Graphic+Organizer

Collaborators: Angela Hanvey and Bridget Scherrer  and Both


 * Important:**
 * 1) Each partner should use a **different color font** to indicate her/his contributions to this collaborative assignment. Do not use black!
 * 2) Where you see a **diamond-shaped** bullet (turned into a "v" by wikispaces), you will need to provide a response.
 * 3) “Yes” and “no” (or variations of these such as “none”) are incomplete answers and will earn **zero points**, except as noted on the checklist.


 * Planning **

· Reading Comprehension Strategy

Questioning - Advanced

v Which AASL indicators align with this reading comprehension strategy? Note both the number and the actual language of the indicator. Standard 1, Indicator 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions. Standard 1, Indicator 1.1.3 “Develop and refine a range of questions to frame search for new understanding.” Standard 1, Indicator 1.2.1: “Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts”

Standard 1, Indicator 1.2.4: ""Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information." Standard 1, Indicator 1.1.5: "Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context." Excellent analysis. Does this lesson **assess** all of these?

· Reading Development Level Note: The levels indicated on the CS4TRC lesson plans correspond roughly as follows: Emerging: Grades K-1 Advancing: Grades 2-3 Advanced: Grades 4-6 Advanced Grade:6

However, these are approximations. Depending on the reading proficiency of the students with whom you work, these grades levels should be adjusted up or down. I have used some of the advanced lesson with 8th-grade students. LS 5443 students who are interested in serving at the high school level should choose an advanced lesson for this assignment.

· Instructional Strategies

Review these strategies on page 13 in CS4TRC.

v Which of these research-based instructional strategies have you used in your teaching? Name them. Questions and Cues-At the beginning of any research project, questions and cues are an important part of the research process. This allows my students to center in on what they are learning and what they want to learn more about.

Setting Up Objectives and following up with feedback-Normally anytime that I am going to work on research-based instructional strategies, I would set up objectives for the lesson/research plan and provide the students with feedback. Identifying similarities and differences - I have used this strategy with my students in Math by using examples of how concepts are related to each other by showing nonexamples. In addition, I have explicitly taught this strategy using Venn Diagrams in elementary with lessons on Comparing and Contrasting.

Summarizing and note taking - I use both of these strategies almost daily in my Math class. We take notes on how to solve math problems. Within our notes, we use an icon to symbolize our big idea. Students are then able to find the symbol within their notes when looking back to see what the big idea of the lesson was. The big idea summarizes what the lesson was all about.

Cooperative learning - This strategy is big in math instruction. Students in my class are grouped together to work cooperatively to develop strategies and algorithms for problem solving.

In Marzano's work, students (as well as teachers) can be involved and setting up objectives. This is a close connection between research-based instructional strategies and the AASL S4L.

v Which of these instructional strategies do you need to learn? Name them and describe them. Cooperative learning-I have been done some cooperative learning throughout the years, but I think it would be good for me to explore more cooperative learning opportunities. I am interested to know what new and innovative ideas have been introduced into the field of education in reference to cooperative learning.

Advance Organizers-I think that I have used a lot of bubble maps, etc. I think that it would be good to work with students on incorporating more graphic organizers that best fit their learning style. It would be good to model a variety of the different type of graphic organizers and help the students to incorporate the ones that will work best for them as an individual.

Nonlinguistic representation - This is one of the areas where I need some improvement. Ideas for representing information that is not standard is not something that I readily think of when designing lesson. According to Moreillon, "Drawing pictures, creating graphs, and kinesthetic activities are three types of nonlinguistic representation students use to show their learning in many lesson." (p.13)

Cues and advance organizers - These two strategies are additional areas where I need further practice. Cues allow students to be clued in to what it is they are learning and help them make connections to prior knowledge. Advance organizers, also known as graphic organizers, can be used to help students organize their thoughts and ideas.

Good self-assessment. It is interesting to note your overlap and your individual strengths and background knowledge related to the strategies. Questioning and notemaking and summarizing are particularly important for resource-based lessons (research/inquiry). It is important to develop a range of options for engaging students in these strategies. · Lesson Length: 

v What are your questions about the lesson length? You must have at least one. How much time will be alloted for this project during their regular library time and how much time will I need to schedule students in for additional library time to work on this?

Would I also schedule in times to go into the classroom to work with the students on this project during the week?

How often will students visit the library for this lesson in a given week? Will the lesson be spread out over several week's time?

