#9 Twenty-first Century Skills
This artifact is a lesson designed in the Read Write Think (RWT) format about students imitating writing. I created it in RE 5730, Teaching Reading to the Advanced Learner with Dr. Moorman.
Context
The focus of RE 5730 was directed at understanding and teaching the advanced
learner. We spent the first half of the class exploring and discussing the world
of reading as perceived by boys. The second part of the class was used to
explore and practice current research about comprehension, vocabulary and
fluency. One of the main assignments was to create a lesson following the RWT
format. I had to find a current strategy and research it, as well as design
sources and resources for the lesson.
The topic of my lesson is exploring and using the Voice trait in writing. Students take information I give and integrate it with another website www.writingfix.org to imitate the writing of accomplished writers. Because writing is so emphasized in 4th grade in North Carolina, I felt this would be a perfect lesson to teach, in order to prepare students for the 4th grade writing assessment.
Not only did I create my own lesson, but I got to be privy to the lessons my classmates created, and the lessons included on the RWT website. This is a valuable resource that I use often to find current research practices and reading/writing tools.
Principal A: Instructional Expertise--The candidate
demonstrates instructional expertise by applying the theoretical,
philosophical, and research bases for educational practice in P-12
settings to improve student learning.
This is a lesson created to meet the needs of my students based on my
application of theoretical, philosophical and research practices. This lesson
also integrates technology tools for students to use which improves their
learning.
Principal C:
Research--The candidate uses research to examine and improve instructional
effectiveness and student achievement.
Because each of the RWT lessons must be researched-based, I spent much time
researching the current trends on voice and imitation in writing. I incorporated
some of this research as a source for my own Voice Filled Story Lesson.
Principal D: Content Knowledge--The candidate demonstrates advanced depth and breadth of knowledge and
skills in the academic discipline and in education.
I applied the content knowledge of the North Carolina Standard Course of
Study and Writing Rubric to create this lesson, and teach some of the writing
skills necessary for my students to pass 4th grade.
Principal E: Professional Development and Leadership--The candidate engages in continued professional development and
provides leadership at the classroom, school, and community levels, and
within the profession.
This artifact demonstrates my desire to engage in professional development
because it evidences my membership a world wide community of teaching
professionals who share research and ideas to improve our teaching methods.