(Reflection: Part 2)
(What Did the Students Learn?)
(Individual Student Work)
Me: Can you just tell me what your picture was? What your picture story was? |
Mia was able to identify one of the middle and one of the end details from the story. She said, "They want money to buy a chair." (14:42) and "They paid for the chair." (18:50)
Mia appears to understand the idea of having three components to her story based on what she said in an individual conference. Her initial description of her story was very vague. For example, she said, "And then I made this stuff." She also has three dream bubbles in her illustration, but they look unrelated. When prompted by the teacher, Mia was able to provide detail about one of her dream bubbles. She did not provide detail on her own. She also described one of her dream bubbles as being "a red thing", which suggests that she knows that color is one way to provide detail, but she had difficulty identifying the thing that she was describing. She also used "big" to describe the warthog in her dream, which suggests that she knows that size is another way to describe things. I think we could work on providing one describing word to go with each noun. (As well as one noun to go with each describing word)
Her general beginning detail, middle detail, and end detail are fairly sequential, but it is unclear from her illustration. Although beginning, middle, and end parts were not part of my lesson objectives, I think another thing we can work on is constructing a story that has a beginning, middle, and end that build off of each other.
Mia appears to understand the idea of having three components to her story based on what she said in an individual conference. Her initial description of her story was very vague. For example, she said, "And then I made this stuff." She also has three dream bubbles in her illustration, but they look unrelated. When prompted by the teacher, Mia was able to provide detail about one of her dream bubbles. She did not provide detail on her own. She also described one of her dream bubbles as being "a red thing", which suggests that she knows that color is one way to provide detail, but she had difficulty identifying the thing that she was describing. She also used "big" to describe the warthog in her dream, which suggests that she knows that size is another way to describe things. I think we could work on providing one describing word to go with each noun. (As well as one noun to go with each describing word)
Her general beginning detail, middle detail, and end detail are fairly sequential, but it is unclear from her illustration. Although beginning, middle, and end parts were not part of my lesson objectives, I think another thing we can work on is constructing a story that has a beginning, middle, and end that build off of each other.
Me: Can you just tell me what is going on in your picture? Or illustration? What was your story? |
Based on Sam's comments in the discussion about the difference between Story 1 and Story 2, it seems like he equates "real" stories with number of pages rather than amount of detail and having a clear beginning, middle, and end. "Story 1 had more pages, so that's like a real story" (10:26). When we were talking about the middle of the story, Sam said "They went to the bank and they got a chair." (16:24) This suggests that he can identify the place (bank) and thing (chair) generally, but he might have difficulty discussing events in sequence. Although the author does not go into detail about the bank, she does talk about the chair. I think I could ask Sam if he remembers anything about the kind of chair that they buy based on the story or the pictures.
Sam initially tells the beginning part of his story with details about the people involved and the drawing that is shown in his illustration. When asked if there is anything else he wants to add, he talks about the grass. This detail is fairly prominent part of his illustration and could be used to suggest that the setting is outside, which he talks about later in his description. When prompted, he is able to give a beginning with detail about time, middle detail about setting, and end detail about a thing. I think Sam could work on expanding upon the details that he is beginning to depict using senses other than seeing.
Sam initially tells the beginning part of his story with details about the people involved and the drawing that is shown in his illustration. When asked if there is anything else he wants to add, he talks about the grass. This detail is fairly prominent part of his illustration and could be used to suggest that the setting is outside, which he talks about later in his description. When prompted, he is able to give a beginning with detail about time, middle detail about setting, and end detail about a thing. I think Sam could work on expanding upon the details that he is beginning to depict using senses other than seeing.
Me: Can you just tell me a little bit about your picture and your story from your memoir? |
Eddie is able to recount vivid details from the book. He says, "The house burned down and there was a lot of smoke." (15:20)
Although it is unclear from Billy's illustration, his individual conference shows that he provides details when sharing his story verbally. He talks about details that happened in the beginning of his story "I slept over his house" and "He got presents and I didn't", but he shares them in a way that does not appear to be sequential. "And she was going to take Niall over to my house and see my presents, but I slept over Niall's house".
Although it is unclear from Billy's illustration, his individual conference shows that he provides details when sharing his story verbally. He talks about details that happened in the beginning of his story "I slept over his house" and "He got presents and I didn't", but he shares them in a way that does not appear to be sequential. "And she was going to take Niall over to my house and see my presents, but I slept over Niall's house".
Me: Can you just tell me what your picture is of? And your story? |
Dhruv provided a key detail from the beginning of the story. He said, "The mom worked." (12:33) He specified the person and the action, but he did not give detail about what she did for work. He also remembered that, "They emptied the jar at the bank." (17:35) This suggests that he is aware of the setting, but he did not describe the jar. The reason why it is important to describe the jar is because they are taking it to the bank because it is finally full.