Can the pacing of this lesson be adjusted to accommodate the amount of time classes will spend in the library for instruction? For me, the session length is dependent on students' attention spans and engagement and scheduling issues. In my libraries, a session equals a class period (45 minutes to an hour). Ideally, you would allow a bit more time just in case students were too engaged to stop! In a flexible schedule (which is a best practice), there is no "regular" library time. Time is negotiated based on the students' needs for accomplishing the learning tasks. With proper library staffing, a teacher-librarian is free to co-teach in the classroom or computer lab. These are options that are negotiated based on the best environment for student success. If you have worked within the constraints of a fixed schedule in which students come to the library just one time per week, there are many options for increasing the amount of time you spend with students. School librarians must think about the fact that NO other teachers in their buildings introduce and teach a concept on Tuesday morning at 10:00 and NEVER mention it again until the next Tuesday morning at 10:00. This is simply not an effective instructional practice. What are your strategies for getting out of the fixed schedule library box?

· Purpose

v How is the purpose of the lesson connected—or not connected—to your idea of the type of instruction that “should” take place in the school library?

Using questioning techniques to develop understanding of text is a literacy skill that is appropriate for both classroom and library settings. The goal of the school library is to promote reading and create literate individuals who can locate and use information in all forms. Students who are able to ask relevant questions and inquire further into a topic will become literate members of society. As librarians, it is vital to teach students how to become literate members of society through literacy instruction in the school library.

Utilizing questioning techniques in the library is essential in order to activate the students prior knowelege, help them to connect that knowledge to new information, and eventually to allow them to formulate new questions. The library is the perfect setting for this. It is a resource information center which provides books, instruction-from the teacher librarian, and technology resources. The students will be able to build upon their prior knowledge as they begin to connect this with new pieces of information, and then utilize the library and all of its resources to find the answers to their new questions. This will help to prepare students to becomeindependent thinkers and researchers in the present and the future.

Thoughtful responses. If we think about reading and information seeking as interrelated processes, there is very little if anything that we do in schools that is not appropriate for a classroom-library collaborative lesson. · Objectives

Review Bloom’s Taxonomy: []

v List at least one verb that is used to name what students will do for every objective in this lesson; list the corresponding level on Bloom’s. Use this chart.

Objective 4 Objective 5 Objective 6 Objective7 || Identify Relate Express Interpret Analyze || Comprehension Knowledge Comprehenson Application Analysis || Even in strategy lessons such as this one, we should seek a balance between what we label lower-order and higher-order thinking.
 * Example:**
 * Objective || Verb || Level on Bloom’s ||
 * Objective 1 || Pose || Analysis ||
 * Objective 2 || Code || Analysis ||
 * Objective3

· Resources, Materials, and Equipment Children’s Literature Websites Graphic Organizers Materials Equipment

v Which are the different formats or genres used to support learners? ​ Graphic Organizers, Websites QAR Category Matrix, Biographies, Historical Fiction As school librarians, suggesting resources is a critical part of what we bring to the collaboration table. Always query yourself about your resources. Are they student-centered? Are they the best choices to reach the learning outcomes?

v Which technology tools are used? If technology is not used in this lesson, do you think there are appropriate tools to help students meet the lesson objectives? Name those tools and how you would use them. Smart Board, Computers Other appropriate tools if technology is not used: Printed Reference Materials, Books, Flip Charts Overhead and Data Projectors If the overhead and data projector were not available, I would use large paper from a chart tablet to record student responses. Also, instead of a SmartBoard, a plain white board or chalk board could be used to record information.

Good. Although having access to all the whistles and bells may be ideal, we can accomplish a great deal with minimal equipment - if we are resourceful.

· Collaboration

v How does this lesson maximize the benefits of two (or more) educators coteaching? Be specific. The students have more than one individual working with them. This gives them more one on one attention and allows them to ask more questions and seek guidance and assistance. In addition to having more individualized instruction, students also benefit from having two experienced and knowledgeable educators providing instruction during this lesson. Students will be able to gain knowledge from the perspectives of both experienced teachers. These are the benefits for students. Now, think back - way back - to A.1.4. What are benefits to educators? ... There are also planning benefits. Even with published lesson plans, prior planning - although shorter - is needed and the lesson is strengthened in the process.

