on the worksheet, to prompt them into explaining the reason behind their prediction. I also liked the idea of having the students make wordless comic strips and doing a gallery walk with them after. This activity would really develop their skill of making inferences using only pictures. These skills will support and build on what they know about making valid predictions. Great job on the lesson and presentation Group 7!
ReplyDeleteHello group 7:
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I liked that you began your lesson with a discussion of the rationale for the lesson. I also liked the prompts that you chose, to help the students remember what they had just read in the book. I thought that the comic strip was a neat and original idea, and that students would really enjoy doing it. Your group also provided the audience with plenty of visuals such as a sample rubric,and the example of a comic strip layout so we could really see how the lesson would be laid out. I also really liked that you had the students determine what the objective was for the lesson, instead of the teacher telling them. By having the students determine the purpose of the lesson, they can take away a personal meaning from it.
Overall, great job guys!
I thought that the book you chose to use was fantastic! I love the comic strip layout and think that this can be adapted to many age groups. I really like the way that you laid out so that there was a minimum expectation with the option of having a second sheet if the students were on a role with it. As Katt mentioned above, involving the students in determining the objective is a great idea. I think any time you involve students in the "whys" or decision making you are automatically giving the lesson more purpose. I also find it to be very effective from a classroom management perspective - if students feel they have a hand in the decisions they appear to be more likely to respect the classroom environment. Great work!
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