Dhruv's depiction of his illustration shows that he is able to identify the beginning, middle, and end and provide some details. He has a clear beginning in which he gives details about the people and setting, "Me and my Dad took a boat. We went to the ocean". The middle part of his description is pretty nondescript, "We saw a shark", but his illustration shows vivid colors and very sharp teeth. I think I could ask him to describe the shark in his story and then have him describe the shark in his illustration to see if the details align. In the end he gives us a general idea about the setting "Then we took it to the aquarium". When prompted, he is able to give more detail "The truck came and we called it." I think that he could also use some help and more practice with sequencing since it seems like there might be confusion around the order of his details (i.e. boat and the ocean and "the truck came and we called it".)
Dhruv's depiction of his illustration shows that he is able to identify the beginning, middle, and end and provide some details. He has a clear beginning in which he gives details about the people and setting, "Me and my Dad took a boat. We went to the ocean". The middle part of his description is pretty nondescript, "We saw a shark", but his illustration shows vivid colors and very sharp teeth. I think I could ask him to describe the shark in his story and then have him describe the shark in his illustration to see if the details align. In the end he gives us a general idea about the setting "Then we took it to the aquarium". When prompted, he is able to give more detail "The truck came and we called it." I think that he could also use some help and more practice with sequencing since it seems like there might be confusion around the order of his details (i.e. boat and the ocean and "the truck came and we called it".)
Dana: When I was dreaming and it was snowing in the classroom. And you was screaming like, “Ahh. Snow.” And then we was cold. |
Dana brought up the fact that Story 1 had a lot of details and the other one didn't. She also was able to identify what we learned in the beginning of the story. "They're trying to get money to buy a chair." (13:35) This suggests that she is able to link two details in a way that suggests that she understands the characters' motivations. She also reminds the group at the end of our discussion that we forgot to talk about how "all the other people gave them stuff" (18:20). Dana seems to be very attentive to detail.
Her illustration and her comments during our conference suggest that she is able to identify the beginning, middle, and end as well as provide vivid details about each part. She added, "And you was screaming like, 'Ahhhh!' And then we was cold." She also is the only one who used details that describe how people are feeling. She uses the phrase "at the end of your story we went outside" which suggests that she provided details about the setting and she understands the beginning, middle, and end sequence.
Her illustration and her comments during our conference suggest that she is able to identify the beginning, middle, and end as well as provide vivid details about each part. She added, "And you was screaming like, 'Ahhhh!' And then we was cold." She also is the only one who used details that describe how people are feeling. She uses the phrase "at the end of your story we went outside" which suggests that she provided details about the setting and she understands the beginning, middle, and end sequence.
Niall: I RAN into my Mom’s room. Then- and then I woke her up! Part one I guess? I said come on mooom. Mom. Get. Up! So, so I can OPEN my presents! And she got up. And part two! That was part two. Now, the last one. We went to the living room. We made- and then- oh, I forget what that says. |
Niall identified a specific key detail from the story. "Then, their old chair got burnt." (15:56)
His writing shows that he had a clear understanding of beginning, middle, and end as evidenced by the fact that he wrote "Part One", "Part Two", and "Part Three" in his writing at the appropriate time. Each "Part" has at least two different details or actions involved. I think Niall really got the idea of sequencing and giving two details for each part, but he did not give very much detail about his presents or his feelings. I think one of the best ways that he gave details was through his tone when I was conferencing with him. However, Niall did not choose to be a storyteller, which means that I am evaluating the level of detail that he had in his memoir writing rather than his re-telling of his story based on the picture.
His writing shows that he had a clear understanding of beginning, middle, and end as evidenced by the fact that he wrote "Part One", "Part Two", and "Part Three" in his writing at the appropriate time. Each "Part" has at least two different details or actions involved. I think Niall really got the idea of sequencing and giving two details for each part, but he did not give very much detail about his presents or his feelings. I think one of the best ways that he gave details was through his tone when I was conferencing with him. However, Niall did not choose to be a storyteller, which means that I am evaluating the level of detail that he had in his memoir writing rather than his re-telling of his story based on the picture.
(Rubric From The Lesson)
Rachel's Comments on Student Learning
1) Student discussion was strong - most of the students were able to verbalize at least one key detail from the story, even if it wasn't exactly the answer you were looking for
2) Overall, I think students would have benefited from more explicit modeling of the activity that they did in the second half of the lesson
3) According to your rubric, DeAnna and Niall had the most key details. DeAnna had two for her beginning, then one each for her middle and end. Niall had 2 for both his beginning and end, but only 1 in the middle. This leads me to believe that "the middle" is a tricky concept for kids and needs to be defined/demonstrated in a way that they will understand (though I'm not sure how or what that would look like)
4) Eddie, apart from not having much confidence in front of the group, may not have known what to do. Does he need a lot of explicit instruction/modeling in the classroom?
5) Mibsam was a great oral storyteller. I almost wish he would have done the storyteller role so that he could share out that way. He only included one key detail in his beginning, middle, and end.