· Assessment

v Are there multiple methods/tools for assessing student outcomes? If there’s one, name it. If there are multiple, name them. Mind Mapping-Graphic Organizers

Student Presentations

Students' category matrices can be used as a form of assessment. The extension activity requiring students to work in pairs to write historical fiction can also be used for assessment.

v Are there opportunities for learners to self assess? (AASL Strand #4: Self-Assessment Strategies) What are they? Rubrics Reflection questions posed at the end of the lesson can be used as a self-assessment tool for the students.

Rubrics are just one way. Educators must also set expectations for the completion of a graphic organizer. Students can self-assess the completeness of their work and reflect on whether or not it was easy or difficult for them to accomplish the learning tasks. These are all self-assessments.

· Standards Reading and/or writing Listening and speaking Other content areas Information literacy Educational technology

v What content-area standards are integrated into this lesson? List them. Use specific standards from state standards in Texas or the state you and your partner have negotiated.

Note: These lesson plans were published before AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner were available. ELA 6.9 Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. 6.9 Students are expected to compare and contrast the stated or implied purposes of different authors writing on the same topic. 6.17C: write responses to literary or expository texts and provide evidence to demonstrate understanding. 6.22A: brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate open-ended questions to address the major research topic. 6.22B: generate a research plan for gathering relevant information about major research question 6.23A follow the research plan to collect data from a range of print and electronic resources (e.g., reference texts, periodicals, web pages, online sources) and data from experts ; 6.23B: differentiate between primary and secondary sources 6.23C record data, utilizing available technology (e.g., word processors) in order to see the relationships between ideas, and convert graphic/visual data (e.g., charts, diagrams, timelines) into written notes ; 6.24A narrow or broaden the major research question, if necessary, based on further research and investigation; an d 6.25A compiles important information from multiple sources; 6.25B develops a topic sentence, summarizes findings, and uses evidence to support conclusions 6.26A listen to and interpret a speaker's messages (both verbal and nonverbal) and ask questions to clarify the speaker's purpose and perspective 6.27 Students are expected to give an organized presentation with a specific point of view, employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively. 6.28 Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to participate in student-led discussions by eliciting and considering suggestions from other group members and by identifying points of agreement and disagreement.

Technology 6.6C demonstrate the ability to identify the source, location, media type, relevancy, and content validity of available information. 6.8A participate with electroncic communities as a learner initiator, contributor, and teacher/mentor; 6.8B complete tasks using technological collaboration such as sharing information through on-line communications ; 6.9B resolve information conflicts and validate information through research and comparison of datactr. 6.10A use productivity tools to create effective document files for defined audiences such as slide shows, posters, multimedia presentations, newsletters, brochures, or report s

Social Studies 6.2A: explain the significance of individuals or groups from selected societies, past and present 6.2B: describe the influence of individual and group achievement on selected historical or contemporary societies 6.21A: differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources Which of the TEKS does this lesson actually ASSESS?

v Which AASL indicators align with this lesson? Give both the number and the description for each.

Indicator 1.1.1: Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowlege in curricular subjects, and make the real world connection for using this process in own life. Indicator 1.1.2: Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. Indicator 1.1.5: Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context. Indicator 1.1.7: Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias. Indicator 3.1.1: Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning. Indicator 3.1.3: Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively. Indicator 1.2.4: Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information.

Indicator 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
 * Indicator: 1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning. **
 * Indicator: 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so it is useful. **
 * Indicator: 2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real world situations, and further investigations. **
 * Indicator: 4.4.3 Recognize when, why, and how to focus efforts in personal learning. **

Indicator 1.2.1: “Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial f acts Indicator 1.1.3 “Develop and refine a range of questions to frame search for new understanding. 

All of these standards indicators work to a greater or lesser extent. When you design your own lesson, you will want to select three or four that you will actually **assess**.

Implementation

· Process Motivation

Motivation is also known as “anticipatory set” in the Madeline Hunter, EEI lesson plan design. Will this invitation to learn be effective in capturing students’ interest? Why or why not?

The motivation for this lesson involves students making comparisons between the rights of men and women throughout history. Both boys and girls will be interested to learn how men and women have been treated differently throughout the ages since there is a natural competitiveness between boys and girls at this age.

v What are your ideas to increase student buy-in to this lesson? Give at least one. Idea for motivation: Let the students watch a photo story presentation which includes photos and briefly highlights important individuals and groups from selected societies from the past and present. Ask the students if there are others they would like to add to that list and which ones they would like to learn more about during this project.

Idea for motivation: Students could bring in books, magazine articles, photos, newspaper articles, etc. that reference important individuals and groups from selected societies from the past and present. These items that reference individuals or groups could be layed out and displayed on a table. The students could browse through them and discuss anyone or any group that they find interesting and may want to learn more about. One way to increase student interest could be to bring in movies that have been based on a true story. Students could discuss the difference between movies that are based on a true story and movies that are inspired by true stories and those that are based on actual events and historical figures (such as Titanic). They can also research released movies to see if any have been based on actual events and historical figures or even depict actual historical people (such as Schindler's List). This can help students identify movies that are historical fiction and those that are factual. Brava! You will also be able to go beyond published lesson plan ideas for motivation when you can focus that component of the lesson on actual students, their backgrounds and their interests, and the resources available.

Student-friendly Objectives

v Are these objectives at the instructional level of the targeted students? Give an example.  "Pose questions before, during, and after reading" is an objective that is well within the instructional level of middle school students, including those at the sixth grade level.

v Are there terms in these objectives that may need to be taught to students? Give an example.

Some students who have special education needs will need to have the term pose questions explained to them in a way that they will be able to understand it.

Although the objectives are all within the students' instructional levels, some students working below grade level or ESL students may need help understanding the meaning of "pose" and "code." Students will be able to understand these objectives once they are told that posing questions is the same as asking questions and that coding means writing or recording. Good. Educators need to ensure that students know all the terms even in student-friendly objectives. (As you note, this can be especially important for ELLs and students with special needs.) Of course with repeated use through co-teaching and collaboration, students will comprehend more terms - especially because educators will use the terms in both the classroom and library settings.

Presentation

v Describe the modeling aspect of this lesson.

The teachers will be modeling for the students how to ask questions before they begin reading, during the reading, and after they have finished reading. They will also be demonstrating how to categorize the questions based on where they fall on the matrix. Both teachers will show students what this process looks like by saying what they are thinking out loud for the students to hear. For example, one teacher will start by asking questions out loud that good readers ask themselves about the text before reading. The other teacher will code this question on the matrix by thinking out loud about what type of question is being asked and where it would belong on the QAR matrix. The teachers may echo back and forth in this manner or each may answer their own think-aloud questions. Questions will be coded as "on the line" meaning the answers can be found within the actual text. They may also be coded as "between the lines" meaning the reader has to use their prior knowledge and experiences to answer the question. Finally, questions may be coded as "unanswered" meaning they cannot be answered by the text or with the reader's personal knowledge. Teachers will also model how to work with a partner and how to present the information from the matrix during the presentation part of the lesson. They will take turns giving their answers to each type of question, explain how they know the answer is correct using the text, and end by stating one thing that was learned about the historical women during this lesson.

The teachers will model for their students how to use the rubric to guide them through their lesson and to self evaluate their work before they have completed it and are ready to present it. The teachers will show the students "teacher created examples" which model exemplary work for each section of the rubric. The teachers will role play checking each others examples against the rubric for self evaluation.

The teachers can begin by modeling questioning techniques that activate the students prior background knowledge. They could even model this by showing a cover of a book to the other teacher and asking the other one what they think this particular book will be about. The other teacher can respond to their questioning. The teachers could then at an appropriate point ask the other teacher what she knows already about that person or subject, etc. Then the other teacher could give their response back. The questioning could continue to build from there. During the questioning process, graphic organizers could also be utilized and the teachers could model how to utilize them in a productive manner. For ESL students especially, incorporating visuals in this process could be very helpful. Excellent analysis.

v How are the benefits of two or more educators maximized in the presentation component? Two teachers working together will give the students an opportunity to see the teachers working together and getting new ideas as they go along in the lesson. It will also show the students how new questions can even arise. Students will be able to observe when one or the other teacher is also in the learning position-as they learn new information and formulate new questions. Having multiple teachers working together during the presentation process opens up a lot more time for students to raise their hands and ask questions as they think of them. There is also an aesthetic benefit to having two or more smiling educators actively working together and interacting with the class. This also is a very good way for students to begin to open up to the thought of collaborating with others-especially if they usually like to work alone or may be very shy. This makes the environement very warm and friendly and can encourage students to go ahead and try to answer a question without feeling fearful about possibly getting the answer wrong. This can lead to even more questions and responses that tap into more depth and complexity. Having two or more educators conducting the lesson adds to the overall value of the experience for the students and teachers involved. During the presentation of the lesson components, each educator brings different perspectives, experiences, and background knowledge to the lesson. Students will benefit from the lesson components being presented in more than one style. The skill of questioning for deeper understanding and comprehension is not the same for any two people. As individuals are unique, so are their experiences, perspectives, and background knowledge. Because of the nature of individuality, every teacher, as well as every student, will bring different levels of understanding into the lesson. While some students may be able to relate to an experience had by one teacher, others may relate better to another. For example, while reading the historical fiction book, one teacher may draw upon background knowledge about flying in an airplane while the other teacher may not have this experience. The students who have flown in an airplane may have similar background knowledge or may even have a different experience or perspective. Of course, students who have only seen an airplane on TV or in pictures will not have the same knowledge and their questions will reflect this difference. As the saying goes, Two heads are better than one. This adage certainly applies to collaborative lesson planning and coteaching. Every teacher brings his or her own strengths and experiences to lesson planning and instructional delivery. Planning Teachers new to the field could especially benefit from working with an experienced teacher who can let them know what works well and what instructional strategy may not be as effective.