6) Sam didn't get assessed. Do you remember anything from him during the lesson? Maybe you can fill in the rubric in a different color to show that it is from recollection.
7) Maybe it would have been valuable to write the students' descriptions of their drawings on post-it notes and then place them on the drawings (I wish I would have made time to do this because I honestly can't remember what my students said about their drawings). This is also a respectful way to narrate their work without writing on their papers.
8) You did a nice job insuring that each student shared and that the atmosphere was a safe space for students to do so. This is something that I wish I would have stressed more in my own lesson. Perhaps working alone, as opposed to in groups, would have been best for my students, as it seemed to be for yours.
1) Student discussion was strong - most of the students were able to verbalize at least one key detail from the story, even if it wasn't exactly the answer you were looking for
2) Overall, I think students would have benefited from more explicit modeling of the activity that they did in the second half of the lesson
3) According to your rubric, DeAnna and Niall had the most key details. DeAnna had two for her beginning, then one each for her middle and end. Niall had 2 for both his beginning and end, but only 1 in the middle. This leads me to believe that "the middle" is a tricky concept for kids and needs to be defined/demonstrated in a way that they will understand (though I'm not sure how or what that would look like)
4) Eddie, apart from not having much confidence in front of the group, may not have known what to do. Does he need a lot of explicit instruction/modeling in the classroom?
5) Mibsam was a great oral storyteller. I almost wish he would have done the storyteller role so that he could share out that way. He only included one key detail in his beginning, middle, and end.
6) Sam didn't get assessed. Do you remember anything from him during the lesson? Maybe you can fill in the rubric in a different color to show that it is from recollection.
7) Maybe it would have been valuable to write the students' descriptions of their drawings on post-it notes and then place them on the drawings (I wish I would have made time to do this because I honestly can't remember what my students said about their drawings). This is also a respectful way to narrate their work without writing on their papers.
8) You did a nice job insuring that each student shared and that the atmosphere was a safe space for students to do so. This is something that I wish I would have stressed more in my own lesson. Perhaps working alone, as opposed to in groups, would have been best for my students, as it seemed to be for yours.
(What Would I Teach as a Follow-Up To this lesson? What Is My evidence for this decision?)
Although I wanted to focus on identifying and adding key details, I think the way that I structured the small group identification of key details from the read aloud part of my lesson was also getting at the idea of sequence. Looking at my rubric, it also appears like the main concept is beginning, middle, and end, rather than adding key details.
If I were to teach a lesson after this one, I would teach a lesson about sequence or beginning, middle, and end. All of the students were able to identify the beginning, middle, and end, key details from the read aloud. When it came to their writing, some of the students struggled to identify a logical beginning, middle, and end that showed a progression. Other students sounded like they reversed their sequence at some points. This was kind of surprising to see because I knew that my classroom mentor talked about sequencing in the beginning of the year.
If I were to teach a lesson after this one, I would teach a lesson about sequence or beginning, middle, and end. All of the students were able to identify the beginning, middle, and end, key details from the read aloud. When it came to their writing, some of the students struggled to identify a logical beginning, middle, and end that showed a progression. Other students sounded like they reversed their sequence at some points. This was kind of surprising to see because I knew that my classroom mentor talked about sequencing in the beginning of the year.
(How Would I teach the lesson differently the next time I teach it?)
If I were to teach this lesson again, I would definitely make sure that I provide some more structure around the fact that the purpose of this lesson was to increase the level of detail in our work. I think that the key detail worksheet would be a good first step because it will require students to think about what specifically they want to highlight in their memoir. I think the students could spend one lesson on identifying the details and another lesson or two figuring how to depict those details in their medium of choice.
I also realize how important it is to introduce students to new types of graphic organizers. I think that it might be useful to have each student practice using each type of graphic organizer before they have an opportunity to select which one works best for them.
I like the idea of giving students the opportunity to choose the way that they want to express their memoir, but I think that I would do this particular lesson toward the end of a unit on memoirs. I think it might be helpful for the students to see different examples of written memoirs, to see pieces of art that are like memoirs, and to hear or see storytellers passing on their memoirs. I think setting up this lesson in that way is useful for two reasons. First, students will get to see models of those different mediums. Second, it shows students how other people express their personal experiences through each of those mediums and can provide opportunities for students to see how they incorporate key details into their different portrayals of their memoirs.
I also realize how important it is to introduce students to new types of graphic organizers. I think that it might be useful to have each student practice using each type of graphic organizer before they have an opportunity to select which one works best for them.
I like the idea of giving students the opportunity to choose the way that they want to express their memoir, but I think that I would do this particular lesson toward the end of a unit on memoirs. I think it might be helpful for the students to see different examples of written memoirs, to see pieces of art that are like memoirs, and to hear or see storytellers passing on their memoirs. I think setting up this lesson in that way is useful for two reasons. First, students will get to see models of those different mediums. Second, it shows students how other people express their personal experiences through each of those mediums and can provide opportunities for students to see how they incorporate key details into their different portrayals of their memoirs.