These are excellent ideas - providing a compelling rationale for how classroom-library collaboration makes a difference in student learning.

And how it makes a difference in educator improvement! Smiling educators? Fun while learning? Hurray! (And I am not kidding here...Today, this is sorely and sadly missing in many educators' and students' school lives...)

Student Participation Procedures or Student Practice Procedures

v Are the directions clear? Give an example.

The directions are clear. The students share and or tell their ideas and read their rubric. The directions are clear and appropriate for sixth grade/middle school students. The directions are very explicit and easy for students to understand. For example, “Raise hand to pause the reading and ask a question,” lets the students know what to do and the behavior that is associated with the direction. The directions are also extremely clear about how students will participate during their presentation. The short, step-by-step instructions let students know the expectations for each outcome. For example, “Take turns,” lets students know that they will take turns with their partner presenting their questions, detailing where they found the information, and offering information about what was learned. In Tucson Unified School District, educators were/are required to write student-friendly objectives on the board. I think it is equally important to have student participation/practice procedures clearly accessible for students' review as well.

Guided Practice

v How are the benefits of two or more educators maximized in the guided practice component?

The teachers will collaborate together to model the use of graphic organizers as one of them walks around to answer questons and check for student understanding. Having two or more teachers monitor students allows for the students to get feedback more readily. In addition, by having two or more teachers attend to students, the class will be more manageable because there will be less chance for students to be off-task. Less off-task behavior will produce more academic success. How does this help educators monitor student achievement? Yes, students will be more on-task, AND educators will be able to more effectively provide interventions during the learning process instead of waiting until the final product is completed.

Closure

v Are students active in the closure component? What are students doing for closure?

The students are sharing their presentations with the class and answering students’ questions. After each presentation, the students will discuss what further things that they might like to learn about in the future. Students will review historical fiction and biographies, primary sources, and their QAR matrix. They will also participate in a class discussion about how this process will assist them with comprehension and understanding.

Reflection

v How is the reflection component related to the learning objectives? The students will use the rubric in order to self reflect and self assess their work. This will also allow them to decide what additional questions that they may want to learn more about in the future. It is an important part of the evaluation process. Students are asked to look back at how questioning techniques from the questions they posed were used within the lesson. They are also expected to give examples of how the questioning techniques led to a deeper understanding of what was being read through the use of coding the questions. Finally, students are asked to think about their learning by deciding what they should do with the unanswered questions that arose during the lesson. Yes, students (and educators) must reflect on their learning. This is a critical aspect of metacognition and learning how to learn, which is truly what we are teaching when we teach strategies.

· · Extensions

· v What are your other ideas for extensions to this lesson? Describe at least one. The teachers and or teacher-librarian can collaborate with the social studies teacher in order to extend this lesson. These could be some of the questions: What impact did these individuals have on the future and how does that relate back to us in present day society and personally? I think this particular comprehension skill would work very well in collaboration with the teacher-librarian and science teacher. This lesson connects with the scientific method. The scientific method is based on using background knowledge and developing questions to conduct an experiment. By conducting this lesson with the science classes, students will be able to make connections between subject areas.

Bravo!

P.S. Never let a published lesson plan compromise your creativity and your efforts to help students make connections to using reading comprehension strategies in different contexts and content areas.

Remember: Extensions are further invitations to classroom-library collaboration. They are worth thinking about during the planning stage!

Project Due: November 13th at 9:00 p.m. – 30 Possible Points for the Graphic Organizer.

Individual Reflection – 20 Possible Points – See the Assignment Sheet: A. 3.3 for details.